Obituaries Longtime Knopf editor, translator, and director of foreign rights Carol Brown Janeway, 71, died early Monday morning at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, two weeks after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Janeway joined Knopf in March 1970 and over 45 years at the publishing house she was, as Sonny Mehta noted in the announcement, “an esteemed figure here and abroad, and central to our publication of great international works of literature Authors loved her. Agents respected her. And foreign publishers trusted her. I hasten to add — she was also a formidable dealmaker. She leaves behind an enduring legacy as an editor […]
People, Etc.
Kathleen Schmidt will join Running Press as vp, director of marketing and publicity on August 10, reporting to Kristen Kiser and working out of the company’s Philadelphia offices. Previously director of publicity at Perseus’s joint-venture line Weinstein Books, Schmidt will continue to handle corporate communications for the Perseus Books Group as well. The American Booksellers Association is restructuring its technology department into two separate teams — one responsible for all of the association’s general technology needs, the other for IndieCommerce. As such Greg Galloway has been promoted to technology director and will become a member of ABA’s senior staff, while […]
Lagardere Reports Publishing Declines, Particularly For Hachette US
Lagardere reported first-half of the year results after the close of the market in France on Thursday. Sales at Lagardere Publishing were 547 million euros in the second quarter (up 37 million euros), down 3.4 percent on a like-for-like basis for the quarter but up 7.1 percent in actual results on the strength of the US dollar and pound sterling. For the first half of the year, sales were 968 million euros (also up 7.1 percent but down on a like-for-like basis), but earnings fell to just 36 million euros, down 28 percent from 50 million euros a year ago (which itself […]
People, Etc.
At Simon & Schuster, Sarah Reidy has been promoted to associate director of publicity. Princeton University Press announced a number of promotions. Eric Henney has been promoted to associate editor, physical and earth sciences, while Ryan Mulligan moves up to assistant editor. Shaquona Crews has been appointed director of contracts, while Kim Williams has been promoted to UK international rights director. Finally, Steven Peter has been promoted to project & systems manager. Andrew Nurnberg Associates will open a new office in Warsaw on September 1. It will be headed by Marcin Biegaj, currently senior agent and sales director at Graal. […]
People
Martha Millard is joining Sterling Lord Literistic in August after more than 35 years running her own agency, the Martha Millard Literary Agency. Her clients include notable science fiction writers William Gibson, Michael Swanwick, Allen Steele, Elizabeth Hand, Marc Weissbluth M.D., Diane Simone Vezza, Julia Scully, and Ian McDonald. In addition, Alison Mackeen will join the agency as an agent, focusing on serious non-fiction across a broad range of categories, including psychology, health, sociology, education, urbanism, lifestyle, history, literature and the arts. Previously she was a senior editor at Basic Books. In the UK, Suzie Dooré will join Harper UK on September […]
Blackboard Owners Hire Bankers to Sell Company
Software company Blackboard, a staple of high school and college classrooms, is exploring a sale, hoping for a valuation of up to $3.4 billion, Reuters reports. According to “people familiar with the matter” Blackboard’s majority owner Providence Equity Partners has hired Deutsche Bank and Bank of America to run an auction and two anonymous people suggest the target would be “a valuation between 14 times to 17 times EBITDA,” currently at around $200 million annually. Providence took Blackboard private in 2011 for $1.64 billion (and took on $130 million in net debt.)