Random House’s legal department has promoted Kathy Trager to evp, general counsel, while Matthew Martin and Anke Steinecke have been named svp, associate general counsel, respectively. Former London Book Fair Director Alistair Burtenshaw has launched his own publishing industry consultancy and project management business, Publishing Connections Ltd. Melissa Sarver has joined Folio Literary Management as the co-director of international rights and will continue to represent authors in the areas of Young Adult, select literary and upmarket adult fiction, narrative non-fiction, business books and cookbooks. She was previously at The Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency. At Little, Brown, Heather Fain has been promoted to […]
Agency News
People
Emma Patterson and Emily Forland will join Brandt & Hochman as agents effective January 1. Both Patterson and Forland were previously with the Wendy Weil Agency, and were the two principal agents looking after the agency’s business following Weil’s death in September. Amber Qureshi is joining Seven Stories as associate publisher and executive editor in January. She was most recently an executive editor at Viking. Korea will be the “market focus” country at the London Book Fair in 2014.
Amazon Contest Drops Penguin, Boosts Top Prize; Curtis Brown UK to Launch Hundreds of Titles As KDP Exclusives
Amazon’s “breakthrough novel” contest returns for the sixth year, this time dropping the unlikely partnership with Penguin Group for a “new publisher”: “Amazon Publishing is the official publishing sponsor for 2013 — which means a faster publishing timeline, higher royalties, ability to launch the books in multiple formats (print, audio, ebook) and worldwide distribution.” The grand prize advance has been raised to $50,000. Given all the success that Amazon’s self-publishing programs and house imprints have brought to some authors, it’s surprising that the contest winners have such a consistently modest track record. (The fiction winners have been The Beautiful Land […]
People, Etc.
Patrick Mulligan has resigned from Gotham Books, to work full-time for Pop Chart Lab, a design startup he cofounded in 2010. He can be reached at patrick@popchartlab.com. Mark Short joins Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as svp and head of international markets. He was at Pearson. The Bookseller has updated their piece on United Agents’ acquisition of AP Watt: 12 of 16 AP Watt staffers are joining UA as part of the merger. In the UK, Christian publisher Lion Hudson will publish crime and women’s fiction aimed at a broader audience through a new imprint, Lion Fiction, set to launch in spring 2013. […]
United Agents Completes Acquisition of AP Watt
The week’s second exhibit in literary agency consolidation: In the UK, United Agents has finalized their acquisition of venerable AP Watt, the Bookseller confirms, after first reporting on the talks in September. Only five members of AP Watt’s staff are joining United Agents in the transition, however, starting next week: Natasha Fairweather will join United Agents’ Robert Kirby as joint head of the literary department, and Linda Shaughnessy will serve as joint head of foreign rights. AP Watt executives Caradoc King and Derek Johns will also join United Agents as partners, and agent Jon Elek is staying with the group […]
Sagalyn Agency Joins with ICM In “Strategic Alliance”
As publishers pair up, so will some literary agencies–evidenced in mild form by a Wednesday announcement that Washington, DC-based The Sagalyn Agency has entered into a “strategic alliance” with ICM Partners. Rafe Sagalyn’s agency will be renamed ICM/Sagalyn, and “agents from ICM Partners and Sagalyn will co-sign authors and journalists.” The alliance also gives ICM Partners entree into the Washington world of journalists and politicians, for whom a book deal is sometimes just one piece of their representation needs. Additionally, ICM Partners will represent film, TV and media rights as well as foreign rights to the library of properties already […]