For sole proprietors or small literary agencies, a founder’s passing or ill health creates a host of uncertainties with respect to a company’s future. Do they sell the business, hire new staff, or maintain the agency’s backlist interests on a passive basis? A handful of agencies have reckoned with these choices over the past six months in a variety of ways. As reported in May, three active members of Russell & Volkening left to start a new company, Salky Hannigan Getzler Agency, taking their clients with them. Part of the reason, multiple sources told us, was that the trio attempted […]
Agency News
Christopher Little Threatens Legal Action Over Blair and Rowling Departures
The UK press now has reaction from agent Christopher Little–via a spokesperson–following last week’s departures of Neil Blair from Little’s agency to set up his own company, and of star client JK Rowling, who “has terminated her association with the Christopher Little Literary Agency” will continue working with Blair at his new company. Rowling’s spokesperson says, “This was a painful decision, especially as Ms Rowling had actively sought a different outcome for some weeks. However, it was not taken without good reason and it finally became unavoidable.” Meanwhile, Little’s spokesperson implies that the action is not final, saying “he is […]
People, Etc.
Anthony Cheetham has left Atlantic Books, where he was an associate publisher and director on its board, in what he described as a “joint decision” between himself and Atlantic ceo Toby Mundy. “There wasn’t a huge amount for me to do at Atlantic, and the projects that I had envisaged working on were not really happening because it has been a difficult year for the company,” Cheetham told the Bookseller. He added that he was about to launch a new venture sometime this autumn, and while Cheetham did not give many details, evidently the plan is to “develop a ‘specialist […]
Glusman to Become Editor-In-Chief at Norton, Rowling Follows Blair to New Agency
John Glusman will leave Crown to become the new editor-in-chief of Norton’s trade department in July, as Norton’s Star Lawrence “will set aside administrative duties at his own request to concentrate more fully on acquiring and editing books in the role of editor-at-large.” Lawrence, 68, who has been at Norton since 1969, says in the announcement, “John’s far-ranging interests and expertise will be a terrific asset to the entire company. I hand him the managerial reins with the greatest confidence, happy to turn my full attention to what I do best, and what brought me into this business in the […]
eNews: Open Road Pairs with Bedford Square, and More
Indicated previously as under discussion, the Ed Victor Agency’s new publishing arm Bedford Square Books has formalized a partnership with Open Road, which will digitally publish, market, and distribute Bedford Square titles in North America. At the Publishers Launch Conference in London last week, Ed Victor Agency’s Charlie Campbell indicated that Open Road would serve as publisher on at least some if not all Bedford Square Books (with the Victor entities charging a regular agency commission only) and added that “on those that they don’t want to publish, they may distribute.” At the time, Campbell called Bedford Square “a publishing […]
More eNews: Dystel & Goderich Will ‘Formally Represent’ Self-Pubbed Work By Clients, Kindle Heads to France, and More
Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, which represents several notable self-publishing successes including J.A. Konrath and John Locke, announced on their blog they will officially “represent” clients who want to self-publish and help them with the process. As they explain: “what we are going to do is to facilitate e-publishing for those of our clients who decide that they want to go this route, after consultation and strategizing about whether they should try traditional publishing first or perhaps simply set aside the current book and move on to the next.” DGLM will charge their regular 15 percent commission for services in […]