Brooklyn author Lisa Skye is suing her former agent, Jayne Rockmill, for puportedly stealing the idea that became the cookbook “I Love Bacon”, published by Andrews McMeel in 2009. According to the lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Skye said she and Rockmill jointly put together a proposal for the book after meeting at a launch party in 2007 for an earlier, self-published cookbook. Skye claims she fired Rockmill in early 2009 after she “became disenchanted with Rockmill’s aggressive style”, and was “stunned” to find a copy of the book with Rockmill’s name on it in a San Francisco bookstore […]
Agency News
Sheedy Sues Sterling Lord, Seeking Her Accounting Records and Payment Due from 2009
Last week the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency filed suit in New York State Supreme Court against Sterling Lord Literistic, which Sheedy’s agency had been affiliated with since 1995. The complaint charges SLL with multiple breaches of a contract between the two agencies from 2009, which was terminated on February 15, 2011. Among the most serious allegations are that SLL had agreed in that 2009 contract to pay Sheedy $128,000 and has “refused and failed to pay the entire sum” and “purported to grant itself numerous set-offs…in order to reduce the amount shown to be owed.” Sheedy also claims that SLL […]
Macmillan Acknowledges Kindle Outage Adjustment for Authors
A year after the showdown between Amazon and Macmillan over the publisher’s switch to agency terms that left most Macmillan titles unavailable for sale for about a week at the etailer, the companies’ joint move to make financial amends to authors has become public. In a letter from Macmillan ceo John Sargent to authors and agents, he explained their Amazon Kindle Outage Adjustment. (Most of the supplementary compensation was already paid in the prior royalty reporting period last year.) “We believe it was not fair that authors should suffer from the Amazon buy button takedown imposed on us for a […]
People
Agent Leigh Feldman has left Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman, where she worked for 20 years, to join Writers House, starting next month. Feldman says in the announcement, “I’m so lucky to have had the experience of working with Liz and Chuck for the last 20 years. Liz was a wonderful mentor to me and her wisdom and guidance is something that will benefit me as I move on to the next stage of my career with Writers House.” She adds, “I’m impressed by how well they have grasped the complexities and opportunities of digital’s emergence in book publishing. Most importantly, they’re […]
People, Awards, Etc.
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) has hired Andi Sporkin for the new position of vp, communications, reporting to president Tom Allen. Sporkin will “develop and direct integrated communications, external outreach and marketing for AAP’s advocacy efforts.” Her responsibilities will include legal, legislative and regulatory communications; media relations; industry branding initiatives; public affairs; and management of AAP’s Communications team. Sporkin was vp, communications at NPR from 2005-2008, worked for CBS for 13 years, and also led communications divisions at Disney and Sony Pictures. National Book Network has eliminated six positions in their sales force, which company head Jed Lyons says […]
People, Etc.
Marjorie Braman is leaving Henry Holt, where she has been vp and editor-in-chief since September 2008. Prior to that she was executive editor at HarperCollins for 12 years. She is leaving on to concentrate on freelance editorial projects, and her last day is January 31. Holt will name a new editor-in-chief at a later date.Christine Pride has joined Hyperion as senior editor. Previously she was an editor with the Crown Publishing Group. At Norton, Brendan Curry and Tom Mayer have been promoted to senior editors. Christina Ward of the Christina Ward Literary Agency and Richard Balkin of The Balkin Agency […]