Managing director of the books department at Curtis Brown UK Jonny Geller has a piece in the Bookseller that tries to respond to criticism of the agency’s recently-announced Creative Writing School. He claims the program isn’t “paying for access” to having unsolicited manuscripts read–but if that’s the case, they should make that clear on the “school’s” solicitation page, instead of offering such review as a benefit of the program. On the fee for participating, he rightly indicates that “it will cover our tutorial costs” and “this is not a money making venture.” Though Geller acknowledges critics have raised the issue […]
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People, Etc.
St. Martin has hired Paul Hochman for the new position of director of social media, overseeing social media marketing and community building. Hochman had been at B&N.com since 2002 in various positions, most recently as manager of acquisition marketing, content and social media. He will report to publishers Sally Richardson and Matthew Shear. Katie Shea has joined Johnson Lit Agency, focusing on literary fiction, commercial fiction, with a strong and sassy voice, heartfelt memoirs, narrative nonfiction, diet, and health & wellness. She was a reader at FinePrint Literary Management and an assistant at Folio Literary Management and Langtons International Agency. […]
Curtis Brown UK Launches Paid Writing Classes for Fiction Writers
The latest news item driving online commentary is the launch of a three-month novel-writing course by Curtis Brown UK, “the first and only new writing school to be run by a literary agency.” They charge 1,600 pounds, and promise to “consider” students’ for representation: “We don’t guarantee that we’ll offer representation but we do guarantee that every student’s work will be read by a Curtis Brown book agent and every student will receive a detailed critique on their work at the end of the course.” They also require that students give the agency an exclusive opportunity to consider their completed […]
People, Etc.
Kobo has hired Pieter Swinkels as Director of Publisher and Industry Relations for Europe, leading the company’s expansion there. He was associate publisher of De Bezige Bij and publisher of Cargo in Holland. In his new role at Kobo, Swinkels will be responsible for driving forward Kobo’s ambitious expansion into the European market. The company notes “the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands currently have the highest European Kobo user counts, but the company is quickly expanding its audience in Spain, Portugal and Italy.” The Gail Ross Literary Agency has changed its name to The Ross Yoon Agency. Agency […]
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Hachette Book Group is celebrating making Crain’s Best Places to Work in NYC for the second year in a row, rising to No. 19 (from 24 a year ago). Norton has named Edward Crutchley the next managing director of its UK subsidiary, effective February 1, 2011, after Alan Cameron retires. Cameron is the firm’s founding managing sirector, joining Norton in 1979. Crutchley has been most recently regional sales director, institutional online sales at John Wiley UK, which he joined when the parent company purchased Blackwell. (Norton uses Wiley UK’s warehouse.) Steven Wilson has joined Book Sales Inc. New York as […]
People
Former longtime director of rights and contracts at McClelland & Stewart Marilyn Biderman has opened an eponymous literary agency, based in Toronto, and is out with her first submission in both the US and Canada: French-Canadian Marguerite Pigeon’s debut novel OPEN PIT. Biderman says she will represent genre, commercial and literary fiction, along with narrative nonfiction and memoir and “the occasional expert as a client as well.” In deciding her next step in publishing, Biderman says, “I really looked at what was important to me and where my allegiances lie. It’s always been with the publishing process and protecting the […]