Agents Jill Marsal and Kevan Lyon have left the Sandra Dijkstra Agency to form the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Marsal was at the Dijkstra agency for eight years and practice as an attorney representing authors prior to that. Lyon spent four years at Dijkstra and worked in the wholesale and distribution side of the publishing business for over 17 years before becoming an agent. Well-known indie publishing spark plug Richard Nash is leaving Counterpoint, where he is currently executive editor, as well as editorial director of Soft Skull Press, on March 10. CEO Charlie Winton indicates the company will maintain […]
Agency News
Vig v. Dykstra
Literary agent David Vigliano has sued former client Lenny Dykstra, claiming “he lent Dykstra $250,000 last May with an agreement Dykstra would pay him $300,000 by early November,” the NY Post reports. They add that “according to the lawsuit, Vigliano was to receive a $300,000 payment after Dykstra sold some $23 million in notes tied to his former car wash franchise businesses. Vigliano claims he kept a $106,000 book advance that was supposed to go to Dykstra. As a result, the ex-ballplayer owes the literary agent $194,000.” Dykstra made a deal to write a book based on financial advice he […]
People: Agency Moves, and More
Ethan Friedman has joined LevelFiveMedia as an agent. He was most recently a senior editor at Collins. He will be developing his own client list with an emphasis on business, along with such other categories as sports, current affairs, judaica, self-help/personal growth, and general non-fiction. Marlene Stringer is leaving the Barbara Bova Literary Agency and is starting the Stringer Literary Agency. She writes, “this is an amicable parting of ways, and Barbara and I have great admiration for each other.” At Wendy Sherman Associates, Michelle Brower has been promoted to agent. She has been with the agency since 2004. Elise Proulx […]
People: Jackson Moves Agencies; Elek to AP Watt
Eleanor Jackson has left the Queen Literary Agency, and is now working at the Elaine Markson Agency. Jon Elek is moving to AP Watt as an agent in January. For the past two and a half years Jon has been an assistant editor at Viking, working with Tony Lacey, in addition to developing his own projects.
People and More
Julia Churchill is joining the Greenhouse Literary Agency. She was an agent with the Darley Anderson Agency, specializing in children’s fiction. At Random House Audio, Rebecca Waugh has been promoted to senior acquisitions editor for Listening Library. In the UK, Jamie Magazine–featuring Jamie Oliver–launches this week, exclusive to WH Smith stores for the first three issues. Unusually, the Guardian says the magazine is funded directed by Oliver, at a cost of 250,000 pounds. Augsburg Fortress, the publishing arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America based in Minneapolis, announced last month it would end its consumer book publishing line to […]
People: Anderson Adds Children's Agency; Borders SVP Retires; and More
UK agent Darley Anderson has hired the former head of children’s at Borders, Becky Stradwick to build the client list of children’s book authors as part of a new offshoot, the Darley Anderson Children’s Literary Agency. Also in the UK, Robert Caskie has joined PFD as an agent. He was at MacFarlane Chard Associates, after six years at Capel & Land. SVP of merchandising for the children’s, multimedia (music and movies), newsstand, calendar and game categories at Borders Linda Jones will retire from the company December 19. She joined the company in 1995 as a merchandising director for Waldenbooks. Those […]