Audio Spotify has indicated plans for an “audiobook strategy” through a job listing for a Head of Audio Books position that is attracting wide notice. The job includes “manag[ing] a book editorial team and strategy” and combines the development of original content as well as licensing and packaging third-party content. The company is working to “develop long-term strategy for audio books” and has “R&D teams building the books experience in the Spotify app.” They are looking for someone from the book world, with audiobook experience. The position is part of Spotify Studios, reportedly a new production company entity, suggesting the […]
Audio
Briefs
Picks Reese Witherspoon chose Leah Johnson‘s You Should See Me in a Crown as her first-ever YA title for the Hello Sunshine Book Club. Forthcoming AMERICAN CRISIS by Andrew Cuomo, “a revealing, behind-the-scenes account of his experience leading New York State through the COVID-19 epidemic,” will be published by Crown on October 13. Audio CD versions of Recorded Books‘ audiobooks will be manufactured-on-demand, sold and distributed in North America exclusively by Blackstone Audio beginning October 1. As part of the agreement, Blackstone will “serve all of Recorded Books’ CD audiobook production needs for libraries in the US and Canada. Over the coming months, […]
People, Etc.
Bridget Monroe Itkin has been promoted to senior editor at Artisan Books. Wah-Ming Chang has been promoted to vice president of company culture and senior managing editor, books at Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull. In the UK, Lucy Hale has been hired for the new role of publisher for Pan, reporting to Jeremy Trevathan. She had been deputy ceo of Hodder & Stoughton, Headline, Quercus and John Murray until last October, when her position was eliminated. Before working for Hachette UK, Hale had been at Pan Macmillan as UK sales director and international sales director. Audio New publisher Levine Querido has an exclusive […]
McGraw Hill Informs Authors Their Audible Relationship Is Likely Over
Authors who published audiobooks with McGraw Hill received an email from the publisher in late June notifying them that their audiobooks would be pulled from Audible on June 30. “After prolonged contract negotiations with Audible over a span of several years, we have been unable to come to terms for the renewal of our agreement,” said the June 24 letter. It continued, “There is the possibility of our reaching some acceptable agreement in the coming weeks but we are not hopeful…. The current terms with Audible are from several years ago, agreed to at a time when audio was not […]
People, Etc.
Marta Fleming has been promoted to director of international rights at Macmillan, working on St. Martin’s, Flatiron, Tor/Forge, and Celadon Books. At St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Courtney Littler becomes senior editor, focusing on Castle Point Books and the Griffin Puzzle Program, and Joe Goldschein has been promoted to vp, marketing & sales operations. At Macmillan Speakers Bureau, Chloe Volkwein was promoted to lecture agent. Forthcoming Knopf will publish TOGETHER IN A SUDDEN STRANGENESS: AMERICA’S POETS RESPOND TO THE PANDEMIC on June 9 in ebook and audio, with a hardcover to follow in November. The book features new, mostly not-yet-published work by […]
People, Etc.
At Macmillan Audio, Morgan Ratner has been promoted to podcast marketing specialist and Emily Miller to digital associate. At St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Marissa Sangiacomo has been promoted to assistant marketing director; Michelle Cashman to senior marketing manager; D.J. DeSmyter to senior marketing manager; Allison Ziegler to senior marketing manager; Meaghan Leahy to senior marketing operations manager; Beatrice Jason to associate marketing manager; and Stephen Erickson to assistant marketing manager. Brenna English-Loeb has been promoted to literary agent at Transatlantic Agency. Audio Yale University Press has launched Yale Press Audio, featuring one to four audiobooks a year with plans to “grow […]