Macmillan Children’s announced a number of promotions: Holly West and Kat Brzozowski have each been promoted to senior editor at Feiwel and Friends/Swoon Reads; Anna Roberto to senior editor at Feiwel and Friends; Julia Sooy to editor at Henry Holt BYR/Godwin Books; Melissa Warten to assistant editor at Farrar, Strauss Children’s; Jessica Anderson to associate editor at Henry Holt BYR/Christy Ottaviano Books; Robyn Chapman to senior associate editor at First Second Books; and Mark Podesta to assistant editor at Henry Holt Children’s. At Random House Children’s, Janet Foley has been promoted to director of managing editorial; Kristen Depken to editor; and Rachel Chlebowski to assistant editor. Megan […]
Audio
Briefs: Wiley Audiobooks, Gucci Books, Another BN Legal Conference, and More
Audio RBmedia has an agreement with Wiley to publish audiobook versions of more than 650 of the book publisher’s titles over the next three years, starting in January. The deal “allows for publication of all frontlist titles, with a primary focus on business, finance and the well-known Dummies brand, as well as select titles from tech and other key subject areas,” and it includes “select backlist titles” as well. They note that “a significant percentage of audiobooks [will] be narrated by Wiley authors, including global thought leaders, educators, and practitioners.” Bookselling Soho’s latest bookselling space is “gucci.” As in the […]
People, Etc.
Hasan Altaf joins the Paris Review as managing editor next Tuesday. Most recently, he was the managing editor at Harper’s Magazine. Fiction writer, poet, and musician Christian Keifer takes the new role of West Coast editor. Additionally, an expanded roster of advisory editors incorporates former poetry editor Robyn Creswell, plus Saskia Hamilton and Christopher Merrill. At Milkweed Editions, Joanna R. Demkiewicz has been promoted to marketing director. Jordan Bascom moves up to publicist. Former John Murray publishing director Eleanor Birne joins David Godwin Associates as an agent on September 3. The MacDowell Colony announced 87 recipients of fall-winter fellowships, including […]
KKR Acquires RBmedia
Investment firm KKR has acquired audiobook powerhouse RBmedia (previously known as Recorded Books) from Shamrock Capital. The financial details of the sale were not disclosed, though as one of the largest private equity firms with assets under management of over $150 billion, KKR focuses on investments of scale. With a catalog of 35,000 published audiobook titles across multiple imprints, RBmedia calls itself the largest independent audiobook publisher in the world. They offer audio titles from multiple publishers to consumers through Audiobooks.com by subscription, and provide a broader catalog of digital content to libraries through the RBDigital platform. Tom MacIsaac, president […]
People, Etc.
Taneli Ruda has joined Wiley as evp, chief strategy officer, where he will help to define and accelerate the next phase of the company’s growth. Ruda most recently served as head of corporate strategy at Thomson Reuters, with responsibility for defining the company’s portfolio and growth strategies, and driving company-wide M&A. “Taneli is an exceptional talent, and I am excited to welcome him to Wiley,” Wiley president & ceo Brian Napack said in the announcement. “He has extensive experience identifying robust and sustainable growth strategies for global organizations. Taneli’s innovative thinking and ability to translate complex strategies into action will […]
Listening to Worries About Barnes & Noble, Audible’s Growing Ambitions
The WSJ uses Book Expo to remind their readership that publishers are forever worried about the future of Barnes & Noble: “Permeating the industry is a sense of foreboding about struggling bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc., a sentiment that was palpable in recent days at the annual book show in New York…. The retailer’s continuing sharp decline raises fundamental questions for the book business, publishing executives say, including whether it will become increasingly difficult to introduce new writers and make their books visible to consumers.” BN chairman Len Riggio’s opening speech teed up that lede, as he spoke to the […]