Sourcebooks ceo Dominique Raccah was honored at the opening of BEA on Wednesday with their Industry Ambassador Award. Former IPG distribution executive Mark Suchomel has joined Perseus Books Group’s distribution client services group and will run a new division based in Chicago, Legato Publishing Group. It will operate as “an affiliate” of PGW, “leveraging some of PGW’s scale and best practices in serving independent publishers.” The Random House Publishing Group announced a number of promotions in its publicity department. Maria Braeckel has been promoted to assistant director of publicity, while Greg Kubie moves up to publicity manager. In addition, Michelle Jasmine has been promoted […]
Authors
Author News: Clinton Pre-Orders, Geithner Co-Author
Hillary Clinton‘s memoir will not be published until June 1, 2014, but Simon & Schuster made the book available for pre-order through major retailers. The 320-page hardcover is priced at $40, with the ebook version selling for anywhere from $19.99 to $16.99 at the moment. When announcing the deal, S&S said Clinton would share key decisions and experiences from her time as Secretary of State and her ideas for how the United States can address the challenges of a dramatically changing world in the 21st century. Another former member of President Obama’s cabinet turned author Timothy Geithner has selected a collaborator […]
Briefs: Court Hears Google Authors Guild Appeal, and More
For avid court watchers, this morning the Federal Court of Appeals was scheduled to hear oral arguments in the fight over whether to certify the author class in the long-running suit brought by the Authors Guild over Google‘s book scanning. Last year Judge Denny Chin approved certification of the class, and Google appealed that decision. We’re going to spare you further details until the court rules. Sony, which has sold its Reader devices in Australia for some time, has finally opened a Reader ebookstore there to go along with those devices. Price cuts on a variety of Nook devices — […]
People, Etc.
Michael Cairns is joining Publishing Technology as chief operating officer of their online solutions division, replacing Louise Russell. His responsibilities include their pub2web hosting platform and the ingentaconnect portal. Most recently Cairns has been a consultant and served as chief revenue office for SharedBook, focused on their Academic Pub platform. Greenhouse Literary Agency has hired Polly Nolan head up the UK side of their business representing children’s and YA authors. Currently associate publishing director, fiction, at Macmillan UK Children’s, she will start her new job on June 3. Amber Morley has joined Chronicle Books as marketing coordinator for their children’s division. […]
People: Sontz Takes Over As Powell’s CEO
Powell’s Books longtime chief operating officer Miriam Sontz will take over as the bookseller’s ceo, as Emily Powell relinquishes that title to “step fully into her role as the owner of Powell’s Books, focusing on the stewardship of Powell’s long-term future, health, and vitality.” She wrote in a memo to employees: “In Miriam’s 28 years at Powell’s she has held many roles — from Beaverton store manager to co-CEO. Powell’s owes much of its arc through life to Miriam — to her persistent, loving dedication to Powell’s, to bookselling, and to integrity.” Sontz says, “We are well-positioned to continue efficiencies […]
People: A New Chief Editor for OED
Chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary John Simpson will retire in October 2013, a position he has held since 1993–the seventh OED editor since Sir James Murray’s appointment in 1879. Under his leadership, over 60,000 new words and meanings were added to the dictionary. Time has a lengthy interview with Simpson on his tenure. Current editorial project director Michael Proffitt will take over as chief editor on November 1, and principal etymologist Philip Durkin will move up to join Edmund Weiner as deputy chief editor. Chief executive of Oxford University Press Nigel Portwood said: “John Simpson has made a truly outstanding contribution to […]