Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, 82, “one of Africa’s most widely read novelists and one of the continent’s towering men of letters,” died after a brief illness, according to agent Andrew Wylie. His THINGS FALL APART is said to have sold over 8 million copies and been published in more than 50 languages. HarperCollins svp, publishing transformation Carolyn Pittis is leaving the company on March 29 after more than two decades to work as a private change management consultant. In her time at Harper Pittis served a number of roles, from book production, managing editorial, business development, and sales to consumer forecasting and supply chain management, […]
Authors
People: St. Martin’s Reorganizes Marketing and Publicity Teams
St. Martin’s Press is reorganizing its marketing and publicity departments into four core groups as part of a move from “format-driven orientation to an audience-and-category-focused orientation.” The groups will be made up of SMP’s current marketers, publicists and digital marketers, each working on a specific set of genre groups. Anne Marie Tallberg has been named vp, marketing, communications & audience development leading a group focusing on women’s fiction/romance/young adult/parenting/self-help/health-fitness-diet/crafts. Dori Weintraub will serve in the same executive capacity, leading a group focusing on women’s fiction/literary fiction/biography-memoir. Lisa Senz will has been named vp, marketing and partnerships, and will continue as […]
With Geithner’s Deal, The Potential and The Challenge
As reported widely on Thursday–with a full deal report at PublishersMarketplace–the lengthy auction for former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s book has concluded with Crown winning rights and aiming for a 2014 publication. How much Geithner reveals and how book buyers feel about his record will certainly weigh heavily on the book’s performance when released. In anticipation of the sale, analyst Peter Hildick-Smith at book audience research firm The Codex Group queried a survey panel of just over 5,000 recent book buyers on Geithner’s “Author Equity” for us. (We’ll be featuring some other custom Codex Group research here in the days to come.) […]
Bookselling: Porter Square Books Seeks New Owner; Michael Vick Signings Cancelled After Threats of Violence
Porter Square Books in Cambridge, MA has been put up for sale after more than nine years in business, as its owners are looking to retire. “We’ve really been able to establish Porter Square Books as a vital community institution,” bookstore president Carol Stoltz told WickedLocal. “We have embraced e-books, author events, sidelines and even a café — all things a successful book store needs to have in the 21st century.” Porter Square added they have allocated “a significant timeframe to find just the right next owner of the store.” At least three scheduled appearances at Barnes & Noble stores […]
People, Awards, Etc.
Edward Necarsulmer IV and Eleanor Jackson have joined Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Necarsulmer was previously an agent at MacIntosh & Otis, and will focus on representing middle grade, YA, and adult literary fiction. Jackson was most recently an agent at Markson Thoma, which last week saw partner Geri Thoma move to Writers House. The UK’s Carnegie Medal for children’s literature features a powerhouse shortlist that includes Costa winner Sally Gardner, Printz winner Nick Lake and medalist Elizabeth Wein: THE WEIGHT OF WATER, Sarah Crossan A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL, Roddy Doyle MAGGOT MOON, Sally Gardner IN DARKNESS, Nick Lake WONDER, […]
Vintage Will Publish EL James’ INNER GODDESS Journal on May 1
EL James will publish a new book in 2013 after all, as Vintage announces a May 1 publication date for FIFTY SHADES OF GREY: INNER GODDESS (A Journal). The “collaboration between James and her US publisher” will be released as a “bonded-leather softcover journal” that will “offer readers and aspiring writers a place where they can record their innermost thoughts.” The book, which will have a 125,000-copy first printing, includes a foreword by James, excerpts from her FIFTY SHADES novels, writing tips, a writing playlist, and lined pages for writing.