Leslie Meredith has joined Mary Evans as a literary agent, representing memoirs and works on psychology, science, health, nature, animal behavior, spirituality, and mind-body-spirit. She was most recently an editor for 15 years at Simon & Schuster imprints Atria and Free Press. Flatiron Books publisher Amy Einhorn has been promoted to executive vice president, now with all of editorial, both fiction and nonfiction, reporting to her. Melissa Edwards will provide consultation services under MLE Consulting, her new publishing contract service for literary agents and authors, while continuing as literary agent at Stonesong. Serena Longo has been promoted to marketing and events manager for […]
Book Fairs
Book Expo Explains “Reimagining” to Enhance Bookseller Interactions, Author Showcases
Book Expo event director Brien McDonald sent a letter to convention exhibitors on Friday, explaining what organizers are calling a “reimagining” of the show, driven by a “listening tour” among booksellers, publishers and others. As ReedPOP svp Ed Several and McDonald explained to us in a phone interview, “We know that we have to make changes, and we’re excited about what they told us.” Previously, Book Expo “has seen itself as a place where booksellers could identify the latest titles and meet and network.” But as booksellers explained, their top priority is often “pitching their store to convince the publicists […]
Talk Isn’t Cheap, But At Least It’s A Little Easier at Frankfurt This Year
Press conferences, author guests, and planned events notwithstanding, the core of the Frankfurt Book Fair for trade visitors remains rights sales and renewing international relationships. For many people, Frankfurt is also very much about habit and tradition, essentially the same show every year, but with new titles: The same party schedule, the same dinner dates and venues, the same roster of key appointments, the same layout of stands (and unfortunately, the same wealth of smokers when you try to get some air). But there’s one interesting thing that’s different this year, though it may not be obvious: This is the […]
Frankfurt Deal Totals Are Flat, As Six-Figure Adult Buys Decline
With the final pre-Frankfurt deal reports counted, we can tell you that total US deal volume was about even with the past two years (still well off the peak in 2014). But reported six-figure or better deals for adult books declined measurably — regardless of the accounts you might read about a handful of books — with the only growth coming from children’s. For deals of all sizes, nonfiction sales — always the largest category — were strong in total number, bouncing back from last year’s dip to a more normal level. Fiction was just below even with last year, […]
Reidy Looks Forward to An Open European Market After Brexit
Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy said out at a ceo q&a forum what many are thinking (and we suggested here early on) about a post-Brexit publishing world. : If and once Brexit actually happens, “To my mind the argument that the British have used to try to grab Europe as an exclusive market will then be over.” Reidy argued that “both sides [US and UK] can sell equally well in Europe.” She added, “I still don’t understand why the British think they have India. Sorry, Ian [Chapman].” The remarks were expected, since Reidy was the most prominent US executive […]
Wylie on Authors “Seeing Things Differently”
Literary agent Andrew Wylie started the day’s conferences at the Frankfurt Book Fair with brief remarks before a modest, press-heavy audience in FBF’s “Business Club.” The personal part of his address, reflecting on recent travels with his wife, was “about seeing things differently and seeing different things.” His point was that the world itself looked more similar as he traveled far and wide, but “what differed was the behavior and reactions of those we encountered,” with people expressing “a different view of the similar rather than a similar view of different things.” In publishing terms, his international roster of authors […]