Kobo chief content officer and member of the founding executive team Michael Tamblyn has been promoted to the additional title of president. In the expanded role, Tamblyn will have “responsibilities for sales, publisher and industry relations, content acquisition, and the merchandising experience across Kobo’s E Ink eReaders, Android tablets, and reading apps,” working with recently-appointed CEO Taka Aiki to “continue expanding on the company’s eReading service around the world, while driving the company’s success through sustainable and long-term profitable growth.” Penguin Random House announced a number of promotions in its newly unified Human Resources department, overseen by evp, chief human […]
Bookstores
Awards and Lists: PEN/Faulkner to Fowler, Amazon and Pennie’s Picks
Karen Joy Fowler won the 2014 PEN/Faulkner Award for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, of which judge Manuel Muñoz said in the announcement, “Fowler captures an altogether new dimension of the meaning — and heartbreak — of family dynamics.” Amazon’s best books of April features Peter Matthiessen’s In Paradise as the “spotlight pick” and Ted Thompson’s The Land of Steady Habits as the month’s featured debut. Their other picks of the month are: Astonish Me, Maggie Shipstead Casebook, Mona Simpson Updike, Adam Begley Sous Chef, Michael Gibney Secrecy, Rupert Thomson Essentialism, Greg Mckeown Afterparty, Daryl Gregory Inheritance, Sharon Moalem Listen to the Squawking […]
People, Etc.
At Crown Business, Ayelet Gruenspecht has been promoted to marketing manager, while Megan Perritt moves up to publicity manager for the imprint as well as for Crown Forum. In addition, associate publisher for Crown Forum and Three Rivers Press Campbell Wharton will take on an additional role in project directing Crown Business campaigns on a case-by-case basis. At the Random House Publishing Group, Sam Nicholson and Anna Pitoniak have been promoted to editor. Mika Kasuga, Caitlin McKenna, and Molly Turpin have been promoted to assistant editor. Dervla Kelly will join Rodale as senior editor on April 7. Previously she was an […]
People Etc.
Devin Kirk will join Macmillan on April 14 as vp, international sales and marketing, succeeding Judy Sisko, who is retiring next month after more than 46 years in publishing and 22 years at Macmillan. Kirk was previously senior director, international sales for Penguin Random House. At Penguin Random House, Kim Shannon has been appointed to newly created position of vp, director, adult retail sales, Random House. Adult retail sales at Penguin continue to be overseen by John Lawton and Norman Lidofsky. At Sterling Lord Literistic, Caitlin McDonald and Mary Krienke have been promoted to associate agents, while Nadyne Pike moves […]
Indies Choice Nominees Named
The ABA announced the finalists for the Indies Choice Awards, with winners to be announced April 17. Among the adult candidates 5 of the 6 debut nominees and 3 of the fiction nominees were all featured pre-publication in Buzz Books last year. (Check out the excerpts in the current Spring/Summer edition to sample some of the potential breakout books of this year spring and summer.) The nominees are: Adult Fiction Gun Machine, by Warren Ellis (Mulholland Books) Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson (Reagan Arthur Books) Snow Hunters, by Paul Yoon (Simon & Schuster) The Son, by Philipp Meyer (Ecco) […]
Hastings Merger Would Pay Top Execs to Leave
A series of documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed buyout of retailer Hastings indicate that current ceo John Marmaduke and cfo Dan Crowe will “voluntarily retire from the company in exchange for” cash payments once the merger goes through. The agreements call for Marmaduke to receive $1.5 million after taxes (so closer to $2.6 million gross), and for Crowe to receive $750,000 after taxes. Both men agree to waive the current change in control clauses in their existing employment agreements. Chief operating officer Alan Van Ongevalle has agreed to stay on after the deal closes. The payout […]