After N.K. Jemisin surprised people with her modest book advances as a part of the #PublishingPaidMe conversation — $40K for each book of Inheritance trilogy; $25K for each book of the Dreamblood trilogy; $25K for each book of the Broken Earth trilogy — we queried her publisher, Tim Holman, vp and publisher at Orbit. He said that they “wholeheartedly support the right of black writers to demand equality in the compensation for their work” and also said that the contract negotiations were “conducted in good faith and based on the circumstances at the time.” He went on, “The commercial – […]
Bookstores
People, Etc.
At Bloomsbury UK, Alexis Kirschbaum has been promoted to associate publisher. Alison Hennessey becomes publishing director. Rowan Yapp has been promoted to publishing director of the illustration list, while Emma Herdman becomes publishing director with a focus on literary and commercial. Ileene Smith, previously vice president and executive editor at Farrar, Straus, is now serving as an editor at large for the house. She will continue to acquire and work with selected authors. Andrea Joyce is now handling rights for Edinburgh-based agency Jenny Brown Associates. She was most recently rights director at Canongate for 12 years. Felicity Bryan is stepping […]
People, Etc.: S&S and Macmillan Will Also Skip the Frankfurt Book Fair
Frankfurt Book Fair Simon & Schuster joined HarperCollins and others in announcing that it, too, will not attend the Frankfurt Book Fair this year: “After careful consideration, and with the health and safety of our employees and industry colleagues foremost in mind, Simon & Schuster has decided that it will not attend the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. We applaud the FBF’s efforts to develop digital programs, and while we will not have a physical presence, our publishers, rights and sales groups are very much looking forward to using other means to meet with their with their contacts in the […]
Briefs
The National Book Festival will not be held at the Washington Convention Center this year. Instead, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced, they will organize a virtual festival, with online events the weekend of September 25–27. The Bookseller’s YA Book Prize was given to Juno Dawson’s Meat Market (Quercus Children’s). McNally Jackson owner Sarah McNally writes an op-ed for the NYT about why many New York landlords would rather see retail spaces sit empty than give rent concessions. (Admitting to lower rents reduces the value of the building.) “We could solve our vacancy problem for good if all landlords simply […]
Bookselling: Updates from Powell’s, Indigo, and Washington Indies
As booksellers think about what gradual re-opening looks like, Powell’s Books owner Emily Powell vows, “Powell’s will be here. It may look different. It may feel different for a while. But it will be here.” At the same time, for them, remote ordering is past its peak: “Powell’s has caught up with its orders now, Powell said, but the surge in business early in the pandemic has ebbed.” In Seattle, though, Elliott Bay Book Company manager Tracy Taylor said staff has been surprised at the constant pace of online orders: “It’s been consistent for the entire seven weeks. We thought […]
People, Etc.
At Macmillan Children’s, Morgan Kane has been promoted to assistant director, publicity; Justin Krasner to senior editor of Odd Dot; Rachel Murray to associate editor at Holt Children’s; and Jessica Chung to junior designer. Daniel Ehrenhaft is leaving Soho Teen to devote more time to the nonprofit WAAC and to explore new opportunities in service of young adult literature. Alexa Wejko has been promoted to editor at Soho Teen, in addition to her role as publicist. Bill Shannon, 57, longtime director of contracts at the Knopf Doubleday Group, died on May 9, from complications of kidney cancer. He joined Knopf in 2000. […]