Bookselling Laurel Book Store in downtown Oakland, CA will close in August when their lease expires, as “ongoing sales have not been enough to meet expenses comfortably.” Owner Luan Stauss writes she is “continuing to engage with” potential business partners or buyers. Initiatives Simon & Schuster is launching consumer promotion program, Book Club Favorites, designed to highlight “noteworthy book club titles…from across the company.” Monthly picks will include bestselling authors as well as new voices. Debuting in July, the first title is the paperback edition Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic. Discussion questions and other content will be available on the Book […]
Distribution
People, Etc.
Matt Schweitzer has joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as svp, marketing, responsible for the marketing of all adult, young reader and lifestyle titles. He was most recently senior director, integrated marketing at Harper Children’s. Following operational changes and layoffs at independent audiobook publisher Novel Audio on June 8, director of publishing Michelle Kaatz and acquisitions editor Katie Robinson left the company. Awards Thirty years after her first win, Geraldine McCaughrean has received a second Carnegie Medal in the UK for Where the World Ends, and Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith won the Kate Greenaway Medal for Town Is by the Sea. Picks Barack Obama […]
People, Etc.
Sarah Jean Grimm has joined Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull as publicity manager. Previously she was a senior publicist at the Crown Publishing Group. Heather Huston has joined Harper Christian as senior director of marketing, specialty division, with a focus on Thomas Nelson Gift, Zondervan Gift, and Tommy Nelson. Most recently Huston was vp, marketing at Rural Media Group. Diane Banks Associates has rebranded itself as Northbank Talent Management, now working with former chair of Channel 4 Luke Johnson, who is providing financial backing (and will serve as chairman) to help create a broader talent agency that includes to books, broadcast, brand licensing and […]
People, Etc.
Roz Parr will step down from her position as marketing director, Vintage Anchor and Everyman’s Library on June 1 after 18 years in that role, with plans to leave the industry to pursue personal and family priorities.Vintage Anchor publisher Anne Messitte writes, “Roz has had an incredible thirty-eight-year tenure in our industry, bringing invaluable real-world bookselling experience to Vintage, and we will be very sad to see her leave the publishing group…. Her work at Vintage has been essential and exceptional. Whether helping editors nuance their pitches for books, positioning a new season of titles with the reps, or cultivating […]
People, Etc.
At Sourcebooks, Deve McLemore has joined as purchasing manager and Leyla Parada has joined as contracts attorney. Laura Costello has been promoted to assistant editor for Sourcebooks Casablanca. Elizabeth Stranahan has been promoted to assistant editor at Crown Children’s. Mike Nardullo joins Foundry Literary + Media today as foreign rights director today. He was at Maria Campbell Associates. Kate Zwaard has been promoted to new position of director of digital strategy at the Library of Congress, to “elevate the institution’s digital planning and drive envisioning and collaboration around digital initiatives.” She was chief of the National Digital Initiatives division, and will continue to oversee the […]
People, Etc.
Nebraska Book Company announced that chief financial officer Jay Amond has been promoted to president and ceo, succeeding Rick Bunka. Michelle Triant has been promoted to publicity manager at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. At Random House Children’s, Casey Moses has been promoted to junior designer. Former Barnes & Noble ceo Ron Boire will take over as ceo of Midwest furniture and mattress retailer Art Van. Rachel Hecht Children’s Scouting has been appointed scout for Beijing Yutian Hanfeng in China. Co-owner of independent sales rep firm Faherty & Associates, Thomas Faherty, Jr., 63, died last Thursday of cancer. The company told Shelf Awareness, in part, […]