At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, editorial director, lifestyle Deb Brody has been promoted to vp, editor-in-chief. (She joined the company a little under a year ago.) In her new role she “will expand her oversight and editorial work across the lifestyle and general interest teams,” adding oversight for Alex Littlefield and a to-be-hired senior editor. Publisher Bruce Nichols notes that the lifestyle group has broadened its program and “there has been increasing overlap with general interest nonfiction,” so “the two groups will work together more closely.” Helen Atsma remains in charge of the fiction program as editorial director, fiction, and senior team members Rick […]
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People, Etc.
Germany’s S. Fischer has hired Siv Bublitz as publishing director, effective September 18, taking over from Peter Sillem, who is leaving S. Fischer on June 30. Bublitz was previously chief executive at Ullstein. Reporting to S. Fischer president and publisher Jörg Bong, she will join the board of Holtzbrinck Publishers Germany. As managing director for program and strategy, Bublitz will be responsible for publishing divisions S. Fischer, Fischer Scherz, Fischer Krüger, Fischer FJB, Fischer Tor and Fischer Taschenbuch. Dr. Bong says in the announcement, “Siv Bublitz has the highest reputation on the international book market as well as many years of […]
Yes, Mbue’s Behold the Dreamers Is New Oprah Pick
As suggested here earlier in the month by booksellers, a just-published paperback edition of Imbolo Mbue’s debut novel Behold the Dreamers is the latest “summer” pick for Oprah’s Book Club. Winfrey declares — in another videotaped announcement first posted at Amazon, which continues its undeclared/undefined but clearly official and close relationship with Winfrey — “It’s about race and class, the economy, culture, immigration and the danger of the us versus them mentality. And underneath it all pumps the heart and soul of family love, the pursuit of happiness and what home really means.” The official press release touts Amazon alone […]
Briefs: Bookselling and More
Bookselling A couple of weeks ago Book Expo announced a preliminary count of 7,425 attendees at the mots recent, saying the group was “comprised primarily of booksellers, librarians, retailers and media.” But a new infographic from the show provides a more precise count of 1,289 booksellers & retailers, and 1,597 librarians in attendance. We asked about the composition of the remaining 4,414 attendees tabulated, which included 860 press registrants, and who came from “various categories including Distributors, Educators, Film & TV Professionals, Licensing Professionals, Literary Agents and Wholesalers among others.” The show spokesperson says they will provide further details once the […]
Roy’s Novel Tops Amazon’s 20 Best Books of the Year So Far
Amazon issued their list of the 20 best books of 2017 so far on Wednesday afternoon, along with a package of selections across 12 categories. (Our preview advice was correct on Roy, Saunders, Hamid, Gay, and Grann, and though Tinti did not make Amazon’s top picks). Their top 20 (including 3 asterisked titles, featured in our Buzz Books samplers) are: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, by Arundhati Roy Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann Beartown, by Fredrik Backman Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid Priestdaddy, by Patricia Lockwood You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, by Sherman Alexie […]
People, Awards, Etc.
Keith Wallman has joined Diversion Books as senior editor. He was most recently senior editor at Lyons Press. At Crown Publishing Group, Liz Wetzel has been promoted to publicity manager for Crown, Hogarth, Tim Duggan Books, and Broadway Books. Maya Lane moves up to associate publicist for Crown Archetype, Three Rivers Press, and Harmony. Director of English PEN Jo Glanville will step down as in July, moving on to an honorary visiting fellowship at the Giessen University in Germany. Author Alix Ohlin will become chair of the University of British Columbia’s creative writing program as of January 1, 2018. She has been […]