Hachette Book Group has announced a new structure for their sales force under recently-hired evp and chief marketing and sales officer Evan Schnittman that will “bring the sales and marketing functions in line with the changing book market – unifying print and digital sales, and integrating research and analytics into HBG’s overall sales strategy.” The company underscores that they are not “reducing headcount as part of the re-alignmen,” and the new structure creates some new positions to be filled shortly. In the internal announcement, Schnittman explains balancing “changes that allow us to do what we do best – create massive […]
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Scardino to Step Down at Pearson and International Education Head Fallon Will Take Over; Analysts Speculate On Asset Sales
Marjorie Scardino, 65, “has decided to step down” as chief executive of Pearson at the end of the year. Current head of their international education division John Fallon, 50, will take over on January 1, 2013. The company notes his “division is fundamental to Pearson’s growth strategy,” having grown to £1.4 billion in sales and employing 15,000 people in 70 countries. As education has come to dominate Pearson–and produce solid growth–analysts and investor have often lobbied for the sale of the FT Group and Penguin. Scardino had vowed not to sell the FT, but with the change at top, Ian […]
People, Awards, Etc.
Editorial director of Bloomsbury Children’s UK Emma Matthewson will join Hot Key Books at a date “to be confirmed” as editor-at-large for their recently launched fiction line for 9- to 19 year-olds. Matthewson has been at Bloomsbury for the 15 years; the move reunites her with Sarah Odedina, who was publishing director of Bloomsbury Children’s before moving to Bonnier to start up Hot Key Books. At Basic Books, TJ Kelleher has been promoted to senior executive editor, Tisse Takagi and Alex Littlefield move up to editor, and Katy O’Donnell has been promoted to assistant editor. Bloomsbury cfo Robert Marsh, who came to the […]
People, Etc.: Remembering Wendy Weil
Wendy Weil, 72, died September 22 at her country home in West Cornwall, CT. Her career as an agent spanned more than 40 years and she was president of the Wendy Weil Literary Agency, which she founded in 1987, counting Rita Mae Brown, Andrea Barrett, Mark Helprin, Alice Walker, Anthony Doerr, Phillip Lopate, and Amity Gaige among the agency’s clients. Donations in her name may be made to Teachers & Writers Collaborative. Plans for a memorial service will be announced in early fall. Emily Forland and Emma Patterson and long-time office manager Ann Torrago remain at the agency and plan […]
People
Mark Krotov will join The Overlook Press as associate editor on October 1. Previously he was an assistant editor at FSG. Nebraska Book Company has hired Bill Zeuch as svp of merchandising and marketing, effective October 3. He is the former svp of merchandising, marketing and sales new channels at Office Max, where he worked for 8 years. Phyllis Bruce is resigning from HarperCollins Canada after more than 20 years with the company, most recently as publisher of Phyllis Bruce Books, to “explore new opportunities.” Her last day is October 4. “It’s completely her decision, and we’re sad that she’s […]
Hachette Moves Quickly to Replace Faulty eBook File for The Casual Vacancy
Little, Brown reports that the ebook file for JK Rowling’s THE CASUAL VACANCY that the publisher provided US retailers on Wednesday had “issues,” including affecting “the adjustability of font color and size and adjustability of margins.” What that means, according to customer reports online, is that for many people the book displayed at a tiny font size that could not be adjusted. The company says that “as soon as Hachette was made aware of these issues, a replacement file was uploaded to all ebook retailers.” By customer accounts, and this report on PaidContent (with some screen shots), those issues made […]