Director at Janklow & Nesbit Tina Bennett is leaving after more than 17 years with the agency to join William Morris Endeavor’s literary division as a partner, effective immediately. We’re told Bennett’s entire client list is moving with her to WME; it includes Malcolm Gladwell, Laura Hillenbrand, Eric Schlosser, Atul Gawande, Jill Lepore, Amy Chua, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Peter Bergen, Lev Grossman, and Alex Ross. The move reunites Bennett with another former Janklow & Nesbit director, Eric Simonoff, who moved to William Morris in early 2009. WME has been recruiting aggressively, recently luring Simon Trewin of United Agents and Elizabeth […]
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Margaret Mahy, 76, author of more than 120 books for children and winner of numerous awards, including the Carnegie Medal and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, died Monday in Christchurch, NZ after a brief illness. NZ Herald obit Left-wing journalist, editor of Counterpunch and author Alexander Cockburn, 71, died Saturday in Bad Salzhausen, Germany after a two year battle with cancer. NYT obit At Penguin Children’s UK, Eric Huang has been promoted to new business and IP acquisitions director, reporting to Francesca Dow. Paul Biba has resigned from TeleRead after more than five years as contributor and then editor of […]
People: Wright to Take Over from Hayes at Viking Children’s; Naples, Ballenger Join Zola Books
Longtime president and publisher of Viking Children’s Books Regina Hayes will relinquish that position and serve as editor-at-large, just as she celebrates her thirtieth anniversary at Penguin. Writers House agent Ken Wright will take over as vp and publisher of Viking Children’s on August 27, reporting to Penguin Children’s president Don Weisberg. Weisberg says in the announcement, “Ken Wright is respected among the industry for his literary and commercial sensibility. His fantastic nose for new talent and respect for the classics make him the perfect candidate to helm and grow Viking’s celebrated list.” Wright notes, “Let’s face it, it’s one […]
Penguin Acquires Self-Publishing Service Author Solutions For $116 Million
In the first significant investment by a major trade publisher in self-publishing, Pearson announced Thursday morning that it has acquired self-publishing service Author Solutions from Bertram Capital for $116 million in cash (or a little more than one times sales). ASI, formed in 2007 from the merging of iUniverse, AuthorHouse, and other related self-publishing services, was put up for sale earlier this year. Pearson said in a statement the buy “gives Penguin a leading position in this fast-growing segment of the publishing industry and brings significant opportunity for the two companies to collaborate. Penguin will gain access to ASI’s expertise […]
People: Peeters to Leave Perseus, McCarthy Rises; Corey to Leave Random; Keating and Brick House Form New Agency
Perseus Books Group executive Clare Peeters, who has been with the company eight years and is currently vp, corporate strategy & business development, is leaving the company on August 1. She is joining investment firm Axel Johnson as vp, managing director. As coo Joe Mangan notes, “Clare has played an integral role in publishing initiatives, joint ventures, strategic business transactions, and many of our most critical operational issues.” With Peeters’ departure, Sabrina McCarthy is being promoted to the new position of president, Perseus Distribution Client Services and is taking on executive leadership of Argo Navis. Greg Anastas is being promoted to […]
Where’s Chuck? Schumer Says DOJ eBook Pricing Case “Empowered Monopolists and Hurt Innovators”–In An Op-Ed
New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who represents many of the estimated 50,000 or so New Yorkers employed by the publishing industry, has finally stirred himself to comment on the Department of Justice’s ebook pricing case. For now, he does so in a venue with no real consequences, penning an op-ed column in the Wall Street Journal. Schumer writes: “I am concerned that the mere filing of this lawsuit has empowered monopolists and hurt innovators. I believe it will have a deterrent effect not only on publishers but on other industries that are coming up with creative ways to grow and […]