Founding ceo of Bookish.com Paulo Lemgruber is leaving to “pursue other opportunities,” as the high-profile book-focused site is late in launching. Carolyn Marks is taking over as chief executive. In January she was named general manager of parents and lifestyle digital at Meredith, and she was general manager at The Daily Beast. In other personnel news, Stephanie Swane has been promoted to senior sales manager at becker&mayer! Books, driving the sales strategy for both the juvenile and adult packaging groups. She will focus on selling book proposals to US trade publishers and retailers, while developing new ideas for titles and […]
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Alessandra Lusardi has joined Rizzoli as senior editor for its Ex Libris imprint, dedicated to upmarket transatlantic literary fiction and non-fiction and set to launch officially in Fall 2012 after a soft launch this fall. Lusardi will acquire titles from Europe, particularly in French and Italian, as well as original titles in English. Previously she was an editor at Viking for the past nine years. In addition, senior editor Kathleen Jayes will also acquire for Ex Libris. Barbara Jones will join Henry Holt as executive editor on October 24, concentrating on acquiring fiction as well as some memoir and narrative […]
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At Basic Books, editorial director since 2007 Lara Heimert has been promoted to editorial and publishing director. In her new role she will play a larger role in the presentation and publication of the imprint’s books while freeing Basic Book Group publisher John Sherer to concentrate on the new Perseus digital marketing initiatives and to focus on the efforts at Westview Press and Nation Books. At Little, Brown Children’s, both Connie Hsu and Kate Sullivan have been promoted to editor. Liz Gately begins scouting for De Boekerij and Meulenhoff in the Netherlands as of October 1. Books-A-Million has hired Tyler Novak as general counsel. […]
People: Sevier Promoted to EIC at Dutton, Rinaldi Leaves Rodale, and More
Ben Sevier has been promoted to editor-in-chief at Dutton, effective Octboer 3. He has been there for almost five years. President and publisher Brian Tart says, “I know from both authors and agents how much of an advocate Ben is for his writers. He gets the best out of them, every time. He believes in the power of a good story and he finds innovative ways to reach the widest possible audience for each of his books. I can’t think of a better person to lead our editorial efforts than Ben Sevier.” Rodale evp and general manager of the books […]
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Hector Sierra has been promoted to general manager and svp for National Geographic’s book publishing group, responsible for overseeing business operations and global sales for all categories of National Geographic’s trade and digital books. He was chief operating officer for the division, having joined National Geographic in 2000. F+W Media group marketing director Kate Rados was one of two people honored as MinOnline’s marketers of the year. Robert Wheaton will join Random House Canada in the newly created position of vp, director, strategic business development, reporting to ceo Brad Martin. Wheaton was previously director of inventory management for Indigo Books […]
People: Mitchell To Retire As Del Rey Spectra Editor-in-Chief
As part of a number of promotions and changes at Ballantine Bantam Dell’s Del Rey Spectra imprint, editor-in-chief Betsy Mitchell will retire from Random house in December after more than 10 years at her position, and after more than 30 years as an editor in the science fiction and fantasy genre. Mitchell is leaving to launch her own editorial services company and to head up the Christian education department at her church in Brooklyn. Among the authors Mitchell edited during her career were William Gibson, Michael Chabon, Terry Brooks, Octavia Butler, Naomi Novik, Timothy Zahn, Dan Simmons, Peter F. Hamilton, […]