The bankruptcy auction of the five remaining Joseph-Beth bookstores and their inventory will be held this Wednesday morning in Cincinnati. So far, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, co-founder Neil Van Uum is the only known bidder, but one of the lawyers conducting the auction, Ellen Arvin Kennedy, says “we are very optimistic that we will have several bidders who will want to purchase the stores and operate them as they are operating now.” Initial confidential bids, for all or part of the company, are due today. Liquidators are expected to make low bids as well. Van Uum tells the paper, “I’ve […]
Free
People: Shannon Takes New Digital Role at RH, and More
Ballantine Bantam Dell mass market publisher Scott Shannon is changing roles in a clear sign of where the market is headed. He is taking on the new position of svp, publisher, Digital Content for the Random House Publishing Group, though on the print side he will remain as publisher of Del Rey/Spectra. Shannon will report directly to Gina Centrello in his new role, and director of digital marketing strategy and product development Matt Schwartz will now report to Shannon. Publisher of Ballantine Bantam Dell Libby McGuire will take over leadership of the mass-market list, and associate publisher for mass market, […]
People, Etc.
Thomas Bouman has been promoted from associate editor to editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. At Simon & Schuster, Lesley Espenship and Erin Ortner have both been promoted to senior digital operations analyst. Also at the company, Erica White has been promoted to manager of business analysis. At Sourcebooks, Shana Drehs has been promoted to editorial manager for Sourcebooks Landmark; Danielle Jackson has been promoted to publicist for Sourcebooks Casablanca; and Valerie Pierce has joined the company as marketing specialist – retail & libraries. She was previously publishing coordinator for Allen Press. Alison McGeehon has been named associate director of marketing […]
People, Etc.
Philip Patrick has joined Amazon as senior leader, rights and licensing. He was most recently with Crown as publisher of Three Rivers Press and publisher of ebooks and digital content. Severn House, Canongate Books and Granta Publications will now be digitally distributed by Ingram‘s Coresource. The shortlist for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction has been announced, with the winner to be named in late May: SERIOUS MEN by Manu Joseph (John Murray) COMFORT AND JOY by India Knight (Fig Tree) THE COINCIDENCE ENGINE by Sam Leith (Bloomsbury) THE NEWS WHERE YOU ARE by Catherine O’Flynn (Penguin) SUPER […]
People: Freese Leaves NBN; Burtenshaw Moves Up at Reed; and More
National Book Network president Rich Freese has left the company. His last day was Friday, April 8. President of NBN parent company Rowman & Littlefield Jed Lyons told us over the weekend that Freese’s departure was “very amicable” and the result of NBN’s announcement back in January that they would reduce their number of distribution clients. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks,” Lyons explained. “Since Rich’s principal role was in working on new business development, it didn’t make sense for him and the company to continue working together.” Lyons said there will be no additional changes to NBN’s executive […]
People, Etc.
David Rosenthal is reuniting with his longtime Simon & Schuster colleague Aileen Boyle, hiring her as associate publisher for his new imprint at Penguin, starting July 1. “She will be coordinating sales, marketing and publicity as well as working closely with Rosenthal on shaping his imprint’s overall strategy.” Boyle had been associate publisher at the Simon & Schuster trade imprint until the end of 2010. Chronicle’s publishing director Sarah Malarkey will take the new role of executive editorial director, leading the adult trade editorial staff, directing pop culture and humor publishing, and acquiring titles in those categories. Amanda Walker has […]