Soho Press will move their worldwide distribution–including ebooks–to Random House as of January 1, 2011. They have been distributed by Consortium since 2003 Marcy Posner, formerly agent and foreign rights director at Sterling Lord Literistic, has joined Folio Literary Management as an agent specializing in children’s and young adult as well as women’s fiction, romance and serious and commercial non-fiction. Celeste Fine will continue as the foreign rights director. Lottchen Shivers will join Abrams on April 19 in the new position of executive director of adult marketing and publicity, reporting to vp of sales and marketing Mary Wowk. Shivers will […]
International News
Portfolio Expands Across the Commonwealth
Penguin will roll out its Portfolio business imprint in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa this fall, under the name Portfolio Penguin. (The line already has a presence in India.) Viking UK editorial director Joel Rickett will add responsibility for the UK list, and Richard Lennon joins the UK office as communications manager. (He was sales director for Dow Jones Consumer Media.) Portfolio founder and publisher Adrian Zackheim says, “With the addition of the Portfolio Penguin international imprint, we will be able to greatly expand our worldwide offerings in the business category, while complementing the business […]
People
The UK’s Felicity Bryan has restructured to form Felicity Bryan Associates, owned by Bryan, Catherine Clarke and Caroline Wood. Clarke will serve as managing director and Wood joins the board as a director, as Bryan chairs the board and continues to work with her authors. Sally Holloway continues at the agency as an associate agent. Pablo Defendini is leaving Tor.com to join Open Road as interactive producer. New members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ main body include authors Marilynne Robinson, Francine Prose, Thomas McGuane and Richard Powers. Hachette Book Group will sell and distribute Marvel‘s books to […]
A New Stephen King Novella, Hely Hutchinson's Forecast, and More
Cemetery Dance will publish a new Stephen King novella as a trade hardcover next month, BLOCKADE BILLY. The pitch: “Even diehard baseball fans don’t know the true story of William Blakely, but in just a few weeks you’ll be holding this dark tale in your own two hands so you can read it for yourself.” King comments, “I love old-school baseball, and I also love the way people who’ve spent a lifetime in the game talk about the game. I tried to combine those things in a story of suspense. People have asked me for years when I was going […]
Wiley In Consultation Over Possible STM Job Reductions
The Bookseller reports that Wiley has “begun the consultation process” over a possible change in up to 30 UK-based jobs and another 12 positions elsewhere from their STM division. Spokesperson Susan Spilka says its another step in the integration of Blackwell’s. She emphasized that they will not necessarily eliminate all of the positions that are under discussion, and would try to “redeploy” those people elsewhere in the company. The jobs are within the central marketing services and exhibitions and conference departments, with those functions planned for relocation to the company’s publishing services operations in Singapore.Bookseller
Anonymous Official Says Canada Is "Leaning" Towards Approving Amazon's Expansion Plan
The Canadian Booksellers’ Association has urged the country’s government to reject Amazon’s application to operate their own Canadian-based warehouse and fulfillment operation. But an article in the Globe and Mail quotes an unnamed senior official who indicates the Harper administration is “leaning towards” approving Amazon’s plan, believing there is a “net benefit” to Canadians. That person added, “If you look at the issue specifically, it’s Amazon setting up a warehouse to be able to distribute what they already distribute via the Internet. There’s no change in terms of Canadian content.” Part of the booksellers’ argument is that “individual Canadian booksellers […]