Julie Buntin has been promoted to editor-at-large at Catapult. Alexandra Primiani has joined Avid Reader Press as publicity manager. Most recently, she worked at Melville House. Aurora Bell has joined the University of South Carolina Press as acquisitions editor, regional books and other titles. She was previously associate editor at Countryman Press. Sam Morgan has joined the Lotts Agency as a literary agent. Previously at Foundry Literary + Media, he brings his roster of clients with him, and will specialize in adult fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Molly Young has joined New York magazine and Vulture as literary critic. She was previously […]
New Imprints
People, Etc.: Toni Morrison Dies at 88
Toni Morrison, 88, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 1988 Pulitzer for fiction, died on Monday night at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Robert Gottlieb, Morrison’s longtime editor at Knopf, said in statement, “She was a great woman and a great writer, and I don’t know which I will miss more.” Sonny Mehta, chairman of Knopf, said: “Toni Morrison’s working life was spent in the service of literature: writing books, reading books, editing books, teaching books. I can think of few writers in American letters who wrote with more humanity or with more love […]
Briefs: Germany’s KNV Sold, Scribd Minis, Rebel Girls Imprint, PRH UK Pulls Book
Bankrupt German book wholesaler KNV (Koch, Neff and Volckmar) was auctioned by the trustee to Berlin-based privately owned logistics company Zeitfracht. The sale price was not disclosed, but the creditors’ committees have approved the purchase agreement. Zeitfracht says it will retain all employees — approximately 1,600 jobs — and continue to operate KNV’s three locations. Press release Subscription service Scribd is formally rolling out Snapshots (which launched in beta in February), “designed to offer key insights of a book in about 15 minutes to spark subscribers’ interest in reading the book in its entirety.” It’s “the literary equivalent of a […]
People, Etc.
Digital director and publisher at Bloomsbury Publishing Stephanie Duncan leaves the company this week: “I’ve loved working at Bloomsbury, it’s been challenging, fun and great to work with such brilliant colleagues, authors and books. After over twenty years here, it’s time for me to do something new, somewhere new.” She oversaw the first official Harry Potter website, Bloomsbury’s global ebook operations and the digital-first imprint Bloomsbury Reader. She can be reached at stephanie@duncan.uk.com Arcadia Publishing has hired Shane Hennigan as sales specialist; and Ashley Hill and Hayley Behal as production editors for History Press. Katelyn Jenkins returns to Arcadia as acquisitions […]
Briefs: Realignments, Initiatives, and More
Realigning Two UK publishers announced internal realignments. Ebury is adding “self” and “lifestyle/BBC” publishing “hubs” to the smart and entertainment hubs they created earlier this year — and now publicity and marketing are being brought closer together. It seems publicity is now called “campaigns,” with Joanna Bennett promoted to head of campaigns for the Smart hub, Tessa Henderson is head of campaigns for Entertainment; Stephanie Naulls has that position for Lifestyle/BBC; and they are recruiting someone for self. Separately, marketing becomes a Marketing, Insight & Digital centre (not a hub, or even a spoke), and will “share new digital resources […]
Andrews McMeel to Print Epic’s Digital Originals; Octopus Acquires Short Books
Andrews McMeel will publish a new line of printed children’s books based on digital originals from the children’s subscription service Epic!, which says it is “used by more than 10 million children in homes and schools.” (In March, Epic! said they had over 1.7 million subscribers.) Those Epic! Originals have drawn over 8 million reads through the service “in just a few short months,” with one title, “My Pet Slime,” read over 1 million times in just eight weeks. That will be one of the first five titles published in print starting this fall. AMP publisher and president Kirsty Melville […]