Mauro DiPreta will join Hachette Book Group on March 31 as publisher of their new nonfiction-focused Hachette Books line, built on top of the recently-acquired Hyperion backlist and designed to cover “a broad spectrum of subjects and interests.” Most recently he has been editor in chief of Crown Archetype. DiPreta will “be responsible for the division’s direction and publishing” and will join HBG’s Executive Management Board, and report to ceo Michael Pietsch. The current Hyperion staff will become part of Hachette Books and report to DiPreta, with additional staff hired “as necessary.” Interim publisher Martha Levin will complete her assignment […]
New Imprints
Venture Capitalist Feld Starts Publisher
Longtime venture capitalist, co-founder of the TechStars program and author of five books (with Wiley) Brad Feld at the Foundry Group has started a publishing company. FG Press is launching with Eliot Peper’s techno-thriller UNCOMMON STOCK this month and lists about 7 forthcoming titles in all. Like some other we-know-better tech-driven presses, the books do not currently have common identifiers (like ISBNs) and are only available via the FG Press site for now. Similarly, the press’s descriptive copy relies on the standard issue publishing is broken but can be transformed with magically delicious tech dust theme. They “split everything 50/50” […]
Briefs: Penguin India Defends Withdrawal; The Bookseller Drops Author Solutions Ads; and more
Penguin India issued a statement earlier today regarding its decision to pull Wendy Doniger’s THE HINDUS from sale in that country after a settlement that ended a four-year court battle. “Penguin Books India believes, and has always believed, in every individual’s right to freedom of thought and expression, a right explicitly codified in the Indian Constitution. This commitment informs Penguin’s approach to publishing in every territory of the world, and we have never been shy about testing that commitment in court when appropriate.” But, the company said, they have “the same obligation as any other organization to respect the laws […]
Launching DreamWorks Press
Studio DreamWorks Animation is starting their own DreamWorks Press line of print and ebooks later this year, “likely to launch in time for the 2014 holiday season.” They will be issuing titles based on their forthcoming movies as well as their existing stable of characters where they have reclaimed those rights — from Shrek to properties acquired as part of Classic Media in 2012 including Rocky & Bullwinkle and Lassie. The imprint will be run by head of global publishing Emma Whittard, onetime director of global licensed books for Disney Publishing), and Perseus’s PGW will distribute the new company. Whittard is “supported by Dreamworks […]
Corporate: Little Brown UK Buys Constable & Robinson; Simon & Schuster Launches Business Book Site
Little Brown UK has purchased Constable & Robinson, which will continue to operate as its own entity under managing director Pete Duncan, who will report to David Shelley. Nova Jayne Robinson indicates to the Bookseller that the conversations began some time last year, before the death of previous chairman Nick Robinson in September. “Nick and I shared the view that we could not imagine a better home.” C&R had been a member of the UK’s Independent Alliance, and they have been the UK distributor for Skyhorse as well as New Harbinger and New Holland. Simon & Schuster has launched 250 Words, […]
People: Kirshbaum to Join Waxman Leavell, and More
Larry Kirshbaum will join the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency as a senior agent starting February 24, the WSJ reported. Scott Waxman says, “He’ll be an independent agent building his own list like every agent does. I’ve always admired Larry and our team is extremely fortunate to have him as a colleague.” Kirshbaum was an agent for his own firm, LJK Literary Management, between 2005 and mid-2011. (His former colleagues at that agency reconstituted as the Einstein Thompson Agency when Kirshbaum joined Amazon Publishing in 2011.) Macmillan vp, director of international sales Judith Sisko will retire after this year’s London Book […]