William Joyce and Moonbot Studios (which he co-founded) are building on the success of the picture book The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (based on their bestselling app) with a whole line of Moonbot Books, for Atheneum. The line launches with The Mischievians this fall and aims to publish “at least one or two books per season,” including a picture book based on their successful app The Numberlys. Moonbot Books will be edited by Atheneum editorial director Caitlyn Dlouhy and illustrated by Joyce and other Moonbot artists. Separately, actor Jim Carrey got a lot of attention in March […]
New Imprints
BEA-Timed Announcements: S&S Streamlines Promo Funds for Indies; Penguin Sells Books on Wheels; PublicAffairs Pairs with The Economist; Ingram Partners with Courier; and More
Simon & Schuster is expanding its offerings to booksellers with a new “premier marketing plan” that simplifies access to promotional funds for independent booksellers. They will bolster that new plan on June 10 with a new customer portal that consolidates marketing/co-op information, order tracking, invoices and digital catalogs. Independently owned and operated brick and mortar bookstores with a maximum of 15 shipping destinations qualify for the new allowances, which replace traditional and newsletter co-op, and eliminate existing co-op approval procedures. Promotional funds will be based on the previous year’s total direct and indirect net physical purchases, paid to booksellers in quarterly credits. It also offers […]
Imprints: Morrow’s Digital Mystery Imprint Witness Launches in October; Monthly Digital Royalties Start In August
The digital-first mystery and thriller imprint that William Morrow first announced when they hired executive editor Dan Mallory last August will formally launch in October under the name Witness. The first 10 titles releasing that month are largely from UK authors including Stephen Booth, Frances Fyfield, Emlyn Rees, and Rory Clements. (Mallory was at Little Brown UK’s Sphere before moving to Harper, where he launched the UK digital-first line The Mystery Vault.) Witness will also release Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot short stories as digital singles, and has acquired more than 100 titles. Witness is considered part of Morrow and Harper’s broader Impulse […]
Former Rodale Star Zinczenko Pairs with Random House On Imprint, Book Deal, and Distribution
Random House Publishing Group will partner with former Rodale executive David Zinczenko for an imprint, a multi-book contract, and a distribution deal. The imprint, Zinc Ink, will issue 6 to 12 lifestyle and nonfiction titles a year starting in 2014 in a profit-sharing arrangement. Titles signed include Maria Menounos’s The EveryGirl’s Diet and boxer and trainer Michael Olajide Jr.’s Sleekify. Zinczenko’s colleague at Galvanized Brands, chief operating officer Stephen Perrine, will be co-publisher alongside BBD publisher Libby McGuire. They will acquire along with BBD nonfiction editorial director, Jennifer Tung. Zinczenko will write three books to be determined on exercise, diet and […]
People, Etc.
Maha Khalil has joined the Crown Publishing Group as marketing director for Clarkson Potter, Potter Style, Potter Craft, Watson-Guptill and Amphoto. Maha was previously sales director at Hyperion. Also at the Potter group of imprints, Allison Renzulli has been promoted to senior marketing manager; Carly Gorga moves up to associate marketing manager; and Kevin Sweeting has been promoted to associate. At the S&S imprint, Meg Cassidy has been promoted to publicity manager. Bloomsbury will consolidate its three New York-based units into a single new office space at the end of April, at 1385 Broadway. They are bringing together the Bloomsbury […]
People, Etc.
Christian Trimmer will join Simon & Schuster Children’s as senior editor on April 15. Previously he was senior editor at Disney-Hyperion. Wah-Ming Chang has joined Melville House as managing editor. Previously she was a production manager at FSG. In addition, Alex Shephard has been named director of digital marketing, as well as managing editor of the publisher’s MobyLives blog. Shephard is editor-in-chief of online literary magazine Full Stop. At Random House, Jennifer Javier has been promoted to regional sales manager, International Sales, covering Indonesia and the Philippines. Javier will be based in Manila. At Hachette Book Group, Ali Coughlin has been […]