Fast-growing Sourcebooks is launching a new education division that will incorporate and extend existing publications and programs for college students and the college-bound with a number of new initiatives. Initial staffing for the division will include six new positions in sales, marketing and information systems, continuing to draw on existing staff in editorial and publicity. The first new hires are: Technical architect Deb Kimminau, responsible for leading the design and development of new digital initiatives, which include MyMaxScore; programmer analyst Kavita Khanna, responsible for updating and implementing new technical requirements for the MyMaxScore adaptive learning software; and education sales manager […]
New Imprints
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Joerg Pfuhl “has decided to leave” his position as ceo of Random House Germany (and member of the Random House executive board) at the end of this year. He first joined Bertelsmann in 1994. Company ceo Markus Dohle says Pfuhl told him “he wanted to devote more time to his family and to his interests in education, consulting, and philanthropic work and give them the same undivided focus he has given the company.” The German unit’s chief operating officer since 2005 Frank Sambeth will take over as ceo January 1. Vintage senior editor Jennifer Jackson has been named senior editor, Knopf and Doubleday. […]
Author Bourdain Gets An Imprint
No Reservations television host and author of Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw, Anthony Bourdain, will develop an an eponymous line of books with his publisher Ecco, planning on issue three to five books a year. The announcement says he will “acquire books that reflect his remarkably eclectic tastes.” As usual, Bourdain was represented by his agent Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management, who negotiated the deal with Ecco president and publisher Daniel Halpern. In the release, Bourdain says, “I’m doing this because…I can. Anyone who loves books, I think, given the opportunity to work with a legendary character like Daniel Halpern, […]
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At Penguin, Molly Barton has been promoted to vp, digital publishing and business development and strategy. Earlier this year she was responsible for launching the writing community website Book Country and was also responsible for developing Penguin eSpecials, expanding the publisher’s relationship with Starz, and spearheading Penguin’s enhanced ebook app program. Meagan Stacey has joined Crown as editor, trade paperbacks, reporting to Tina Pohlman. Previously she was an editor at Mariner Books. Project Gutenberg founder Michael S. Hart died September 6 at his home in Urbana, IL. He was 64 and the cause of death was not disclosed. He is […]
Ruckus Forms Imprint with Scholastic
Children’s app and interactive storybook developer Ruckus Media Group is creating a transmedia imprint in collaboration with children’s giant Scholastic, called Scholastic Ruckus. From a service standpoint it looks a bit like a distribution agreement–Ruckus remains fully independent, and Scholastic will handle print, ebook and enhnanced ebook publishing and distribution for intellectual property controlled by Ruckus (and Ruckus will continue to produce and sell children’s apps). But the relationship also allows for more comprehensive joint development and exploitation across all of Scholastic’s sales and marketing channels, with input from Scholastic’s creative and executive teams. Part of “what makes it an […]
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Nicole de Jackmo has been named publicity manager for Quirk Books. Previously she was a senior publicist for Running Press. Meghan Cassidy joins Free Press as senior publicist as of Monday, August 15. Previously she was a senior account executive at Widmeyer Communications. Joy Aquilino has joined Sixth&Spring Books as editorial director. Previously she was executive editor of Watson-Guptill/Potter Craft. At Phaidon Press, Peter Tittiger has been promoted to publicist. At Lonely Planet, Gary Todoroff has been promoted to v-p, sales, Brice Gosnell moves up to v-p, publishing, and publisher, Americas, Marc Visnick has been promoted to director of sales, […]