Leigh Feldman has left Writers House to start her own agency, Leigh Feldman Literary, as of October 1. Prior to Writers House, she was a partner at Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman for 20 years. Feldman says the timing “felt very right” to go out on her own. Anne Heltzel has joined Abrams as editor, primarily acquiring books for its middle grade and teen imprint, Amulet Books. She worked previously as an associate editor at Razorbill and is also a published author. Jeremy Greenfield is leaving his position as editorial director of DigitalBookWorld.com to join The Street as contributors editor, where he will help manage […]
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Andrew Kidd “has decided to leave agenting” and will depart Aitken Alexander at the end of October after 6 years there. The announcement says he will “pursue a new path in the book industry,” apparently to be announced in November. Eric Price has joined Melville House in the newly created role of vp, business development. Previously he was director of sales and marketing at Quercus US and before then was associate publisher and coo at Grove Atlantic. At Penguin Random House US, Akiko Iwamoto has been promoted to regional sales director, Asia, while Mike Zaug moves up to regional sales director, […]
Remembering RH’s Fairchild; Memorials for Foster and Schiffrin
Former Random House vp, field director for adult sales Betty Fairchild, 67, died last week in Roanoke, VA. After starting her career as a bookseller, Fairchild worked in sales for Random House from 1975 until her retirement in 2002. PRH executive Jaci Updike writes: “During an era when many were predicting the imminent demise of independent bookstores, Betty was a fierce and fearless advocate for the indies, and for the reps who called on them. After Random House was united with Bantam Doubleday Dell to form the new, greater Random House, she led a variety of initiatives to transform the […]
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Jandra Sutton has left Turner Publishing, where she was the head of marketing, to pursue freelance work in marketing, social media strategy, and publicity. She can be reached at contact@jandralee.com. The James Tait Black Prizes have been awarded to Jim Crace for his novel HARVEST and to Hermoine Lee for her biography PENELOPE FITZGERALD: A Life. John P. Vallier Sr., 88, a longtime Simon & Schuster executive, died August 18. He joined S&S in 1958 and retired in 1992 as vp, regional sales. One of the few Hachette titles kept its Amazon discount throughout the ongoing dispute between the two […]
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Amazon Publishing announced a number of new hires across various editorial lines. Eoin Purcell will join the company to lead its London editorial office as of September 15. Previously he was editorial director of New Island Books in Dublin. Tara Parsons joined the New York office in July as editorial director, fiction, including Little A and the Day One literary journal. Previously she was editorial director at MIRA. Merideth Mulroney has been named art director for the NY-based imprints, including Two Lions picture books. Finally, Adrienne Lombardo will join the company on September 1 as an acquisition editor for 47North. […]
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Jason Weidemann has been promoted to editorial director of University of Minnesota Press. He succeeds Richard Morrison, who left after fifteen years at UMP to become editorial director at Fordham University Press last month. At Macmillan, Krista Loercher has been promoted to director, Amazon sales. Sam Caggiula has joined Skyhorse as senior publicity manager. Previously he was a publicist at Rowman & Littlefield. Former Bertelsmann executive Richard Sarnoff has been named head of KKR & Co.’s Americas media and telecoms team, as well as a managing director of KKR. Sarnoff, a former co-chairman of Bertelsmann’s U.S. division, has been a […]