Following the departure of Gillian Blake for Crown Trade in early December, new Holt publisher Ben Schrank has filled the editor-in-chief position from within the company. Executive editor Serena Jones is being promoted to editor in chief. Metropolitan Books publisher and co-founder Sara Bershtel moves up to senior vice president (with Maggie Richards being named a vice president). Schrank notes the Elton John autobiography releases this fall, with the publisher confirming a worldwide publication date of October 15. Publishing director at Penguin Press UK Helen Conford will move to Profile Books in May, where she will take over from Andrew […]
Personnel
People, Awards, Etc.
Tessa Woodward has been promoted to executive editor at William Morrow/Avon. At Little, Brown: Alexandra Hoopes has been promoted to assistant editor; Lucy Kim is now art director and Tim Harrington is senior art director; Katharine Myers moves up to director of publicity, Lena Khidritskaya Little becomes associate director of publicity and Alyssa Persons is publicist; and Ashley Marudas is promoted to senior marketing manager. Kathryn Taussig will be promoted to publishing director at Bookouture as of April 23, reporting to Jenny Geras, responsible for recruiting and leading their recently-announced team that will focus on commercial fiction for the US market. […]
People, Etc.
At Grand Central, Alex Logan has been promoted to executive editor; Morgan Hedden to associate editor; Elizabeth Kulhanek to associate editor; Jordan Rubinstein to publicist; Danielle Egnozzi to marketing designer; Estelle Hallick to manager, marketing & publicity, Forever; and Monisha Lakhotia to assistant marketing manager, Forever. Gabriella Mongelli has been promoted to assistant editor at Putnam. Kristen Steele, director of marketing and publisher relations for Baker & Taylor Publisher Services/Bookmasters, will leave the company on March 6. Dan Berkowitz has left his position as digital director at Writers House to open a consultancy, AuthorPop, working with authors on all things […]
People, Etc.
Macmillan is restructuring its sales team “to more closely align with the needs of Macmillan’s customers and its publishers.” Their separate major account teams will be eliminated, with a single, unified trade team under John Edwards, promoted to the new position of vp, trade and Canada sales. Svp, online digital sales operations and analysis Tom Stouras will now oversee the ebooks sales team, and will continue to manage the Amazon team. VP, adult mass merchandise sales Laura Pennock will expand her responsibilities to add management of the distribution sales team. Brian Heller moves into the new role of vp, academic, […]
People, Etc.
San Francisco Chronicle books editor John McMurtrie announced on Twitter on Wednesday, “I got laid off.” He added, “The bright side? More time for reading.” (Separately, arts and entertainment editor and Sunday datebook editor Leba Hertz tell us she is retiring at the end of the week, by her choice.) We queried editor-in-chief Audrey Cooper about what McMurtrie’s dismissal means for their coverage, and she writes: “We still plan on having robust coverage of books, including reviews. This personnel decision is not a reflection of the importance of that content for The Chronicle.” Lisa Erwin has been promoted to director […]
People, Etc.
Erin Simpson has been named director of the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau, reporting to Brian Belfiglio. Along with the appointment, the company is transitioning the speakers bureau into an in-house venture, effective April 1. Since it was founded in 2008, their speakers bureau had been operated by Greater Talent Network on behalf of the publisher. Simpson had been agent director at the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau before joining S&S. Kelly Booth has joined Ten Speed Press as creative director. She was previously creative director at Weldon Owen. Emma Campion becomes deputy creative director. Erin Skeen has joined as studio […]