Knopf announced Wednesday morning the death of Ashbel Green, “a former vice president and beloved senior editor at Knopf,” on Tuesday night, near his home in Connecticut. Sonny Mehta said, “Ash was a prodigious talent, one of the most significant editorial figures in modern publishing, famous for his breadth of reading and grasp of history. Many of us had the good fortune of learning a great deal about the business from him. He was a beloved colleague, and his contributions to our company – an esteemed editorial legacy – are part of what still define us today.” Green started at […]
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Editorial director of Rizzoli Paolo Zaninoni is leaving after almost ten years at the company. General manager of RCS trade books Massimo Turchetta will replace Zainoni on an interim basis. In addtion, Federica Magro has been named manager of Bur and Vintage paperbacks. Previously she was an editor at Mondadori. At Simon & Schuster Children’s, Liesa Abrams has been promoted to executive editor and moves from Aladdin to Simon Pulse, though she will continue to edit Aladdin’s Dork Diaries, Unwanteds and Beyonders. In addition, Annette Pollert moves up to editor, while Karen Nagel has been promoted to executive editor at […]
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Books-A-Million evp, chief administrative officer and secretary Douglas Markham has left the company and his contract was terminated, effective immediately, according to SEC fillings. Markham joined the company as cfo in 2006 and was promoted to his current position in August 2009. No other details on his departure were available. Richard Milbank will join Head of Zeus as publishing director, non-fiction, on September 24, where he will oversee publication of more than 30 titles annually, focusing on history, biography, science, philosophy and language. He was publishing director at Octopus, a position he held since January. Maria B. Campbell Associates has […]
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Kevin Doughten will join Crown as senior editor on September 24, focusing on non-fiction. He was most recently an editor at Viking. Olga Rogozina has joined the Van Lear Agency in Moscow as both a literary agent and contracts manager. Previously she was foreign rights manager at Astrel. Founder of Chicago’s 10-store Beck’s Bookstores, Bob Beck, 91, died last week at Northwestern Hospital. “Today, a marketing major would say he had a business plan. Back then, it was called an angle. He sold books at Beck’s for less than the college bookstores charged, and he paid more when the used […]
People: New Nonfiction Executives at Ballantine Bantam Dell; Burtenshaw Exits Reed
Ballantine Bantam Dell announced a realignment of its nonfiction publishing as well as new executive hires and promotions overseeing the department, similar to the division’s recent reorganization of its fiction publishing. Jennifer Tung will join BDD on September 17 in the new role of vp, editorial director, nonfiction, reporting to Libby McGuire. Tung was most recently deputy editor of RedBook, and she will work across all formats and acquire and edit narrative, prescriptive, and brand-focused nonfiction. Executive editors Pamela Cannon and Mamie Cochran will now report to Tung. In addition, Richard Callison will be promoted to associate publisher, nonfiction, also […]
Elliott Exiting As Monsoon CEO
CEO of Monsoon Commerce Brian Elliott is stepping down from his position immediately, with president Kanth Gopalpur taking over. Elliott will work with Gopalpur “to ensure a seamless leadership transition….over the upcoming months.” The combination of Alibris, Monsoon, and Stone Edge Technologies, Monsoon Commerce notes they raised another $8 million in financing earlier in the year, with Oak Hill Capital Partners remaining as majority owner. The company is rellocating resources from their commerce business to their software business, “affecting staff primarily at the company’s headquarters in Emeryville, CA.” They have “eliminated about 10 positions in the Alibris business” as a […]