Anne McCaffrey, the science fiction and fantasy author best known for her “Dragonriders of Pern” novels, died Monday in Wicklow County, Ireland after suffering a stroke. She was 85. The author of nearly 100 novels (including 30 in collaboration with other authors, such as her son Todd) McCaffrey was the first woman to win the Hugo and Nebula awards, while her 1978 novel THE WHITE DRAGON was the first science fiction title by a woman to appear on the New York Times bestseller list. Suvudu obit Greg Galloway has joined the American Booksellers Association as marketing manager and designer. He […]
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Brendan Cahill has left his position as publisher of Open Road Integrated Media to join Green Mountain Digital in Woodstock, VT, where he will become ceo as of January 1. (For now Cahill is president and ceo-designate; current ceo and co-founder David Roberts will stay on as chairman and adviser to the company.) Former book publisher Andy Stewart founded the company in 2009, along with Roberts and Charles Rattigan. Bloomberg BusinessWeek indicates the company raised $2.35 million from angel investors (including the founders and board members); CrunchBase says they raised $1.48 million a year ago from the Vermon Seed Capital […]
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John Hawkins, who owned and operated the literary agency John Hawkins & Associates, died November 13 at the age of 72. The cause of death was not immediately available. Hawkins joined Paul R. Reynolds Inc., established by his wife’s grandfather, in 1966, became president of the agency in 1980 and changed its name to John Hawkins & Associates in 1985. Among his current and former clients are James Clavell, Alex Haley, Gail Godwin, E. Lynn Harris, Thomas McGuane, Harry Crews and Joyce Carol Oates, who said in a statement that Hawkins “was a beloved friend to his writers, warmly sympathetic, […]
Shakely to Step Down; Krauss Will Return to Potter As Publisher
Publisher of Clarkson Potter since 2002 Lauren Shakely will step down from her positions as of the end of December. Pam Krauss, currently publishing director for Rodale Books, will return to Potter–where she worked for over 20 years until moving to Rodale in 2008–as the new publisher, starting next January. Shakely, who as senior vice president was also publisher of Potter Craft, Potter Style, and Watson-Guptill, is praised by Crown president Maya Mavjee as “the driving force behind the phenomenal success of Clarkson Potter and its associated imprints…renowned throughout our industry and beyond for her impeccable good taste, astute judgment, […]
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Jeff Umbro has joined Goldberg McDuffie Communications as digital marketing manager, integrating digital marketing into their overall communications strategies. He began his career with Appsolute Media, focused on social media marketing, content strategy and seo. Toronto’s Transatlantic Literary Agency has added three agents. Meghan Macdonald will work part-time, growing a list of adult fiction and non-fiction clients. She worked for David Grossman before joining TLA. Patricia Ocampo will represent children’s authors, after working in editorial at Harper Children’s and in sales and marketing at Hachette Book Group Canada. Amy Tompkins will share representation of international rights sales for Orca Book […]
Houghton to Close Current Trade Warehouse, and Fire More Execs
In another memo, reproduced at GalleyCat, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ceo Linda Zecher tells staff that the company will close its Indianapolis West warehouse next spring, which services the trade and reference division. But those products won’t move far; they will be transferred to the company’s Indianapolis East warehouse. Zecher says it’s “part of the broader reduction in our workforce” that the FT said could comprise 10 percent of the company’s employees in all. On top the last week’s executive departures and division closings, Zecher writes that evp of Innovation and New Ventures Fiona O’Carroll is leaving and that team “is being […]