As part of their previously announced plan to reduce costs by $25 million to $30 million, Scholastic ceo Dick Robinson has written to employees to explain a four-part workforce reduction “which we believe is balanced and respectful to employees, retains as many jobs as possible, and reflects the spirit of Scholastic while meeting our financial requirements in a difficult economy.” The measures include a voluntary resignation offer for employees over 50 who have been with the company at least 10 years and are “considering retirement or other career options”; a freeze on new hires (openings will be filled from within […]
Personnel
People and Distribution
At Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, agent Michael Bourret has been named vice president and Lauren Abramo has been promoted to subsidiary rights director (both started their careers at the agency). Agent Jessica Papin is rejoining the agency after a three-year stint in international rights sales for the American University in Cairo. Dan Ambrosio has left Vigliano Associates to join Wiley as an editor. At Westwood Creative Artists, Jackie Kaiser has become a shareholder in the agency and is now a vice president. She has been at WCA for eight year, representing literary fiction; narrative nonfiction; and selected writing for […]
Penguin Expands eSpecials Under Barton
Penguin Group has given publisher manager Molly Barton the additional new role of associate publisher of eSpecials. A program that started with the freestanding sale of Alan Greenspan’s new epilogue for the paperback edition of The Age of Turbulence, sold electronically for five dollars, the eSpecials will extend beyond Penguin Press as original announced as a “service to writers across all of its imprints.” They say other specials from Christine Feehan, Jan Karon and Patricia Briggs “are already in the works” and that the program will range from “important updates to nonfiction works to unknown novellas by bestselling novelists.”
People and Other Announcements
Perhaps recognizing the confusion between their company’s two operating names, Newsstand is officially changing its name to the moniker better-known within our business, LibreDigital. They say the change is “to reflect its expanding set of product solutions to a broader set of publishers.” And they have hired Russell Reeder as president and ceo. He was president and coo of video-on-demand player NxTV. At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Amanda Cook has been promoted to executive editor. In addition to her own list of acquisitions, she edits the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. David Ouimet is returning to PGW as director […]
People
Deborah Darrock has been named vp, associate publisher of Atria Books and Washington Square Press, reporting to Judith Curr. She moves over from the Simon & Schuster imprint, where she has been vp, associate publisher. Melville House has hired Daniel O’Connor for the new position of managing editor. His experience includes almost ten years at Thunder’s Mouth Press. Most recently, with Neil Ortenberg he co-produced and co-directed the documentary Obscene, a look at the life and work of Grove Press founder Barney Rosset. Chronicle Books has hired Emily Haynes as editor, specializing in pop culture, humor, and media tie-ins. Haynes […]
People
Sarah Sper will join Simon Spotlight Entertainment as editor on September 23. She has been acquiring and editing pop culture and celebrity-driven titles at HBG’s Center Street. Amy Scholder has been hired as editorial director of the Feminist Press at CUNY. She has worked at Seven Stories Press, Verso Books, Serpent’s Tail and City Lights Publishers.