People 3/3

Christi Crowley will join as national account manager for Target and clubs on the distribution client sales team on March 17. She has previously worked at Trusted Media Brands, Time Inc. Books, Callisto Media, and Kappa Publishing Company.

Agency founder Chip MacGregor has retired and vp and agent Amanda Luedeke becomes president and owner.

Under the new ownership, agents will “run their own businesses and keep all of their earnings while working together under the same brand.” Luedeke has changed the agency name to MacGregor & Luedeke Collaborative LLC.

“It’s so hard to make it as an agent these days, especially if you’re with a boutique agency or on your own,” she said in a release. “With this new model, agents will make more money and be fully in charge of their businesses. I can’t think of a better way to support my colleagues than by enabling them to have full ownership over their client lists and the deals they do.”

Lexie Krauss has been promoted to agent.

Mina Hamedi has been named agent.

Stephanie Cooper has been promoted to associate publisher and marketing director.

Angela Messina has been promoted to publicity director.

Meghan Roberts has been promoted to senior publicist.

Alex Cullina has been promoted to assistant editor.

Kini Allen is promoted to assistant director, digital advertising.

Lauren Ortiz has been promoted senior publicity manager for the Spark & Voracious imprints.

Gabrielle Leporati has been promoted to senior publicist.

Marieska Luzada has been promoted to associate publicist.

Julia DeVarti is promoted to assistant editor and assistant manager, backlist marketing.

Maya Guthrie is promoted to assistant editor.

Maddy Price will join as editorial director on June 16, acquiring nonfiction. She has been editorial director of nonfiction at Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Samuel Rutter, previously the deputy editor of Astra Magazine, has launched Amulet, a new literary magazine devoted to spirituality, publishing fiction, essays, and poetry. Rutter will serve as editor in chief, with Aria Aber as the magazine’s poetry editor and Alec Gewirtz as editor and publisher. Rutter says, “I’m a true believer when it comes to magazines as the lifeblood of the wider literary culture. Interest in spirituality is in the ascendant, so the time is right for Amulet, a magazine for seekers and skeptics alike.”

Former head of brand for James Patterson at PRH UK Merle Bennett and freelance marketing director and former marketing director at Headline Fergus Edmondson have launched an author services business for self-published authors, focused on strategy, brand development and marketing campaigns.