Authors, agents and publishers were surprised to learn earlier this week that reading subscription service Scribd — a retailer account for publishers — had helped itself to creating 500 short text and audio write-throughs of a swathe of high-profile nonfiction in the name of “discovery.” Did Michelle Obama, Daniel Pink, Elizabeth Gilbert, Phil Knight, Seth Godin, John Carreyrou, Eric Ries, Brene Brown, Steven Hawking, Chip Heath, Joshua Foer, Sheryl Sandberg, Yuval Noah Harari and countless others need a tech startup to rewrite in their own new copyrighted words short versions of “the key insights, the key themes, the tone, the […]
People, Etc.
Amara Hoshijo has been promoted to editor and rights manager at Soho Press. Ashley Yepsen has been promoted to publicist at The Experiment. Profiled: Editing By Ear Judith Gurewich, publisher of Other Press, was profiled in the NYT, with emphasis on her “uniquely aural editing process.” She has authors come to her home in Cambridge, MA and read aloud their manuscripts. “It’s not because I’m smart” that she find this process works, Gurewich says. “It’s because I’m incredibly primitive.” As she listens, “I forget who I am. I’m gone in the text.” Author Isaac Bailey said of the sessions, “At […]
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At WaterBrook, Multnomah and Convergent, Keren Baltzer has joined Convergent Books as editorial director, reporting to Tina Constable. She was previously senior acquisitions editor at FaithWords. Becky Nesbitt joins as executive editor, acquiring books for WaterBrook, reporting to Laura Barker. She was previously vp, editor-in-chief of Howard Books. Paul Pastor has joined as editor for WaterBrook and Multnomah, reporting to Laura Barker. Pastor previously worked as a freelance collaborator, writer, editor, and consultant. Porscha Burke moves over from Random House, becoming senior editor, publishing manager, Christian projects, reporting to Campbell Wharton. Louise Quayle has joined Audible as a director of […]
Oni Press/Lion Forge Merger Leads to Controversial Layoffs
Since comics publisher Oni Press merged with Lion Forge and its parent company Polarity on May 8, critics charge that layoffs disproportionately targeted marginalized employees, especially queer women and women of color. The Daily Beast reports that those fired included editor-in-chief Andrea Colvin and associate editor (and Eisner award-winning cartoonist) Christina “Steenz” Stewart. In total, nine people were laid off, including Oni’s only black editor and two employees who had requested accommodations for their disabilities. Online criticism began when the merger was announced in the NYT. Editor Desiree Wilson posted on Twitter, “I, the only black person at Oni, just got […]
Briefs: Germany’s KNV Sold, Scribd Minis, Rebel Girls Imprint, PRH UK Pulls Book
Bankrupt German book wholesaler KNV (Koch, Neff and Volckmar) was auctioned by the trustee to Berlin-based privately owned logistics company Zeitfracht. The sale price was not disclosed, but the creditors’ committees have approved the purchase agreement. Zeitfracht says it will retain all employees — approximately 1,600 jobs — and continue to operate KNV’s three locations. Press release Subscription service Scribd is formally rolling out Snapshots (which launched in beta in February), “designed to offer key insights of a book in about 15 minutes to spark subscribers’ interest in reading the book in its entirety.” It’s “the literary equivalent of a […]
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Len Wiggins moves over to Penguin Random House Audio as of July 22 in the new position of vp, audio finance and strategy, reporting to Susan Livingston, svp, strategic business planning. Wiggins was previously senior director, finance and analysis, Penguin Random House. At Vintage Anchor, Angie Venezia has been promoted to associate director of publicity and Julie Ertl to publicity manager, both reporting to Russell Perreault, vp/executive director of publicity and social media. Melissa Esner has been promoted to associate marketing director for Crown and Hogarth; Katie Tull to assistant marketing manager for Random House, Dial, Modern Library, and One […]