Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 11/04-11/08

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Bright Side of Books 

 

Sales Surge for Dystopian Books 

 

Who Made the Booker Prize Shortlist? 

 

Readers Find Comfort in Trending “Healing” Fiction 

 

Will a Future That’s Female Always Remain Fiction?

 

Publishing’s Publishers and Pundits

There’s a cornucopia of newsletters, blogs and podcasts available to publishers, authors, and book people, so we asked those who follow the industry what they actually read.  Publishers Lunch and Publishers Weekly (PW), both of which have free daily newsletters as well as paid subscriptions, were cited by many, but after that a lot depends on your interests (Marketing! Tech! Fiction!), where you go for content and, of course, what – if anything – you’re willing to pay. 

In the paid category, other than PW and Publishers Marketplace is Jane Friedman’s The Hot Sheet, a valuable compilation of advice (mostly for authors), news, surveys and opinion pieces. Ann Kjellberg’s BookPost is a subscription-based blog where famous authors post book reviews. Author and LitHub regular Maris Kreizman has been writing The Maris Review about books and publishing since earlier this year; a paid subscription includes author interviews and conversations, and there’s also a podcast on Apple.  

Mark William, Editor in Chief of the New Publishing Standard, posts A View From the Beach on LinkedIn. It usually (but not always) focuses on international publishing,  and always has a distinct point of view. Publishing Perspectives, a Frankfurt Book Fair publication that is edited by the multitalented Porter Anderson, also offers articles on global publishing.

For readers interested in tech and especially AI, Thad McIlroy’s The Future of Publishing is a go-to, as is Kathy Sandler’s newsletter Technology Innovation Publishing. Ethan Mollick’s One Useful Thing is less content- and more AI-oriented, but very worthwhile reading if interested in different AI models and where they’re heading.

There are newsletters devoted to a range of categories, written by experts like agent Sally Ekus’s Substack newsletter, Not So Secret Agent, which touts itself as “insider info on the nuances of publishing. . .seasoned generously with industry resources from a cookbook agent,” which includes interviews and, no surprise, behind-the-scenes scoops about cooking and cookbooks. Marketer Rebecca Ritchey’s blog, EatingBooks started as a project focusing on food in literature, but has grown to include movies and more. 

It’s sometimes hard to say what  Kill Your Darlings by former Director of Publicity and Media Relations at Knopf / current communications strategist Paul Bogaards is about (sometimes publishing), but it can be absorbing and amusing at times. 

PR veteran Kathleen Schmidt’s, Publishing Confidential is an  always fresh potpourri of news, opinions and topics/links of interest to book publishing professionals.  

Atria’s Morgan Pager has a blog, NYCBookGirl, with writing and reading recommendations and, of course, there’s LitGirl, which offers “curated literary conversations as well as some deep dives into more philosophical subjects surrounding authors and celebrity.  

 

Numerous authors have websites and blogs where they publish thought pieces and advice, but Ann Patchett posts as a bookseller, with interviews, reviews and anecdotes on the Parnassus Books blog. 

 

Jeff Yamanguchi’s blog focuses on “doable takeaways” in marketing a book: Book Publishing Brick by Brick. And Shelf Awareness is must-reading for those interested in the retail side, as well as what’s pubbing and selling.

 

There are dozens of podcasts, most focused on self-publishing. Inside Publishing, hosted by the Society of Young Publishers, offers advice to those new(ish) to publishing from industry experts. The Open Road Podcast, new podcast from Open Road Integrated Media that features interviews with authors and industry notables.   

 

And the list goes on, and on. 

 

Tell us what you like, especially if it focuses on publishing and books (and isn’t pitching something too hard), and we’ll try to include it in a future roundup.  

 

Special thanks to Julie Blattberg for her editing of this article.

People Round Up, Early November, 2024

PEOPLE

 

At Penguin Random House’s  Ten Speed Press, GB Tran has joined as designer. Barbara Fillon has joined the PRH author development team as VP, director of media, author development.

 

As part of RBmedia’s acquisition, this week Dreamscape has laid-off several people across 10 positions. Further details have yet to be disclosed.

 

At Simon & Schuster, Stuart Roberts, formerly executive editor at Dey Street Books, has joined as VP, executive editor and special projects. Katherine Nintzel will join as VP, editorial director of Atria Books on November 11th. She was previously with the William Morrow Group for the past 20 years, most recently as VP, editorial director, fiction for Mariner Books

 

Hachette has made the following announcements: Fia Senesie has joined Little,Brown and Company as studio manager. June Park has joined as art director, previously she was senior designer at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Keith Hayes has joined  as senior art director, he was previously creative director at Flatiron Books

 

PEN America announced that CEO  Suzanne Nossel is  leaving to become the new president and CEO at Freedom HouseSummer Lopez and Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf are being promoted to co-CEOs.

 

At Macmillan Publishers, Andrew Faber has joined as academic marketing associate. Brittany Hazelwood has joined as assistant general counsel, legal. 

Sourcebooks sees Kate Boggs join as associate director, subsidiary rights. Kimi Loughlin joins as regional indie sales manager: New England. Sophie Juhlin joins as inside sales manager. Pamela Bobowicz joins as editor for Callisto. Emma Bagnall joins as digital marketing associate. Henry Holt sees Abigail Novak join as associate director of publicity. She was formerly at Scribner.

 

Ingram Content Group sees Sree Ravela has joined as associate director of publicity. She was previously at Scribner.

 

Black + White has announced founder and executive publisher Campbell Brown will leave the company this month. 

 

At Abrams, Amy Vinchesi has joined as managing editor. Chris Ryall has joined ComicArts as editor-at-large and  Justin Lee join as systems support technician. 

 

At Ulysses Press, Brian McLendon has joined as VP of marketing and publisher of Velopress imprint; previously he was the former VP and associate publisher and marketing director at Grand Central Publishing.

 

At Zando, Sam Mitchell has joined as director of publicity.

 

Chronicle Books sees Isabel Hinchiff join as assistant editor.

 

Eerdman Publishing Company sees Alana Pedalino join Eerdmans Books for Young Readers as marketing associate.

____

In Agency News…

Georgia Bodnar has launched her own agency Noyan Literary. She was previously with UTA.

____

PROMOTIONS

Penguin Random House has launched the Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group and will now comprise Waterbrook, Multinomah, Image, and Forum. Campbell Wharton will take over as SVP, publisher of the new group. He will report to CFO Michael Sansigre. Tina Constable will take on the new role of EVP, business development and also report to Sansigre. 

 

Penguin Random House will now have the Convergent imprint join Harmony and Rodale. Convergent editorial director Derek Reed will report to Harmony, Rodale president Theresa Zoro. SVP, deputy publisher Gail Gonzales will work across the imprints as will publishing manager Claire Readie. Cindy Murray was named VP, senior director of publicity for Harmony, Rodale Books, and Convergent. Deputy director Steven Boriack, senior publicist Alisse Goldsmith-Wissman, assistant director of publicity Ray Arjune, and publicity manager Kelly Doyle will report to her. 

 

Penguin Random House has promoted Jessalyn Foggy to senior director of marketing for Harmony, Rodale Books, and Convergent. Senior manager Rachel Tockstein, marketing manager Jonathan Sung, marketing associate Anna Hayes, marketing associate Elizabeth Groening, and marketing assistant Keilani Lum will now report to her. 

 

Hachette has promoted Kirin Diemont to associate art director at Little, Brown and Company. 

 

At Simon & Schuster, Katie Monaghan has been promoted to VP and senior director of publicity and marketing for Stephan King titles at Scribner. Kassandra Engel has been promoted to publicity manager at Scribner. Bryn Manion has been promoted to director, sales analysis & sales operations.  Simon & Schuster Children’s has promoted Heather Palisi-Reyes to art director at Aladdin and Pulse. Julia Shea has been promoted to designer. Sarah Taylor has been promoted to senior designer. Sabrina Pyun has been promoted to associate editor at Scribner. Sophie Guimaraes has been promoted to assistant editor. 

 

Macmillan Publishers has promoted Taylor Armstrong to director, diversified sales. Sameer Chaudhari has been promoted to VP of finance. Emily Chung has been promoted to senior manager of human resources and information systems. LaShauna Cooke has been promoted to senior manager, meeting services. Diego A. Molano Rodriguez has been promoted to associate director, ebook lead, sales. Laura O’Dea has been promoted to senior director, business systems for Biblio. Tova Rohatiner has been promoted to senior engineer of technology. Allison Yeager has been promoted to manager of data privacy. Devin Sukhu has been promoted to senior engineer on the technology team.

 

Kensington Publishing Corporation has promoted Kristin McLaughlin to assistant director of digital marketing. Kait Johnson has been promoted to social media manager. Andi Paris is being promoted to digital marketing manager. 

 

Scholastic has promoted Teresa Malik to associate director of licensing, media, and brands. Samantha Swank has been promoted to senior editor. Lori Wieczorek has been promoted to senior editor. Emily Nguyen has been promoted to associate editor. Jonah Newman has been promoted to editor. Jooahn Kwon, formerly graphic designer  at Simon & Schuster Children’s has joined Scholastic assenior graphic designer.

 

At Columbia University Press, Christine Dunbar has been promoted to editorial director, succeeding Eric Schwartz.

 

Union Square & Co. has promoted Mika Kasuga to the newly created role of editorial director, fiction & classics.

 

Grove Atlantic has promoted Erica Nuñez to director of audio. Joseph Payne has been promoted to associate editor and subsidiary rights associate.

 

Spines, has announced that Michael Kellman has recently joined as the chief product officer. Kellman was previously senior director of product management at Audible

____

DULY NOTED

South Korean author, Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

 

The University of Cincinnati has announced it will be shutting down the press on June 30, 2025. Its backlist will be transferred to University of Minnesota Press and Ohio University Press.

 

Comedian, actor, and author Kate Mckinnon is set to host the 2024 National Book Awards Ceremony on November 20th. This year will mark 75 years and will be held at Cipriani in New York City.

____

EVENTS

Oct 28- Nov 5th

Istanbul Book Fair

Istanbul, TR

 

Nov 1st-3rd

Cape Cod Book Festival

Cape Cod, MA

 

Nov 6-10th

Dublin Book Fair

Dublin, IRE

 

Nov 6-10th

Malta Book Fair

Attard, MT

 

Nov 12th

Booker Prize Winner Announced

 

Nov 6-17th

Sharjah International Book Fair

Sharjah, UAE

 

Nov 15-17th

Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair

Shanghai, CHN

 

Nov 20-24th

Vienna International Book Fair

Vienna, AT

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 10/28-11/01

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Celebrity Novel? Who Ya Gonna Call- Ghostwriters! 

Rare Typed Copy of The Little Prince to Go Up for Auction 

Yu + Me Bookstore Owner, Lucy Yu Redefining the Power of a Bookstore

Pearson Sees Growth in Part to Increasing AI Capabilities 

What’s Next for Scribd After Ending Everand’s Unlimited Ebook Subscription? 

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 10/21-10/25

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Have You Noticed a Difference in Your Paperbacks?

 

An Inside Look at Political Books During an Election Season

 

A Ghostly Tale From Bram Stoker Discovered After 134 Years

 

Are Audiobooks the Secret to Stronger Memory?

 

Are Teen Boys Being Ignored By Publishing?

People Round Up, Mid October, 2024

PEOPLE

Hachette’s Little Brown, & Company division announced that, beginning October 28th, Nadxieli Nieto will be joining Algonquin Books as editorial director.  She will report to Sally Kim. She was previously executive editor at Flatiron Books.

 

Quarto Group CEO Alison Goff will step down from her position at the end of the year. She will still remain on their advisory board and controlling owner CK Lau will again be interim CEO starting November 1st.

 

At Simon & Schuster, Rebecca Kuss, formerly senior editor at Disney Hyperion, will join Aladdin as executive editor. 

 

At Macmillan Publishers, Marley Mozart has joined as director of technology service operations; Wing Chen has joined as tax analyst; Monique Corea has joined as a contracts assistant; Corbin Whitaker has joined as senior finance analyst.  

 

Penguin Random House announced that Brianna Fairman  has joined Putnam as assistant editor.

 

Scholastic sees Avery Manna join as editorial assistant. Caitlyn Harper has joined as designer; she was previously a junior designer at Macmillan Children’s. Ryan Nelson has joined as visual designer.

 

At Amazon Publishing, Elisa Fabbri has joined as associate rights director. She may be contacted at jessicaf@amazon.co.uk

 

Abrams announces that  Taylor Dietrich will join as sales assistant, international sales and subsidiary rights. Gabby Portugal has joined as assistant, integrated marketing. Tatyana Scott has joined as marketing assistant, digital strategy, and consumer engagement. 

 

At Bloomsbury, Michelle Zeng joined as associate sales manager. She was previously senior literary scout at Jenny LaPlante. Maria DeKoning has joined as publicity assistant. Emelyn Ehrlich has joined as a sales assistant. 

 

Sourcebooks sees Mickey Tirado join as regional indie sales manager: south, Emily Gilbow joins as regional indie sales manager: mid-atlantic, Jordan Standridge as regional indie sales manager: pacific northwest,  and Suzanne Marx has joined as regional indie sales manager: midwest. Anna Lisa Sandstrum has joined as inside sales manager. Anna Hanstrom has joined as marketing and publicity associate. Lia Ferrone has joined as assistant publicity and marketing manager. Kimberly Cook has joined as marketing assistant. Courtney Yee has joined as marketing assistant.

 

At Astra Publishing, Aranya Jain, formerly assistant editor at Putnam, has joined DAW Books as editor and can be contacted at ajain@astrapublishinghouse.com.

 

Jamie Tan, marketing manager at Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree is leaving the company and can be contacted at jamiectan@gmail.com. Lindsey Leigh has joined Candlewick Press as book designer.

 

NorthSouth Books sees Marian Hernandez as publishing assistant. Alex Robertson has joined NorthSouth Books and Ediciones NorteSur as senior editor. 

 

Chronicle Books sees Jeff Wiebe rejoin as director of operations. Hilary Kassis has joined as senior sales manager.

 

Pacific & Court sees Abigail Monti join as a publicity and marketing assistant.

 

A Public Space sees Aditi Bhattacharjee join as programs manager. Alexandra Tilden has joined as communications director and editorial associate.

____

In Agency News…

Hershman Rights Management, Allyson Gonzalez, previously Senior Manager of international rights at McGraw Hill, is joining as foreign rights director on November 4th.

 

Elena Giovinazzo has left Pippin Properties to found Heirloom Literary & Media.

 

Donald Maass Literary Agency, Kesia Lupo has joined as an agent

 

The Rights Factory sees Karmen Wells resign as book-to-screen agent on Oct 4th and has relaunched her freelance editing services at http://www.shelfmadecreative.com

 

PROMOTIONS

At Simon & Schuster, Simon Spotlight has promoted Destiny Reyes to assistant editor and Leslie Tran to associate editor. Anna Parsons has been promoted to editor at Aladdin. Carina Guiterman has been promoted to VP and executive editor at Simon & Schuster. Brianna Yamashita has been promoted to VP and executive director of marketing at Scribner

At Atria Books, Gena Lanzi has been promoted to publicity manager. Megan Rudloff has been promoted to publicity manager. Dayna Johnson has been promoted to senior marketing manager. Zakiya Jamal has been promoted to senior marketing manager. Jolena Podolsky has been promoted to marketing and social media associate. Aleaha Renee has been promoted to marketing coordinator. Gena Lanzi has been promoted to publicity manager. Elizabeth Hitti has been promoted to assistant editor.  Abby Velasco has been promoted to publishing associate. Jade Hui has been promoted to associate editor. Elizabeth Hitti has been promoted to assistant editor. 

Jessica Preeg has been promoted to senior director of publicity and marketing for Simon Element, Simon Acumen, and Marysue Rucci Books. Stephanie Hitchcock has been promoted to editorial director at Simon Acumen. Julianna Haubner has been promoted to senior editor at Avid Reader Press. Scribner has promoted Colleen Nuccio to associate director of marketing. Lauren Dooley has been promoted to senior marketing manager. Mark Galarrita has been promoted to publishing and marketing manager. Emily Varga has been promoted to manager at Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau. Lexie von der Luft has been promoted to coordinator. Amanda Adams has been promoted to coordinator. Jennifer Lipman has been promoted to associate director of special markets. Sophia Gutierrez has been promoted to sales associate for corporate and premium sales. Jordan Moslowski has been promoted to sales associate for special markets. Danielle Prielipp has been promoted to senior marketing director. Tyanni Niles has been promoted to senior marketing manager. Emily Farebrother has been promoted to associate marketing manager. Savannah Breckenridge has been promoted to associate marketing manager Saga Press. Kristie Choi has been promoted to editor at Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Julia McCarthy has been promoted to senior editor.  Nicole Ellul has been promoted to executive editor. Dainese Santos has been promoted to editor at Simon & Schuster for Young Readers. Kendra Levin has been promoted to VP and editorial director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Megan Hogan has been promoted to senior editor. 

At HarperCollins, Nina Leopold has been promoted to associate publicist at Ecco.  Allison Saltzman has been promoted to VP and senior art director at Ecco.  Ashley Yepsen has been promoted to VP and editorial director HarperOne Group. Jessica Vestuto has been promoted to editor at Mariner Books. Samantha Howard has been promoted to Associate Director of Sales Operations for HarperCollins. She was previously Senior Manager, Sales Operations for International Sales and will continue as Ops lead for the International team.

At Macmillan Publishers, Gwyneth Bechunas has been promoted to associate manager for national accounts and e-books. Kelsey Gallote has been promoted to associate national account manager for e-book retail and library. Christina Venkatesh has been promoted to national account manager for Barnes & Noble. Jaime Noven has been promoted to associate director of marketing at Celadon Books.

At Flatiron Books, Louis Grilli has been promoted to publishing operations manager. Bria Strothers has been promoted to associate publicist.  Maris Tasaka has been promoted to associate marketing manager. Marlena Bittner has been promoted to VP and executive director of marketing and publicity at Flatiron Books.

At Tor Publishing Group, Aislyn Fredsall has been promoted to associate editor. Saraciea Fennell has been promoted to associate director of publicity. Caroline Perny has been promoted to associate director of publicity.

 

At Hachette, executive editor Kathy Pories will be reporting to Nadxieli Nieto. Madeline Jones has been promoted to senior editor. Jovanna Brinck has been promoted to assistant editor. Marisol Salaman has been promoted to senior publicity manager and Katrina Tiktinsky to publicist.

 

Penguin Random House has promoted Emily Canders to associate director of publicity at Dutton. Kate Dresser has been promoted to executive editor at Putnam. Ashley DiDio has been promoted to associate editor at PutnamNoah Hoff has been promoted to associate publicist at Knopf. Emily Reardon has been promoted to director of publicity. Emily Murphy has been promoted to director of marketing.  Tricia Cave has been promoted to assistant director of publicity. Rose Cronin-Jackman has been promoted to publicity manager at Pantheon. Sierra Figeroa has been promoted to marketing manager at Vintage. Julie Erti has been promoted to associate director of publicity at Doubleday. Noah Hoff has been promoted to associate publicist at Knopf. Rose Cronin-Jackman has been promoted to publicity manager at Pantheon. Matthew Sciarappa has been promoted to associate director of marketing at Knopf. Rose Van de Walle has joined Random House Children’s Books as publishing assistant. Maria Camila Correa has been promoted to editor at Random House Children’s Books. Elizabeth Stranahan has been promoted to editor. Kevin Sweeting has been promoted to director of retail advertising. Cali Chambliss and Essie Corriveau will now report to him.

 

Abrams has promoted Lianne Schmidt to contracts director. Bob Niegowski has been promoted to senior contracts manager.

 

Sourcebooks promoted Hannah Kil to assistant marketing manager. Erin Fitzsimmons to associate creative director: fiction. 

 

At Barefoot Books, Helen Kissler is being promoted to chief operations officer.

 

University of Virginia Press has promoted Nadine Zimmerli to editor-in-chief and can be contacted at nizimmerli@virginia.edu

 

Pluto Press has promoted Patrick Lee Hughes to VP for North America and can be contacted at patrick@plutobooks.com

DULY NOTED

South Korean author, Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

 

The University of Cincinnati has announced it will be shutting down the press on June 30, 2025. Its backlist will be transferred to University of Minnesota Press and Ohio University Press.

 

Comedian, actor, and author Kate Mckinnon is set to host the 2024 National Book Awards Ceremony on November 20th. This year will mark 75 years and will be held at Cipriani in New York City.

EVENTS

Oct 19-27th

International Belgrade Book Fair

Belgrade, RUS

Oct 24 -27th

Helsinki Book Fair

Helsinki, FI

 

Oct 25-26th

Green Mountain Book Festival

Burlington, VT

 

Oct 28- Nov 5th

Istanbul Book Fair

Istanbul, TR

 

Nov 1st-3rd

Cape Cod Book Festival

Cape Cod, MA

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 10/13-10/18

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Are Gen Z Shopper Against AI Recommendations?

Nielsen BookData Releases Book Sales on Multiple Markets

Taylor Swift to Publish First Book

Why Han Kang’s Nobel Prize Win is a Win for Small Presses

James Patterson Announces Launch of Substack

TikTok Takes to Publishing but What Does That Look Like?

 

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 10/07-10/11

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

South Korean Author Han Kang Wins Nobel Prize in Literature 

Report Finds More Than Half of Diverse Characters are Written by White Authors

Rosalie Stewart Speaks on Her Role in Helping Publishers Fight Book Bans 

Salman Rushdie Announces New Work Since Stabbing

AAP Statshot for July Reports Uptick in US 

 

 

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 09/30-10/04

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

From Ancient Greece to Today Homer Hits Home but Why?

Beyond Vance- How is The Appalachians Written About?

Is TikTok Shedding Romance Stigmas?

What’s Next For Wiley? 

What is “LibraryTok” and How is it Engaging Young Readers?

People Round Up, Early October, 2024

PEOPLE

At Penguin Random House, Stephanie Fryling will be join as SVP, adult retail sales on October 28. She will oversee the Barnes & Noble, BAM, field sales, and client sales teams. Most recently she has been vp, commercial strategy and category management at Barnes & Noble, where she has worked for the last 12 years. Ruth Liebmann, VP and director, account marketing, will report to Fryling, and work with me Jaci Updike on communication strategy for sales and marketing

Daniel Wikey has been named director of marketing and publicity, licensing with the Random House Worlds team, reporting to David MoenchRosalie Stewart joined as senior manager, public policy and reports to the chair of the PRH Intellectual Freedom Taskforce, Skip Dye. She was previously manager of grassroots communications for the American Library Association’s public policy and advocacy office.  Hilary Shrair has joined Young Readers as publishing assistant. Tatiana Guel has joined Random House Children’s Books as production design assistant. Jacky Bethea is promoted to manager of author development. 

 

Marlene Reimer returns to HarperCollins as director of subsidiary rights representing rights for William Morrow, Harper Voyager, Dey Street, Mariner, and Harvest lists. She was previously  associate director of subsidiary rights at Sourcebooks.

 

At Hachette Book Group, John Cassidy, previously national account manager for Amazon at Penguin Random House, is joining the online sales team as senior national account manager, selling client publishers to Amazon. Jules Kelly joined Workman Kids as associate publisher on September 30th. Previously they were assistant marketing director at Random House Children’s. Chloe Texier-Rose joined as assistant director of publicity on September 23rd, reporting to Sabrina Callahan. She was most recently director of publicity at Zando. George Tattersfield joined as VP of sales operations on September 30th, reporting to Lauren Monaco. He was most recently client director at W.W. Norton.

 

At Simon & Schuster, James Akinaka  has joined as senior marketing manager, digital marketing, for Simon Kids and Simon Teen. He was most recently at Penguin Children’s. Robert Messenger has resigned from the imprint. In an “unrelated development,” Stephen Morrow, VP and executive editor, has also left the company.

 

Macmillan Publishers sees Preeti Chhibber join as digital marketing manager for Macmillan Children’s. Previously, she was a freelance writer and editor.

 

Scholastic’s executive editor Clarissa Wong has left the company and can be reached at cwong2422@gmail.com.

 

Princeton University Press sees Tony Lutkus, formerly president of Diamond Book Distributors, join as chief of North American sales.

 

Bradford Literature Festival, sees John Makinson join as chair of the board effective October 1st.

 

Grove Atlantic, will have Bridget Flannery-McCoy join as an executive editor on October 1st, working on nonfiction titles. She was previously at Princeton University Press.

 

The Associate of Writers and Writing Programs has named Michelle Aielli as interim executive director. She was previously vice president and publishing director of Hachette Books. The appointment follows the June retirement of Cynthia Sherman. The board of directors is currently conducting a national search for a permanent executive director.

 

Microcosm Publishing sees Lex Orgera join as editorial manager. She was previously the executive director of a regional literary organization and literary festival.

 

At Two Lines Press, Chad Felix will move into the newly formed position of creative director and Kelsey McFaul to assistant editor.

 

Candlewick, Holiday House, and Peachtree sees Nicki Walker join as associate national accounts manager. She was previously at Quarto.

 

The New Press sees Mary Beth Jarrad join as publisher. Jarrad was previously marketing and sales director at NYU Press.

 

In Agency News…

KF Literary sees Regan Devlin join as senior scout. She was previously at Baker Literary Scouting.

 

Azantian Literary Agency sees Mark O’Brien join as associate agent. He was previously sales coordinator at NetGalley.

 

Aevitas Creative Management promoted Lauren Liebow to agent.

 

At East/West Literary Agency, Jim Averbeck has joined as literary agent. Ana Crespo has been promoted to agent.

 

Felicity Bryan Associates will have United Agents founding member James Gill  join on October 16th. 

 

Transatlantic Agency has promoted Eva Oakes to associate agent.

 

Gemma Cooper is starting her own agency, Gemma Cooper Literary, and will begin operating on October 1st. She was previously at The Bent Agency for 12 years.

 

Frances Goldin Literary Agency has promoted Alison Lewis.

PROMOTIONS

At Penguin Random House, Kristin Fassler will move over to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on October 7th as SVP, director of marketing strategy and engagement, reporting to Sanyu Dillon.

Phillip Stamper-Halpin has been promoted to director of author development.  Anika Bates has been promoted to senior marketing manager at Berkley. Aparna Rishi is promoted to director, consumer strategy and creative operations, reporting to Kristin Fassler. At Random House Children’s, Katy Miller has been promoted to senior managing editor, Madison Furr has been promoted to publicity manager, Cynthia Lliguichuzhca has been promoted to publicist, and Lena Reilly has been promoted to senior publicist. At Clarkson Potter, Jenn Sit has been promoted to editorial director of cooking. Susan Roxborough has been promoted to executive editor. Knopf Doubleday Group has promoted Chris Dufault to the new role of SVP, publishing, sales and operations strategy, reporting to Jaci Updike. Director, imprint sales, Annie Schatz will now report to Dufault. Alyssa Keyne has been promoted to manager, editorial and operations. 

 

At Simon & Schuster, Nadia Almahdi has been promoted to director, digital marketing for Simon Kids. Alexandra Primiani is promoted to publicity director at Avid Reader.

 

Hachette Book Group, for Workman,Artisan, Workman Calendars, and Black Dog & Leventhal, Moira Kerrigan is promoted to executive director, marketing and publicity. Ilana Gold is promoted to director of publicity and marketing. Alana Bonfiglio has been promoted to senior marketing and publicity associate. 

 

At Macmillan Publishers, St. Martin’s Publishing Group promoted Courtney Littler to executive editor, Hannah Phillips to senior editor, and Lily Cronig, Vanessa Aguirre, Christina Lopez to associate editor.  Jamilah Lewis-Horton and Hannah Pierdolla have been promoted to assistant editor. Kayla Janas has been promoted to publicity manager. Farina Jaw has been promoted to senior graphic designer. Caroline Warshaw has been promoted to manager, art rights. Madeline Houpt has been promoted to editor at St.Martin’s Publishing Group/Minotaur Books. Emily Anderson has been promoted to assistant editor. Macmillan Children’s has promoted Chantel Gersch to publicity manager. Morgan Rath has been promoted to publicity manager. Helen Seachrist has been promoted to senior manager, production editorial. At Macmillan Audio has promoted Alexandra Quill to associate director, school & library marketing. Michelle Altman has been promoted to senior manager, editorial acquisitions and development. Ally Demeter has been promoted to producer. 

 

Scholastic has promoted Jeffery Mathews to the new position of chief growth officer and executive vice president. 

 

Tokyopop has promoted Lena Atanassova to editor in chief.

 

Two Lines Press has promoted CJ Evans to publisher in addition to serving as editor in chief.

 

Page One Media promoted Laura Di Giovine to associate director of publicity.

DULY NOTED

NYU Advance Publishing Institute announced that registration is now open, and there is an early bird discount through October 13. (Group discounts are also available.)  An information session will be offered September 18

API 2025 program topics include:

  • Global Trends and Opportunities in Audio
  • A Deep Dive into the Creator Universe
  • Mobilizing Communities of Book Lovers
  • AI: Tools and Applications You Need to Know
  • Analytics in Action: Marketing Case Studies
  • DEI 2.0: A Moral and a Business Imperative
  • Publishing for the Future: What the Experts Say

For more information about the program, pricing, and to register, click here.”

Midas US, the UK based public relations agency is launching a US branch led by Katherine Myers as deputy managing director. She was senior director of publicity at Little, Brown.

EVENTS

Amman International Book Fair

Sept 25- Oct 5

Amman, JO

 

LIBER Feria Internacional del Libro

Oct 1st-3rd

Barcelona, ESP

New England Independent Booksellers Association Conference

Oct 3-5

Providence, RI

 

New York Comic Con

Oct 17-20th

New York, NY

 

Frankfurt Book Fair

Oct 16-20th

Frankfurt, DE