PEOPLE
Judy Hottensen is resigning as Publisher of Weinstein Books to return to Grove/Atlantic, where she worked from 1992 to 2005. She will become Associate Publisher, taking over duties from Eric Price (whose departure was announced last month in PT). Elisabeth Schmitz has been promoted to VP, Editorial Director and Deb Seager has been promoted to VP, Director of Publicity. Grove’s executive management committee now includes Entrekin, Hottensen, Schmitz, Seager, VP, Executive Editor Joan Bingham, and Financial Controller, Bill Weinberg. Stephanie Gilardi has joined the publisher as Senior Publicist. Gilardi previously worked at The Penguin Press.
George Hodgman has left Houghton Mifflin Harcourt where he was Executive Editor. He may be reached at george.hodgman1@me.com
Len Vlahos, COO of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) has been named Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), starting on September 12 and will speak at the organization’s annual meeting on September 20 in New York City. Vlahos replaces Scott Lubeck, who resigned in May.
Marcella Berger announced her retirement from S&S Subsidiary Rights department after 35 years with the company. Kerri Kolen has left S&S where she was a Senior Editor, to become Executive Editor at Hyperion.
Kara Cesare has joined Ballantine Bantam Dell as Executive Editor. Previously she was an Executive Editor at Gallery Books.
Mauro DiPreta, VP, Associate Publisher of It Books at HarperCollins has joined Crown in the newly created position of VP, Editor-in-Chief of Crown Archetype, effective September 7. DiPreta will be responsible for directing and overseeing the editorial operations for Archetype, Harmony, Crown Business, and Crown Forum. He will report to Crown Archetype SVP and Publisher Tina Constable. Crown Trade Paperbacks has hired Amanda Patten as Senior Editor, reporting to Tina Pohlman.
Susan Mercandetti is VP of Business Development and Partnerships for ABC News. She rejoined the news division in May 2011 after serving as Executive Editor of the Random House Publishing Group.
Susan Halligan has left the NYPL, where she was Director of Marketing. She may be reached at 212-228-8350, orshalligan@nyc.rr.com.
Bloomsbury USA COO Peter DeGiglio is leaving the company after 6 years and will be succeeded by Robert Marsh, formerly CFO of Continuum. DeGiglio can be reached at pdegiglio@gmail.com
Rob Crawford will be leaving his position as Editor at the Overlook Press to work with author/historian Jon Meacham as researcher on his new biography of Thomas Jefferson. He will also be working on his own book, Brilliant Families, to be published by Counterpoint and can be reached at rcrawford7@gmail.com. Dan Crissman has joined Overlook as Editor, focusing on nonfiction. He was most recently an Assistant Editor at Hill & Wang. Overlook is celebrating its 40th year.
Executive Director of Marketing and Publicity Lottchen Shivers has left Abrams. She can be reached at lottchen.shivers@gmail.com.
Following Larry Kirshbaum’s departure for Amazon Publishing, LJK Literary agents, Susanna Einstein and Meg Thompson have announced Einstein Thompson Agency (ETA). Einstein and Thompson are Co-Directors and, in addition to keeping their own clients, the pair will also be handling the authors Kirshbaum brought.
Colin Dickerman will join The Penguin Press as VP and Executive Editor, moving from Rodale, where he has been VP and Publishing Director since 2008.
World Book Night has announced that the US is the first international partner to launch World Book Night in 2012 with the aim to give away 1 million books across the country. Carl Lennertz, VP, Retail Marketing at HarperCollins has been hired as Chief Executive to lead the US division of WBN.
Sally Dedecker has been named BEA’s new Director of Education, and in addition to overseeing the BEA Conference, she will also lead the BEA Conference Advisory Board.
Anne Boynton-Trigg joins Scholastic as VP, Export. Edie Perkins, formerly, VP for Export, is appointed to the newly created position of VP, International Product Development. Heidi Sachner is joining Perseus Distribution as Director of Client Services, replacing Sarah Coglianese. Sachner was formerly Associate Publisher, Sales and Marketing at Newmarket Press for nine years.
Denise Allen Cunningham has moved from Sterling Publishers to Readers Digest, where she is Director, Human Resources.
Steve Kleinedler has been named Executive Editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s reference group in the Trade & Reference division. He was previously Supervising Editor.
The Waxman Agency’s Holly Root is relocating to Los Angeles. She will open a west coast office for the agency, and will continue to develop her client list as well as expand the agency’s network of TV and film contacts.
Alexis Welby will join Putnam as Director of Publicity and Jynne Martin has been named Director of Publicity for Riverhead, as part of “a new strategic publicity structure that focuses on the editorial strengths of each imprint” and creates two separate publicity teams. Welby was most recently at S&S, and Martin at Random House. Both report to Executive Director of Publicity Marilyn Ducksworth. Mih-Ho Cha will remain Senior Publicity Director for both imprints, while Michael Barson will move to Senior Publicity Executive for Putnam. Co-Director of Publicity for Putnam and Riverhead Stephanie Sorensen is leaving to pursue a graduate degree.
Joy Aquilino has joined Sixth & Spring Books as Editorial Director. Previously she was Executive Editor of Watson-Guptill/Potter Craft, an imprint of Crown.
Laura Tisdel will join Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown as an Editor, effective mid-October. She was previously an Associate Editor at Viking.
Robert Podrasky has joined AudioGo, which merged with Audio Bookshelf last month, as Senior Acquisitions Editor. He was previously Senior Manager of Domestic Rights at St. Martin’s.
PROMOTIONS AND INTERNAL CHANGES
Books-A-Million announced that Terrance Finley had been promoted to President and COO, replacing Clyde Anderson, who relinquished the role (though he remains CEO and Chairman). Finley was previously EVP & Chief Merchandising Officer.
Gillan Blake has been named Editor in Chief of Henry Holt and Company, reporting to Stephen Rubin, President and Publisher. Reporting to her will be Senior Editor Aaron Schlechter and Editor Sarah Bowlin. Blake joined Holt in 2009; she replaces Jill Lamar.
Irv Myers has been promoted to President of New Leaf Distribution Co. and New Leaf Sales and Distribution Services. Myers joined New Leaf last year.
S&S has promoted Tracey Guest from Director of Publicity to VP. Guest joined S&S in 1998 after beginning her career at Dutton/Plume.
Clay Farr has been promoted to VP Marketing at Perseus. Farr, who was most recently Director, National Accounts for Borders, Apple and Google, begins his new position this week.
At Ten Speed Press, Sara Golski has been promoted to editor and Emily Timberlake has been promoted to Associate Editor, both reporting to Editorial Director Julie Bennett.
Caitlin McCaskey has been promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager at HarperCollins Speakers Bureau, and Wade Lucas has been promoted from Assistant to Associate Manager.
UPCOMING EVENTS
This month, more than 300 children’s book enthusiasts and contributors will gather in NYC at the sixth annual Carle Honors on Thursday, September 22, 2011 5-8:30 at Guastavino’s 409 East 59th Street. www.carlemuseum.org/carlehonors
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The 25th annual Goddard Riverside Gala takes place on November 7 at 583 Park Ave, and honors Carolyn Reidy, President and CEO, Simon & Schuster. www.goddard.org/bookfairgala
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PubWest announced that Len Riggio, Chairman of Barnes & Noble, will be the featured keynote speaker for the PubWest Conference 2011 in November. Riggio will discuss his 50 years in business and his predictions for the future of reading from print to screen. The conference will be held November 3–5 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada. The theme is “Beating the Odds: Making Money Making Books.” Register for the PubWest Conference 2011 at www.pubwest.org/conference.
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On October 10 at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the new Publishers Launch E-books Around the World conference, takes place. It is followed, on October 11, by a half-day conference, Children’s Publishing Goes Digital: New Markets, Players, and Platforms. Both events will look at how the digital marketplace will change in the coming year, and what publishers need to know to prepare for it. For details, go to http://bit.ly/pCOkUe
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CLMP’s annual Spelling Bee takes place on Monday, October 24, at the Highline Ballroom in the Standard Hotel. For tickets, details and contributions, go to www.CLMP.org/Bee. . . .
Words Without Borders has just announced that its annual benefit will take place on November 14. For details go to: http://wordswithoutborders.org/
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The American Advisory Committee of the Jerusalem International Book Fair will hold a memorial tribute to Zev Birger on Thursday, September 22, at 6 p.m. at the Random House Building, 1745 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, with a reception following hosted by RH.
A special program in Zev’s name will be established to launch at the next book fair in 2013. Donations to its creation and endowment would be appreciated and may be made to the Ariel Municipal Company Ltd, Bank Leumi, Agudat Sport Hapoel Yerushlayim 1, Jerusalem, Branch no. 901, Account no.6433300/99. Zev’s Tributes page, or for further information: www.jibffellowship.com.
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2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the first printing of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED). OED Editor at Large, Jesse Sheidlower hosts a celebration in September at OUP’s offices in New York.
