People Round-Up, Early May 2018

PEOPLE

Jennifer Levesque joins Disney Book Group as Editorial Director on May 7. Most recently she was VP, Editorial Director at Rodale Books.

Jhanteigh Kupihea will join Quirk Books as Editorial Director on May 21. She was most recently Senior Editor at Atria Books.

At IDW Publishing, Anita Frazier joins as SVP, Sales & Marketing.

At Sourcebooks, Kaitlyn Kennedy, previously Publicity Manager at HarperCollins, has joined as Director of Marketing. Claudette Soriano joins as Accounts Payable Associate. Lauren Dombrowski joins as Production Editor, having worked most recently as Managing Editor at the American Chamber of Commerce Resources. Hannah Carmack joins as Events Marketing Specialist, Ashlyn Keil joins as Author Marketing Associate, and Misty Vernon, lately Senior Graphic Designer at Airtasker, joins as UX Designer. Deve McLemore has joined as Purchasing Manager. Leyla Parada joins as Contracts Attorney.

Elizabeth Shepard has been named General Manager, Digital for Dr. Oz. She was previously Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast’s Epicurious and Hearst’s Delish.

Laura Mamelok has joined Little, Brown as Subsidiary Rights Director, having previously worked as Literary Agent, Foreign Rights at Susanna Lea Associates.

At LSC Communications, Kate Hutchison joins as Director of Business Development and Strategy, Publisher Services. Most recently she was Director of Business Development and Publisher Relations at Bookshout.

Heidi Sachner has left her position at Ingram Content/Two Rivers Distribution and can be reached at hsachner@optonline.net.

At National Geographic Kids, Erica Green has left her position as VP, Editorial Director.

Alessandra Bastagli has left her position as Editorial Director at Nation Books.

In agency news…Victoria Wells Arms has joined Hannigan Salky Getzler as Agent, bringing over her clients from Wells Arms Literary. Kelly Van Zant has joined Red Sofa Literary as Agent, having worked previously in that role for D4EO. Liz Parker, previously Agent at InkWell Management, joins LA-based Verve to oversee its newly-launched publishing division. And Mike Nardullo, previously Literary Scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates, has joined Foundry Literary + Media as Foreign Rights Director.

Sarah Begley joins Medium as Senior Editor, Books on May 7. Most recently she was Books Editor at Time.

Heather Palisi has joined as Senior Designer for Aladdin and Simon Pulse. Previously she was Senior Designer at Penguin Random House. Additionally, Jess LaGreca has joined as Art Coordinator. Pat Glynn, longtime Executive Assistant to Simon & Schuster President and CEO Carolyn Reidy, retired on April 30, having worked in that role since 1992.

Raina Putter has joined Holiday House as Managing Editor. She was most recently Client Relations Manager at Ingram Content Group. Judy Varon has also joined as Production Manager, having previously worked part-time for the company.

At Chronicle Books, Sarah Van Cleave joins as Executive Assistant.

Jen Allen joins Fujii Associates as Sales Representative in the Midwest. Most recently she was Collection Development Manager and Buyer at St. Louis’s Turtleback Books.

PROMOTIONS

John Barber has been promoted to Editor-in-Chief at IDW Publishing.

Laura Barker has been promoted to VP, Editor-in-Chief at WaterBrook & Multnomah, where Shannon Marchese moves up to Executive Editor and Susan Tjaden moves up to Senior Editor. Rebecca Marsh has been promoted to Assistant Director of Publicity at Viking and Penguin Books, where Chris Smith moves up to Senior Publicist and Brianna Linden to Publicist. At Crown Children’s, Elizabeth Stranahan has been promoted to Assistant Editor.

Bridget Matzie has become Partner at Aevitas Creative Management.

At John Blake Publishing, Kelly Ellis has been promoted to Publishing Director. Founder John Blake and Managing Director Rosie Virgo are leaving the company, following its 2016 sale to Bonnier.

At National Geographic Kids, Becky Baines is now VP, Editorial Director. In addition, Kate Hale moves up to Executive Editor; Sally Abbey, to Director of Editorial Operations; Ariane Szu-Tu, to Editor; Kathryn Williams, to Associate Editor; and Michaela Weglinski, to Assistant Editor.

At Chronicle Books, Mike Conway has been promoted to Executive Director of IT, while Rachel Hiles moves up to Editor, Food & Lifestyle and Daria Harper moves up to Assistant Editor, Children’s.

Cara Coggins is now Senior Director, Publishing Operations at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

At Simon & Schuster Children’s, Sarah Creech has become Associate Art Director for Simon Pulse and Tiara Iandiorio has become Junior Designer for Aladdin.

At the Library of Congress, Kate Zwaard has been promoted to the new position of Director of Digital Strategy.

Katy O’Donnell is now Senior Editor at Nation Books.

Lauren Costello has been promoted to Assistant Editor for Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Lena Moses-Schmitt is now Publicity Manager for Catapult, Counterpoint, and Soft Skull.

At Scott Manning & Associates, Abigail Welhouse has been promoted to Publicity Manager.

DULY NOTED

Arcadia Publishing has been bought by Lezen Acquisition, the investment group led by Michael Lynton and his sister Lily Lynton. Lezen indicates that this is the first of a proposed series of book publishing acquisitions. David Steinberger, former Perseus Books CEO, will lead the new company as CEO and Michael Lynton will serve as nonexecutive chairman. Arcadia was represented in sale by David Lamb and Susan Reich at Book Advisors and Jonathan Nowell at Jonathan Nowell & Co.

IPG has announced ten new distribution clients. IPG distributes Shinola beginning May 1. Trafalgar Square will distribute Baker Street Press, Debrett’s, Hawthorn Press, Perronet Press, and St. James’s House beginning July 1 and has already begun distribution of Gilgamesh Publishing (in the US and Canada) and Lost the Plot. IPG’s Academic and Professional program began distributing J. Ross Publishing on May 1 and will begin distributing Massey University Press on July 1.