People Round-Up, Mid-June 2019

PEOPLE

Lauren Wein is joining the Simon & Schuster imprint Avid Reader Press as Editorial Director on June 24. She has been working as Executive Editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Morgan Hoit also joins the imprint as Associate Marketing Manager; most recently, she was Associate at Jill Furman Productions. Leslie Mechanic, formerly Senior Designer at Penguin Random House, joins S&S as Associate Art Director. Shannon Grant joins as Field Sales Account Manager, moving over from her previous position as Senior Children’s Book Buyer at Books Inc., and Melissa Hurt, previously Sales Support Coordinator for Special Markets at HarperCollins, joins as Telesales Manager. Janice Potter, Senior Contracts Director, has retired.

Dana Renert joins Hachette Book Group as VP of Supply Chain. Most recently she was VP, US Supply Chain Operations at Sony Music Entertainment. At Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Marisa Russell joins as Executive Director, Publicity, effective June 24. She has most recently worked as Publicity Director for Penguin Young Readers.

At Scholastic, Erin Berger has been named SVP, Marketing. She joins from Penguin Young Readers, where she was VP and Creative Marketing Director.

At Macmillan, Tim Greco joins as VP, Field Sales and Publisher Liaison; he was most recently VP, Online, Digital, Clubs, and Mass Merchandise Sales at DK.

At Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Tom Kruse joins as Head of Store Sales and Operations; he had been Regional VP at Francesca’s. Randy Egolf, formerly Senior HR Manager, Learning Design & Development at Alliance Data, joins as VP of Human Resources.

At Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, Michael Cashin has retired from his position as VP, Publisher Services.

Bob Durgy has joined BR Printers as SVP, Business Development. He was previously VP of Sales and Marketing at Thomson Shore.

Lisa Erickson, previously Associate Director of Marketing at Crown, Hogarth, Tim Duggan Books, and Broadway Books, joins Harper Perennial and Harper Paperbacks as Marketing Director. Rosanne Romanello is leaving her role as Associate Director of Publicity at HarperCollins Children’s Books and can be reached at Ro@RoRomanelloPR.com.

Effective July 1, Sue Berger Ramin joins Brandeis University Press as Director. She was formerly Associate Publisher at David R. Godine.

At Sourcebooks, Kim Gray, formerly VP of Sales and Marketing at Studio Fun International, joins as Director of Sales for Mass and Special Markets. Molly Cusick, formerly Senior Literary Scout at Mary Anne Thompson Associates, joins as Editor for Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Sourcebooks Young Readers, and Sourcebooks Fire. Kandi Rich joins as Graphic Designer. Mahima Manchanda joins as Customer Service Lead, and Samantha Chmara joins as Customer Service Representative.

Kathy Wiess joins Europa Editions as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development. Most recently she was Senior Sales Director at Springer Publishing Company.

At Humanoids, Ailen Lujo joins as Director of Sales & Marketing. She was previously Director of Books Marketing at DC Comics.

At the newly-formed Levine Querido, Alex Hernandez – lately Associate Publicist at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group – joins as Publicity Director.

Following the departures of Publisher Dayna Anderson and Managing Editor Cassandra Farrin, Amberjack Publishing has named Justin Mitson Publishing Director. Mitson, the author of eight books, was previously Senior Manager at Micron Technology.

Claiborne Smith is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of Kirkus Reviews to pursue his own writing and continue developing the San Antonio Book Festival, where he will become Literary Director on July 1. His position will be filled by Tom Beer, formerly Books Editor at Newsday.

In agency news…Neil Olson has joined Massie & McQuilkin. He had been Principal at Donadio & Olson, which underwent bankruptcy liquidation last year following significant embezzlement by the agency’s bookkeeper, Darin Webb. Patrice Caldwell is joining Howard Morhaim Literary Agency as Agent, departing her previous role as Associate Editor at Disney-Hyperion. Caldwell is the founder of People of Color in Publishing. At Aevitas Creative Management, Jon Michael Darga joins as Agent; he was formerly Assistant Editor at Crown.

At the National Book Foundation, Natalie Green joins as Public Programs Manager. She was previously Manager, Los Angeles Programs at PEN America.

Molly Koecher, previously VP and General Manager at Sunrise River Press, Specialty Press, and CarTech Auto Books, joins Longleaf Services as Operations Manager.

Shannon Donnelly joins Diversion Books as Marketing Manager, moving over from that role at Macmillan.

At Callisto Media, Larissa Helena, formerly Subsidiary Rights Manager and Literary Agent at Pippin Properties, joins as Foreign Rights Manager. Claire Yee, formerly Editorial Coordinator at McGraw-Hill, joins as Associate Editor.

Kara Rota has joined Chicago Review Press as Senior Editor; she previously held that title at St. Martin’s Press.

Evelyn Furuta joins Chronicle Books as Designer, Entertainment. She was formerly Graphic Designer at Insight Editions.

PROMOTIONS

Veronica Moss moves up to become CEO of Goodreads following the departures of co-founders Elizabeth Khuri Chandler and Otis Chandler.

At Ingram Content Group, Steve Marshall is now CIO.

At Penguin Random House Publisher Services, Rachel Goldstein has been named SVP, Client Relations, Finance, and Strategy; Chuck Errig becomes VP, Executive Director of Client Sales and Strategy; and Scott Gould becomes Senior Manager of Business Development. At Sasquatch Books, Jenny Abrami has been promoted to VP, Sales and Strategy and Liza Brice-Dahmen has been promoted to VP, Production, while Daniel Germain moves up to Associate Editor. At Random House Children’s Books, Elizabeth Ward becomes Director of Digital Strategy; Alison Folino, Executive Managing Producer; Kristin Schulz, Senior Marketing Manager; Jules Kelly, Marketing Manager; Michael Caiati, Senior Marketing Designer; and both Xiomara Nieves and Melanie Bermudez, Senior Designer. Nicole Counts is now Editor and Publishing Manager at One World. At Viking, Georgia Bodnar has been promoted to Editor and Amy Sun becomes Associate Editor. Jeramie Orton is now Associate Editor at Pamela Dorman Books.

Steve Tager has become SVP, Strategic Development and Business Analytics at Abrams. Melanie Chang is now SVP, Marketing and Publicity for both the children’s and adult programs.

At ReaderLink, Corey Berger has been promoted to SVP, Marketing and Procurement and Kristin Bartelme has been promoted to VP, Publisher Relations and Marketing.

Doug Stambaugh is now VP, Director of Strategic Operations and Business Development at Simon & Schuster. Stephanie Calman moves up to Associate National Account Manager. Allison Stegeland has been promoted to International Sales Manager, and Gabrielle Greco is now Telesales Manager.

At Macmillan, Malati Chavali has become VP, Publishing Strategy Operations. Holly Ruck has been promoted to Director, Field Sales. At Henry Holt & Company, Madeline Jones is now Associate Editor.

Ann Dye moves up to Senior Director, Marketing at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where Audrey Diestelkamp has become Associate Director, Marketing. At Harlequin Audio, Christine Tsai has become Senior Manager, Subsidiary Rights.

At Little, Brown and Company, Erinn McGrath has been promoted to Director of Publicity and Marketing, James Patterson. Elora Weil has been promoted to Associate Publicist. At Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Siena Koncsol is now Associate Director, Publicity and Kristen Bianco is now Associate Publicist.

Jennifer Chan is now Marketing Director at Fantagraphics.

At Granta, Bella Lacey formally assumes the title of Publishing Director, while Laura Barber moves up to Deputy Publishing Director for Granta Books and Rachael Allen becomes Poetry Editor for Granta Books and for the magazine. Anne Meadows is now Senior Commissioning Editor.

In agency news…Erin Casey has been promoted to Associate Agent at Gallt and Zacker. Stephanie Winter moves up to Associate Agent at P.S. Literary Agency.

At Workman Publishing, Mary Rose Amoresano has been promoted to Assistant Manager, Mass and Club Sales.

Megan Manzano has been promoted to Associate Channel Manager, Retail/Professional at Rowman & Littlefield.

Alison Behnke moves up to Executive Editor at Free Spirit Publishing, while Christine Zuchora-Walske moves up to Editorial Manager.

At McGraw-Hill, Cheryl Segura (formerly Cheryl Ringer) has been promoted to Senior Editor.

Both Michelle Budzilowicz and Marlo Scrimizzi have been promoted to Senior Editor at Highlights Press. Christy Thomas moves up to Assistant Editor.

John Glynn is now Senior Editor at Hanover Square Press.

Caitlin Kirkpatrick is now Art Editor at Chronicle Books.

At Catapult, Leigh Newman has been promoted to Editor.

At NetGalley, Nina Berman has been promoted to Associate Editor and Communications Coordinator, while Katie Versluis has been promoted to Sales Associate.

Gina Iaquinta has been promoted to Associate Editor at Liveright/W.W. Norton.

At Alloy Entertainment, Laura Barbiea has been promoted to Associate Editor.

Harley Salbacka has been promoted to Sales Representative at Humanoids.

DULY NOTED

Simon & Schuster has added an array of distribution clients, including, effective September 1, Mrs Wordsmith (US & Canada); October 1, Tanglewood Publishing (worldwide); and November 1, Waterhouse Press (worldwide).

In other distribution news, Two Rivers Distribution announced the addition of five new clients, effective August 2019: Justice Studios, Hamilcar Publications, Starry Forest, Reverte Management, and The Infatuation Inc./Zagat.

The new illustrated imprint announced by Little, Brown last fall, led by Editorial Director Michael Szczerban, now has a name: Voracious. It launches this fall.

RealClear Media Group, the parent company of RealClearPolitics, has announced the launch of a new-model book publishing imprint that “aims to diversify and disrupt the existing market for political books.” RealClearBooks will be a joint venture with Gotham Ghostwriters and Amplify Publishing, and its kickoff title will be Contract to Unite America by Neal Simon.

Rachel Hecht Children’s Scouting and Baker Literary Scouting have been appointed as children’s and adult scouts, respectively, for Hungary’s Alexandra Group, including its Európa, Alexandra, Cartaphilus, Pioneer Books, and L&L imprints.