People Round-Up, Early November 2019

PEOPLE

Anne Messitte, EVP at Knopf Doubleday and Vintage/Anchor, will depart the company in December “amid a company restructuring,” reports the AP. Suzanne Herz, EVP, Executive Director of Publishing at Doubleday, will expand her role to succeed Messitte as Publisher of Vintage/Anchor. At Penguin Books, Kathryn Court, who has served as President and Publisher since 2000, is retiring after forty-two years. Succeeding her in January 2020 is Brian Tart, President and Publisher of Viking Books. Anuja Palkar, formerly Director of Analytic Insights and Strategy at Young and Rubicam, has been named to the newly-created position of Director of Consumer Insights at Penguin Publishing Group. At Viking Children’s, Jenny Bak joins as Executive Editor; she had most recently been Editorial Director at Jimmy Patterson. Sarah Thegeby, formerly Publicist at Thames & Hudson, joins Dutton as Senior Publicist. At Sasquatch Books, Alicia Terry, formerly Assistant Designer at Penguin Random House Children’s, joins as Designer. Caitlin Whalen joins Random House Children’s as Manager, Consumer and Educator Shows; she had been Assistant Marketing Manager at Penguin Children’s.

Former Flatiron Editorial Director Noah Eaker will join HarperCollins as VP, Executive Editor on December 2. Rachel Bressler joins Harlequin Trade Publishing as VP, Associate Publisher, Adult. And Annabelle Saks joins Harper Children’s as Director, Media; she had been Senior Scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates.

Megan Lynch joins Flatiron Books as SVP, Publisher, having worked previously as VP, Editorial Director at Ecco. Sheila O’Shea joins Farrar, Straus & Giroux as SVP, Director of Marketing and Publicity on November 18. She was most recently Executive Director Marketing Communications at Hearst and formerly Director of Public Relations for Digital Initiatives at Penguin Random House. Also on November 18, David Briggs will join Macmillan Children’s as VP, Managing and Production Editorial; most recently he was VP, Executive Managing Editor at Penguin Children’s. Claire McLaughlin also joins Flatiron as Publicist. At Celadon Books, Jennifer Jackson, lately VP, Content Strategy at Open Road Integrated Media, joins as Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, while Rebecca Ritchey joins as Social Media Manager. James Melia, lately Editor at Flatiron, joins Henry Holt as Senior Editor. At Nightfire, Jordan Hanley, lately Marketing Manager at St. Martin’s Press, assumes that same title.

On December 1, Elisabeth Scharlatt will retire as Publisher of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Betsy Gleick, Editorial Director for Workman, has been promoted to fill her position.

Allison Hill has been named the next CEO of the American Booksellers Association, effective March 1, 2020. She succeeds Oren Teicher, who officially stepped down on November 1 but who will assist in the transition through December.

Marji Ross is retiring from Regnery Publishing on January 1, 2020. Tom Spence will assume her title as President and Publisher on that date.

At Hachette Nashville, Daisy Blackwell Hutton becomes VP and Publisher, replacing the retiring Rolf Zettersten. She previously held that title at HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Junessa Viloria, lately Senior Editor at Crooked Lane’s new Alcove Press imprint, joins Forever as Editor.

Rick Pascocello, formerly Agent at Glass Literary Management and previously at Penguin, joins Simon & Schuster as VP, Director of Advertising and Creative Services. Joanna Pinsker joins Atria as Deputy Director of Publicity; she had been Publicity Director at Hachette. At Simon & Schuster Children’s, Shivani Annirood joins as Associate Publicist. Bianca Salvant joins Gallery as Marketing Manager. Finally, Navah Wolfe has left Saga Press, effective immediately. She will work as Acquiring Editor for Subterranean Press on a freelance basis.

Lynn Grady joins Princeton Architectural Press as Publisher. She was most recently Deputy Publisher at William Morrow and Publisher of Dey Street Books.

At the Museum of Modern Art, Curtis R. Scott, previously Associate Director for Publishing and Communications at Princeton University Art Museum, joins as Associate Publisher.

Meaghan Finnerty joins as Senior Marketing Director for Scholastic Graphix, Scholastic Picture Books, Scholastic Branches, and Scholastic Acorn. She was most recently Director of Early Reader and Middle Grade Marketing at HarperCollins Children’s Books. Shifa Kapadwala, lately Publicity Manager at the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, joins Scholastic Trade as Global Brand Publicity Manager. Zakiya Jamal joins Scholastic as Social Media Manager, while Sabrina Montenigro joins as Coordinator, School & Library Marketing. Montenigro was previously Bookshop Manager for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Sydney Tillman, lately Publicist at Random House Children’s Books, joins Scholastic in the same capacity. Nica Carrillo is departing her role as Marketing and Sales Manager, effective November 15. Additionally, Maria Merchado joins the company as Designer for the Branches and Acorn lines.

Bernadette Baillie joins ReaderLink as Marketing Director of Publishers Row Publishing Group. She was previously VP, Marketing at The Knot.

At Shambhala Publications, Elina Vaysbeyn joins as Sales & Marketing Director. She was previously Associate Marketing Director at Dutton.

At Abrams, Brenda Angelilli joins as Associate Art Director, Children’s Books and Abrams ComicArts. She had been Art Manager at HarperCollins Children’s Books.

In agency news…Trevor Ketner, Publisher and Founder of Skull + Wind Press, joins Ladderbird Literary Agency as Agent, as do Kianna Shore and Leah Pierre. At the Tuesday Agency, Rachel Yoder, Literary Programming Director for the Mission Creek Festival, joins as Senior Agent. At Idea Architects, Rachel Neumann, formerly Associate Publisher at Shambhala Publications, joins as Director of Strategic Initiatives, Executive Editor, and Literary Agent on December 1.

David Unowsky, formerly Owner, CEO, and COO at Hungry Mind/Ruminator, joins Mayo Clinic Books as Bookstore Liaison.

At Stanford University Press, Erica Wetter joins as Executive Editor for Literature, Philosophy, and Religion. She worked previously as Publisher, Media Studies at Routledge.

Marit Swanson joins Coffee House Press as Marketing and Sales Manager. Previously she was Marketing Coordinator for Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.

At Sourcebooks, Cari Zwolinski joins as Sales Coordinator; Viridiana Contreras joins as Graphic Designer; and Lauren McClearn joins as Data Associate. Anthony DeLuca joins as Staff Accountant.

Kate Hensley, formerly Publicist and Scholarly Books Marketing Manager at MIT Press, joins Princeton University Press as Publicist.

At Rowman & Littlefield, Brittany Myrick and Jerrel Phillips join as Assistant Marketing Managers.

PROMOTIONS

Nihar Malaviya has been promoted to President of Penguin Random House US, while Annette Danek becomes EVP, Supply Chain. Additionally, Danek and Jeff Abraham have both been appointed to the Penguin Random House US Board of Directors. At Penguin Books, Patrick Nolan is now VP, Deputy Publisher. At Penguin Random House Audio, Sarah Jaffe becomes Executive Producer; Karen Dziekonski, Director of Audio Production; Ok Hee Kolwitz, Director of Post-Production and Technology; Julie Wilson, Senior Manager of Digital Production Platforms; Kelly Gildea, Senior Manager of Creative Partnership Development; and Simon Katz, Associate Manager for Post-Production. Nicole Counts moves up to become Senior Editor at One World. At Penguin Press, Christopher Richards and Will Heyward have been promoted to Senior Editor. Tim O’Connell moves over to Knopf as Senior Editor. At Penguin Random House Children’s Books, Polo Orozco is now Assistant Editor.

Sara Hinckley has been promoted to SVP, Books at Hudson Group.

At William Morrow, Kelly Rudolph is now VP, Publicity. Jim Hanas has been promoted to Senior Director of Digital Sales and Marketing at HarperCollins.

At Highlights for Children, Michael Eisenberg is now VP, Publisher and Mary-Alice Moore is now EVP, Business Strategy and Product Development.

Eileen Rothschild has been promoted to Associate Publisher at Wednesday Books.

Michael McKenzie moves up to become Associate Publisher at Algonquin Books and Algonquin Young Readers.

Andi Landes is now Director, Publishing Operations and Inventory Management at Readerlink. Roger Ramsey has been promoted to Senior Director of Process Improvement, Inventory.

At Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Nick Sciacca has been promoted to Art Director for Design and Technology. Greg Stadnyk is now Associate Art Director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Margaret K. McElderry, and Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Reka Simonsen is now Editorial Director at Atheneum, while Alex Borbolla has become Associate Editor at Atheneum and Caitlin Dlouhy Books. At Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Paula Wiseman Books, Chloe Foglia becomes Art Director and Jenica Nasworthy becomes Senior Marketing Editor. At Gallery Books, Jessica Roth becomes Associate Director of Publicity; Eliza Hanson, Publishing Manager; Michelle Podberezniak, Senior Publicist; and Anabel Jimenez, Social Media Associate. Lisa Rao is now Executive Editor at Simon Spotlight, where Beth Barton also becomes Senior Editor. At Simon Pulse, Nicole Ellul and Sarah McCabe both become Senior Editors, and Elizabeth Mims is now Assistant Production Editor at Simon Pulse and Aladdin. At Simon & Schuster, a number of promotions: Sean Manning becomes Executive Editor, while Elizabeth Breeden moves up to Senior Marketing Manager; Karen Fink moves up to Field Account Manager; Lauren Castner becomes Manager, Special Markets; Alexis Minieri moves up to Assistant Manager, Desktop Publishing; Taylor Kwok becomes Coordinator, Special Markets; and Henna Cho becomes Sales Associate, Digital and Online Sales. Additionally, Cindy Kei becomes Subsidiary Rights Associate while Nicole Hines becomes Associate Marketing Manager and Rebecca Suss becomes Associate Manager, Corporate Communications.

Laura Bardolph Hubers becomes Director of Marketing and Publicity at Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

At Klutz, Jacob Kessler is now Manufacturing Planning Associate Director and Sam Walker is now Manufacturing Planning Manager.

At Beacon Press, Caitlin Meyer has been promoted to Associate Publicity Director.

In agency news…Ashley Valentine moves up to become Art Manager at Pippin Properties.

Kyle Pigoni and Tracy Christenson are now Senior Marketing Managers at Amazon Publishing.

At Chronicle Books, Leslie Cohen has been promoted to Senior Production Manager, Production Services.

At Abrams, Trish McNamara O’Neill is now Senior Manager of Digital and Social Media Marketing, Children’s.

Batya Rosenblum becomes Senior Editor at The Experiment.

Taylor Maccoux becomes Associate Editor at Sourcebooks, and Becca Veys becomes Assistant Editor at Sourcebooks Wonderland.

At Basic Books, Kait Howard is now Publicity Manager.

Alaina Lavoie has been promoted to Communications Manager at We Need Diverse Books.

At the University of California Press, Archna Patel has been promoted to Assistant Editor.

Hope Levy is now Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press.

DULY NOTED

Consortium Book Sales & Distributions has added six new publishers, effective with the Spring 2020 season: Black Dog Press (and its sister, Artifice Press); Bloodaxe Books; Blue Dot Kids Press; Buño Books; Inhabit Education Books; and Street Noise Books.

Additionally, Independent Publishers Group has added eleven new publishers to its distribution programs. Health Administration Press joins the academic and professional program, while Trafalgar Square Publishing, IPG’s international division, adds G2 Entertainment, The Indigo Press, and Scandinavia Publishing House. In January, Trafalgar Square Publishing will become the official vendor of record in the US and Canada for Wacky Bee Books, Duckbill Books, and Trigger Publishing. IPG has added Elva Resa Publishing and Vesuvian Media Group. Midpoint Trade Books has added Dram Good Books. And IPG Art began distribution of Royal Collins Publishing Group.

In other distribution news…Beginning November 1, Simon & Schuster handles sales and distribution to markets and territories in North America for Oneworld Publications. Andrews McMeel Publishing will print and distribute Abrams’s calendar program beginning with the 2021 calendar season, publishing July 2020. And effective immediately, Casemate Digital handles global ebook distribution for Imperial War Museums Publishing.

Beginning January 1, 2020, Ampersand will handle book sales in Canada for Baker & Taylor Publisher Services.

The publishing arm of the Wharton School has changed its name from Wharton Digital Press to Wharton School Press.

Hachette Books will launch its new self-improvement imprint, Hachette Go, in March, aiming to publish 30 to 35 titles a year. Hachette Go will incorporate all Da Capo Lifelong and Da Capo Press titles, completing an integration begun last year.

Princeton University Press announced an exclusive licensing agreement with RBmedia to publish 120+ audiobooks over the next three years. The PUP audio division launched a year ago.

Inked Entertainment likewise announced a two-year first-look audio deal with Dreamscape Media.

Due to the environmental impact of paper waste, Patagonia Books will no longer print ARCs and will rely on advance digital reader copies instead.

Aevitas Creative Management is expanding to the UK, joining with Toby Mundy Associates to form ACM UK Limited. Mundy will serve as Chairman and CEO.