Publishing Trends

PEOPLE

Simon & Schuster announced that former executive Dawn Davis will return to the publishing house as senior v-p and publisher of 37 Ink and executive editor of the S&S trade imprint. Davis moves to S&S from Condé Nast, where since 2020 she has been editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious. At Scribner, Kassandra Rhoads has joined as a publicist. She was previously associate publicist at the Simon & Schuster imprint.

Jack Jensen, who has been with Chronicle Books for 46 years, will step down from his position as President of the McEvoy Group this month and will take the role of chair of the McEvoy Group advisory board.  He will continue to serve on the board of Abrams & Chronicle Books in the UK, which has a distribution partnership.

 Ginee Seo, executive publishing director for children’s books, is departing the company to “pursue a career in writing and editing and to spend more time with family.” Chronicle’s founding children’s publisher Victoria Rock will lead the division until a successor is named.

Clare Maurer has joined Simon Element and Marysue Rucci Books as publicity manager. She was previously senior publicist at Scribner.

In agenting news, Agent Sara Crowe has founded Sara Crowe Literary. She was previously a senior agent at Pippin Properties for seven years.  At Folio Literary Management, Jenna Land Free has joined as an affiliated literary agent. She was previously an agent at Ross Yoon Agency.

Adria Goetz has joined KT Literary as senior agent and illustration coordinator, seeking picture books (especially by author-illustrators), middle grade fiction, graphic novels, and adult fiction—particularly rom coms, thrillers, and upmarket fiction. Arley Sorg has joined as associate agent, primarily interested in adult speculative titles, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror with speculative/fantastic elements, literary speculative fiction, and climate fiction.  Founded in 1999, Julie Burton Agency has been acquired by Watson, Little. Juliet Burton joins Watson, Little as consultant, helping to transition her 25 clients.

At Kevin Anderson & Associates, Jaime Levine has joined as executive editor specializing in science fiction and fantasy. She was previously a senior editor at William Morrow.

Dani Sanchez, owner of Wildfire Marketing Solutions, has joined SBR Media Literary Agency as a junior agent.

Book editor Laurie Hertzel has retired from Minneapolis Star-Tribune after 15 years in the position.

At Naval Institute Press, Sam Caggiula has joined as publicity manager. Caggiula previously worked at Casemate, Skyhorse, and Running Press.

Jen Newens has joined Martin Literary & Media Management as senior literary manager, representing primarily picture books, middle grade, young adult and graphic novels, as well as adult food and drink. She was most recently publishing director of West Margin Press.

Michael Pintauro joins Trident Media Group as digital media and marketing manager. He was most recently director of marketing at Bay Street Theater.

Aram Fox joined Massie & McQuilkin. He was previously at YMU Group’s U.S literary division and Aram Fox Literary Scouting. 

Annie Stone and Stephanie Beard are joining Podium as directors of acquisition, reporting to Kate Runde, vice president, acquisitions. Stone was most recently director of content acquisitions for Yonder. Beard previously led the rights department at Sourcebooks.

PROMOTIONS

At Sourcebooks, Tiffany Schultz has been promoted to marketing manager. Megan O’Brien, Peter Racenis, Rachael Renner, and Anthony Perez have been promoted to customer experience representative II. Anthony Feliciano has been promoted to systems analyst II. Darren Orange has been promoted to senior systems developer. Anthony DeLuca has been promoted to senior staff accountant.

Stephen King is being promoted to managing director of Hardie Grant Publishing UK and US, adding oversight on the development of the Hardie Grant Books North America imprint which launches this fall. The publishing director of the Quadrille imprint Sarah Lavelle will also take on new responsibility, becoming managing director, publishing, Hardie Grant UK. Both promotions are effective as of July 1.

At Macmillan Speaker’s Bureau, Colleen Osborne has been promoted to assistant director. Samia Fakih has been promoted to associate editor at Macmillan Children’s.

Gianna Lakenauth has been promoted to associate editor at Knopf Children’s.

Gina Iaquinta has been promoted to senior editor at Liverlight. 

At Candlewick Press, Stephanie Pando has been promoted to publicist. Hayley Parker has been promoted to senior designer.

Alison Romig has been promoted to associate editor at Delacorte Press.

At Soho Press, Taz Urnov has been promoted to associate editor.

At Renaissance Literary & Talent, Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen has been promoted to associate agent.

Marin Takikawa has been promoted to associate agent at The Friedrich Agency.

At Phaidon, Alex Coumbis has been promoted to publicity director, North America. Sarah Chester is named director of special markets and retail sales. Sierra Cortner has been promoted to senior content marketing manager. Tessa Houstoun has been promoted to marketing manager, North America. Ruby Modell is promoted to national sales manager.

Eric Showers has been promoted to agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. 

At Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink, Elyse Vincenty has been promoted to marketing manager, trade.

DULY NOTED

Publishers Marketplace notes that, following voluntary buyout offers from Hachette Book Group (to employees over 50) and HarperCollins (to employees with more than 25 years of service) earlier this year, Penguin Random House announced internally their own voluntary separation offering, available to employees who will be 60 or older as of the end of the year, and have 15 years of service or more. Eligible employees have until June 15 to take the offer.

Penguin Random House has acquired the publishing assets of Callisto Media, in a deal led (and announced) by their partner Sourcebooks, which will manage the Callisto catalog and publishing program.

Founder and publisher/editor-in-chief of Harper San Francisco (now Harper One), Clayton Carlson, 83, died at home on April 20. Carlson led the relocation of the Harper & Row religion, philosophy and psychology departments from New York to San Francisco in 1976. 

Hachette Book Group’s sci-fi/fantasy division Orbit will launch the digital imprint Orbit Works.

Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of the 1981 blockbuster When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and 15 other titles that comforted and encouraged readers in their times of grief, suffering, doubt and fear, died in Canton, Mass. He was 88.

EVENTS

April 27-May 15
Buenos Aires Book Fair
Buenos Aires, Argentina

May 3-14
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
Sharjah, UAE

May 22-25
U.S Book Show
New York, NY

May 25-28
Warsaw International Book Fair
Warsaw, Poland

May 22-28
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

May 25-June 4
Hay Festival Wales
Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales