Publishing Trends

PEOPLE

Simon & Schuster announced that CEO Jonathan Karp will step down from his role as CEO. Karp will remain with S&S and will become the publisher of a new imprint, Simon Six. Karp will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer while a search is conducted for his successor. Also at S&S,  Tiffany Gonzalez is joining as an independent retail marketing manager. She was formerly marketing manager and event coordinator at Books Are Magic. At Scribner, John Mark Boling will join as associate director of publicity. Most recently, he was senior publicity manager at Grove Atlantic.

   

Scholastic announced the planned retirement of Chicken House Publishing Ltd founding directors: Barry Cunningham OBE, Publisher and Managing Director, along with Deputy Managing Director Rachel Hickman and Rights Director Elinor Bagenal. The founding directors will together step down on 31st December 2025 and transition leadership to the newly appointed Publisher, Rachel Leyshon, effective 1st January 2026.  In the U.S. Cindy Loh has joined as VP & Publisher overseeing picture books (Scholastic Press, Orchard), novelty (Cartwheel), Spanish, and Little Shepherd. She was most recently publisher at Ameet Publishing.

 

At Penguin Random House, Emily Botica has joined as director, client sales, Penguin Random House Publisher Services. Kranthi Palakolanu has joined as developer, SAP, information technology. Liz Palumbo has joined as production editor on the corporate bookmaking, RHPG production editorial team. Adam Haibach has joined as associate production editor on the corporate bookmaking, PPG adult production editorial black team.  Christopher Metts has joined as associate marketing manager at Pantheon,.  At Penguin Random House Children’s Books, Stephanie Sumulong has joined as senior designer. She was previously senior designer at Disney Publishing Worldwide.

 

At Hachette, Shawn Abraham joined as VP of International. Over the past six years, he has built and led the international sales team at Sourcebooks. At Union Square, Erica Gelbard has joined as executive director of publicity.

 

At Macmillan, Samantha Knoerzer has joined Odd Dot as assistant editor. Christina Mineses has joined as SVP of finance operations. Meg Miguelino has joined as senior director for Barnes & Noble sales. Aysha Martinez has joined as senior manager of royalties operations. Daniel Lozano has joined as senior finance analyst. Christopher Lee has joined as VP of treasury. Diane Chatlani has joined as VP of inventory planning and supply chain. Gregory Borah has joined as lead Snowflake database administrator. Hancine Mok has joined as a contracts assistant. Meg Miguelino joined as senior director, B&N sales. Christina Mineses joined as SVP of finance operations. Diane Chatlani joined as VP of inventory planning and supply chain. Christopher Lee joined as VP of treasury. Gregory Borah recently joined as lead Snowflake DBA, data engineering, and technology. Daniel Lozano joined as senior analyst in finance. Aysha Martinez joined as senior manager, royalties operations. At Tor Publishing Group, Maxine Charles has joined as associate editor. She was previously at Flatiron Books. At Macmillan Children’s, Audrey Diestelkamp has joined as executive director of marketing. She was previously senior director of marketing at Harper Collins Children’s. 

 

At Getty Publications, Nina Weiner has joined as editor-in-chief. She was formerly editor-in-chief at Mayo Clinic Press. 

 

At Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Katie Burns has joined as art director. Lauren Cohn joined as marketing associate. Christopher Metts joins as associate marketing manager for Pantheon.

 

At Sourcebooks, Stephanie Pando has joined as publicist. Kristen Nelson has joined as associate editor – nonfiction. Hannah Son has joined Sourcebooks Kids as editorial assistant. Jackie Barba has joined as editorial assistant for Sourcebooks Landmark. Jaelyn Sutton has joined as publicity assistant for Sourcebooks Casablanca & Bloom Books. Renata Sweeney has joined as director of online marketing, audience development.

 

At Abrams, Lindsey Macarther has joined as manager, school & library sales. 

 

At Bloomsbury Academic, Debbie Gershenowitz has joined as editorial director. She was formerly executive editor at the University of North Carolina Press.  She succeeds Charles Harmon, who will retire on September 9th. 

 

At Fortier Public Relations, Brooke Parsons has joined as an assistant director of publicity. She was previously at Public Affairs.

 

At Chooseco, Samantha Ferguson joins as director of sales. Ferguson was most recently associate director of gift and specialty sales at Quarto.

 

At Sarabande Books, Michelle Malonzo has joined as director of marketing and sales. Michelle can be contacted at michelle@sarabandebooks.org.

 

At ReaderLink, Alexandra Rauchfuss has joined as demand planner I. Matthew Lowe has joined as senior SQL server database administrator.

 

At Blackstone, Emily Afifi has joined as a publicist.

 

At Indiana University Press, Heather Lengyel has joined as rights & permissions manager. 

 

At Lonely Planet, Nicole Valdez has joined as senior publicity manager.

 

At Ave Maria Press, Katie Meads has joined as acquisitions editor.

 

At Independent Book Publishers Association, Renita Bryant has been elected board chair. 

 

At Eccles Fisher Associates, Jana-Maria Hartmann has joined as senior US scout.

 

At Entangle Amara, Sarah Rifield has joined as publicity assistant. She was formerly events coordinator at Park Books.

 

At Skip/Lip Press, Maggie Boyd Hare joins as creative director. Abigail Oswald becomes editor of the Lost/Found imprint.

 

At Kogan Page, Theresa Personna has been promoted to senior marketing and publicity specialist.

 

At New Wave Press, Ryan Leslie has joined as strategic advisor.

 

At Ploughshares, Hanif Abdurraqib has been named the first-ever nonfiction editor at the literary journal.

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In Agency News…

At The Caldwell Agency, Frannie Dove has joined as literary agent. She was previously at Fritz Heinzen Literary Agency. Victoria Harris has joined as literary agent. They were previously at Oxford University Press. Darryl Oliver has joined as literary agent. He was previously an editor at Random House. Nour Sallam has joined as literary agent. She was previously at P.S. Literary Agency. 

 

At Wendy Sherman Associates, CeCe Lyra has joined as an agent. She was previously an agent at P.S. Literary. Cherise Fisher has been named vice president as the agency celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary.

 

At Corvisiero Literary Agency, Alisha West has joined as associate agent.

 

At WLA Books, Barry Harbaugh joins as an agent. He was previously executive editor at Spiegel & Grau.

 

At Spencerhill Associates Literary Agency, Ciara Smith has joined as associate literary agent. She was previously at Corvisiero Literary Agency. 

 

At Neighborhood Literary, Aashna Avachat joins as agent.

 

At Watermark Agency, Lynn Grady joins as vice president and agent based in New York City. She was previously SVP and deputy publisher at William Morrow. Pete Mulvihill joins as agent based in San Francisco. He is also the co-owner of Green Apple Books. Lily McMahon joins as literary associate based in San Francisco. McMahon was most recently an assistant editor at Bloomsbury UK.

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PROMOTIONS

At PRH Corporate Bookmaking, Madeline Rohlin has been promoted to associate production director, supporting Penguin Publishing Group. Heather Haase has been promoted to associate managing editor, supporting Penguin Publishing Group. Gunjal Patel has been promoted to managing editor, supporting Penguin Young Readers. Liz Eno has been promoted to assistant director of art and design, supporting Random House Publishing Group and PRH Christian Publishing. Diane Hobbing has been promoted to assistant director of art and design. Aly D’Amato has been promoted to executive managing editor. Nathalie Mairena has been promoted to production associate. Chanler Harris has been promoted to production associate. Ali Wagner has been promoted to senior production associate. At Knopf Double Day Publishing, Su-Yee Lin had been promoted to managing editor for Everyman’s Library. Billie Nelson has been promoted to finance manager for Double Day and Pantheon. At Avery Books and Tarcher, Abby Stubenhofer is being promoted to senior marketing associate. Carla Iannone is being promoted to senior marketing manager. Viviana Moreno is being promoted to publicist. 

 

At Penguin Random House Children’s Books, Alice Moye-Honeyman has been promoted to junior production designer. Alice Moye-Honeyman has been promoted to junior production designer in art/design.

 

At Harper Collins, Tess Day has been promoted to assistant director of publicity. Kasey Feather has been promoted to assistant director of marketing. Rachel Berquist has been promoted to assistant director of marketing. Jen McGuire has been promoted to marketing manager. Samantha Larrabee has been promoted to marketing and publicity manager. Michelle Lecumberry has been promoted to senior marketing manager. Ellie Anderson has been promoted to senior publicist. Allie Johnston has been promoted to associate editor. Alexandra Bessette has been promoted to assistant editor. Grace Vainisi has been promoted to assistant editor. At Mira Books, Emma Cole has joined as editor. She was formerly editor at Harlequin Intrigue. 

 

At William Morrow, Kasey Feather are promoted to assistant director of marketing. Tess Day is promoted to assistant director of publicity. Ellie Anderson is promoted to senior publicist. Michelle Lecumberry is promoted to senior marketing manager. Samantha Larrabee is promoted to marketing & publicity manager. Jen McGuire is promoted to marketing manager. Allie Johnston is promoted to associate editor. Grace Vainisi and Alexandra Bessette are promoted to assistant editor.

 

At Sourcebooks, Jay Farahani has been promoted to senior developer, external systems & integration. Cindy Cozzi has been promoted to royalties accounting specialist. Sophia Ellinas has been promoted to assistant editor. Letty Mundt has been promoted to publishing coordinator for Bloom Books.  

 

At Candlewick, Holiday House, and Peachtree, Saskia den Boon has been promoted to marketing coordinator for school and library.

 

At Augsburg Fortress, Andrew DeYoung will become president and CEO, effective September 1. DeYoung will succeed Tim Blevins, who will retire on August 31, after more than two decades at the company.

 

At Chooseco, Lizzi Middleman has been promoted to associate publisher. 

 

At Bookshop, Daniel Berkowitz has been promoted to VP of ad sales.

 

At Cave Henricks Communications, Besty DeJesu has been promoted to publicity director. 

 

At Zietgiest, Ada Fung has been promoted to senior editor.

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DULY NOTED

At Independent Book Publishers Association CEO of Publish Your Gift Tieshena Davis has stepped down as board chair, effective August 29, to focus on selling her publishing company and growing her consulting firm. Vice chair Renita Bryant will serve as acting board chair until the board elects a new chair.

 

At Holiday House and Peachtree Publishing, they announced a new editorial structure, with Mary Cash promoted to vice president, associate publisher. Cash succeeds Kathy Landwehr, who will retire on September 1 after 35 years with Peachtree Publishing. Sally Morgridge has been promoted to editorial director, Holiday House, reporting to Cash. Senior editors Ashley Hearn and Jonah Heller will also report to Cash, with Hearn leading Peachtree Teen. Assistant editor Kade Dishmon moves over from Holiday House, reporting to Hearn as part of the Peachtree Teen team, while also acquiring for other categories. 

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EVENTS

September 6th

LOC National Book Festival

Washington, D.C. 

September 7th 

LA Kids Book Festival

Hollywood, CA 

September 14th-22nd 

Brooklyn Book Festival

Brooklyn, NY

September 24-28th 

Indonesia Book Fair

Jakarta, IDN

October 15-19th 

Frankfurt Book Fair

Frankfurt, DE