Friday, January 27, 2017

Publishers Lunch


Today's Meal


Author Roxane Gay tells BuzzFeed that she asked her agent Maria Massie to "pull" her forthcoming How to Be Heard -- scheduled for March 2018 publication from Ted Books, through Simon & Schuster -- from the publisher. "I can't in good conscience let them publish it while they also publish Milo," Gay said. To be clear, Gay's new book Difficult Women was just published earlier in January, by Grove Atlantic. TED Conferences LLC co-publishes a line of books with the Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint.

The author was due to submit her manuscript shortly: "I was supposed to turn the book in this month and I kept thinking about how egregious it is to give someone like Milo a platform for his blunt, inelegant hate and provocation. I just couldn’t bring myself to turn the book in."

She adds: "Milo has every right to say what he wants to say, however distasteful I and many others find it to be. He doesn't have a right to have a book published by a major publisher but he has, in some bizarre twist of fate, been afforded that privilege. So be it. I'm not interested in doing business with a publisher willing to grant him that privilege. I am also fortunate enough to be in a position to make this decision. I recognize that other writers aren't and understand that completely."


Ten Speed Press formally announced the launch of Lorena Jones Books, the cooking and lifestyle imprint overseen by vp, publisher Lorena Jones, who rejoined the imprint in September 2015 to begin work on the new line. Set to begin publishing in April will publish 6 to 8 titles annually in the areas of cooking, work life, and health. Initial launch titles include Tartine All Day by Elisabeth Prueitt; Peppers of the Americas by Maricel Presilla; and Cheers to the Publican, Repast and Present by Paul Kahan.

Ten Speed Press publisher Aaron Wehner said in the announcement. "Shaped by Lorena's creative vision, editorial dexterity, and market savvy—along with her sterling reputation as a collaborative partner to authors, agents, and booksellers—her imprint will be a force in the lifestyle space. Ten Speed's publishing and business overall will benefit greatly from Lorena’s deep experience, entrepreneurial mindset, and innovative approach to all aspects of her work."

In other personnel announcements, at Random House Children's, Frank Berrios has been promoted to senior editor, licensing.

At Harper,
Sofia Groopman has been promoted to associate editor.

At One World, Nicole Counts has been promoted to assistant editor.

At St. Martin's, Jessica Lawrence and Sarah Melnyk have both been promoted to senior publicity manager, while Staci Burt and Brittani Hilles both move up to publicist.

In the UK, former ceo of Little Brown UK Ursula Mackenzie has joined the board of Profile Books as a non-executive director.

Obituaries
Author and translator Harry Mathews, 86,
died in Key West earlier this week. He wrote in both English and French and his work appeared in the Paris Review for more than 55 years, beginning with an excerpt of his first novel Conversions and ending with an excerpt of his forthcoming novel, The Solitary Twin, in the magazine's spring issue.

Buchi Emecheta, 72, a pioneering Nigerian novelist who was among the original Granta Best Young British Novelists in 1983,
died Wednesday in London.

Author and publisher Vicki Lansky, 75,
died on January 15 from nonalcoholic cirrhosis. She co-founded Meadowbrook Press with her former husband Bruce Lansky, and then published under Book Peddlers, which she sold last year.

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