Monthly Archives: January 2017

December 2016 / January 2017

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Disney Publishing Worldwide

Hannah Allaman moves up to assistant editor at Disney-Hyperion.

Emeli Warren moves up to associate editor.

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Jessica Anderson moves up to assistant editor at Christy Ottaviano Books.

Claire Dorsett has been promoted to assistant editor at Roaring Brook Press.

Rachel Murray moves up to assistant editor at Holt.

Penguin Young Readers

Anu Ohioma joins Grosset & Dunlap as editorial assistant.

Publisher’s Weekly

Emma Kantor will join the team as associate children’s book editor on February 1. She was formerly publicity and digital content manager at the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader.

Random House Children’s Books

Kristina Forest joins the team as subsidiary rights coordinator. She was formerly subsidiary rights assistant at Simon & Schuster Children’s.

Alexandra Hightower joins Delacorte Press as editorial assistant.

Kelsey Horton is now associate editor at Delacorte Press. She was formerly at Katherine Tegen.

Audrey Ingerson joins Delacorte Press as editorial assistant. She was previously sales coordinator at Random House Children’s Books.

Lauren Morgan moves up to subsidiary rights assistant manager.

Emily Petrick has been brought on as educational marketing associate. She was most recently an advertising and promotion coordinator at Macmillan Children’s.

Scholastic

Jenna Ballard moves up to associate editor, licensed publishing.

Isa Caban joins the team as associate marketing manager. She was most recently at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Emily Feliberty has been promoted to associate director of marketing and publicity for Klutz.

Milena Giunco moves up to publicity coordinator.

Sophia Pestun has been named associate business manager.

Christine Reedy has been promoted to marketing coordinator.

Melissa Schirmer joins the team as assistant production editor. She was previously at Books of Wonder.

Weslie Turner moves up to assistant editor, Arthur A. Levine Books.

Alexandra Wladich has been promoted to associate director, corporate communications.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Jessica Harold joins the company as marketing assistant. She was formerly an intern at Galt & Zacker Literary Agency.

Girl in the Blue Coat

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In this stunning debut, it’s 1943 and Hanneke Bakker lives in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. Still mourning the death of her boyfriend who was killed during the German invasion and desperate to keep food on her family’s table, Hanneke procures and delivers black market goods to paying customers. Her motto is simple: fulfill her customers’ orders and don’t get involved. But when one woman asks her to find fifteen-year-old Mirjam, a Jewish girl that had been hiding in her house before mysteriously disappearing, Hanneke’s isolated existence begins to unravel. As she delves deeper into the mysteries and secrets surrounding Mirjam, she finds herself swept into the heart of the resistance and forced to confront not only the horrors of the Nazi regime but also her own feelings of grief and guilt. This is a breathtaking novel that doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of WWII and shows the courage and bravery of resistance fighters. Immersive, gripping, and deeply moving, it’s an absolute must-read.

Asked and Answered

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What is your most anticipated Children’s or YA book of 2017? Answered by the 2017 ECC Board!

“I’ve been following @GuyInYourMFA (whose alter-ego is Dana Schwartz) for a long time now and after being consistently amused by her topical and sharply self-deprecating commentary, I was jazzed to hear about her forthcoming YA novel, AND WE’RE OFF (Razorbill). Moreover, in a time of Gilmore Girls renaissance, it’s a safe bet that I’ll be first in line for a story pitched as ‘Gilmore Girls meets Anything Else.'”

—Jessica Anderson, Assistant Editor, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

“In particular, I’m really looking forward to two titles this year: CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber (Flatiron Books) — gotta love an amazingly atmospheric magical circus — and THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (HarperCollins), which couldn’t be more timely. I’m always interested in reading YA takes on current events.”

—Hillary Doyle, International Rights Associate, Scholastic (ECC Chair)

“This year, I’m super excited for THE SOMEDAY BIRDS by Sally J. Pla, from HarperCollins. I’m a middle grade reader through and through, and there’s little I like more than a 12 (or so) year old boy trying to find his place in a torn up world. Throw in some overbearing, over-the-top siblings and an unexpected role model, and I’m hooked. This book sounds sweet and touching but with some serious spunk, bringing me back to all things adolescence (and trying to get through it).”

—Stevie Durocher, Publishing Assistant, Random House Children’s Books

“I’m really looking forward to reading SPINNING by Tillie Walden, scheduled to be published by First Second in September. It’s a graphic memoir chronicling her troubled adolescence in the world of competitive figure skating. Walden’s webcomic, ON A SUNBEAM, is wonderful and dreamy, and I’m so excited to have 400(!) pages of her work to physically hold in my hands and probably never let go of.”

—Alexa Frank, Special Projects Coordinator, The Children’s Book Council and Every Child A Reader (CBC Liaison)

“I’m extremely excited for NOW I RISE, the sequel to AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White (published by Delacourte). I just can’t get enough of Lada’s ruthless, grasping fury. She is like no other female character I’ve read before.”

—Amalia Frick, Editorial Assistant, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Young Readers

“My most anticipated book of 2017 is definitely Kelly Jensen’s feminist anthology HERE WE ARE from Algonquin Young Readers! Luckily I don’t have long to wait — it goes on sale January 24th. “

—Elizabeth Lynch, Assistant Editor, HarperCollins Children’s Books (ECC Secretary)

“I can’t wait for the FUNNY GIRL anthology (Viking Books for Young Readers), edited by the illustrious Betsy Bird! The title alone sold me; I grew up watching Barbra Streisand as vaudeville starlet Fanny Brice in the musical biopic of the same title, and have always idolized both women’s fierce and fearless humor. I’m sure this kid-lit compilation — featuring stories from such powerhouses as Cece Bell, Raina Telgemeier, and Rita Williams-Garcia — will be filled with equal parts laughter and girl power.”

—Emma Kantor, Publicity and Digital Content Manager, The Children’s Book Council and Every Child A Reader

“There are so many books I just can’t wait to read in 2017, it’s difficult to choose just one. It’s almost like asking what my favorite book is, and that, as usual, is difficult for anyone to answer who can’t pick just one. But, because I’ll just have to select a single title here, I’ll go with one of my most anticipated — ONCE AND FOR ALL by Sarah Dessen (Viking Books for Young Readers). Every summer for me is a Sarah Dessen summer. The Truth About Forever is my annual read. I basically grew up on Sarah Dessen books, and the emotions of the characters that I could relate to back then never really changed. Dessen is a brilliant writer. She writes characters that feel so real, and situations that are so believable, and solutions that aren’t completely perfect but are happier and positive. Her stories are feel good stories, and I’m sure the upcoming one is no different. In fact, based on the premise, the protagonist might be the most relatable protagonist yet! Summer can’t come fast enough for me to finally have another Sarah Dessen novel to dive into.”

—Shifa Kapadwala, Publicity Assistant, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

“I’m looking forward to reading THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (Balzer + Bray). The cover is stunning and it sounds like an important and timely novel. Everyone has been raving about it and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!”

—Nicole Sclama, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers

“I’m looking forward to reading the debut book of THE WINGSNATCHERS series, CARMER AND GRIT (Algonquin Young Readers), by Sarah Jean Horwitz. If the cover art didn’t draw me in enough already, the author is a friend of a friend, so I’m more than happy to support! I can’t wait to get my hands on this middle grade fantasy.”

—Angela Taldone, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Making a Mega-Multitasker: Meet the Sales Department!

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1) In brief, what does the Sales team do?

The main focus of a Sales Person’s job is to represent the company for your account and represent the account for your company. We balance the needs and focuses of both for each other with the intent of maximizing sales for all of our titles.

2) What are some personality traits or skills that make a person well-suited to working in Sales?

 Attention to detail and the ability to MEGA-MULTITASK! Often you are being pulled in multiple directions at once with internal questions from different departments, all of which might be equally important so you need to know how to prioritize. Another trait that is important for Sales is the ability to “elevator pitch,” or describe a book in 20 seconds or less.

3) What is one thing that people generally get wrong about your department? Or one thing that you wish other departments knew?

One thing that people don’t clearly understand about our department is that Sales Reps actually do little parts of all departments within a company.  For the account we are working with, the Sales Person is also the Publicist, Marketing Director, Inventory Control and first go-to for all things about your company.

4) What is the most difficult thing about working in Sales? And the best thing?

The most difficult thing would be keeping up with what month/year it is! At any given moment, I’m monitoring backlist and new releases, selling the upcoming season, planning/pitching promotions for the next season, and reading manuscripts for a third season on top of trying to read competitors titles to stay on top of what’s buzzing. I’m often asked for book recommendations and have to pause to remember what is actually on sale at that moment. And the best thing? Pretty much the same thing!

Q&A with Miriam Miller, Subsidiary Rights Manager, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

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1) Tell us a little about your role at Macmillan. What do you do within the Children’s Group?

As Rights Manager, the biggest part of my job is licensing domestic audio rights and foreign rights in territories around the world to help our books find the broadest audience possible. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to attend the Bologna and Frankfurt Book Fairs and connect with foreign and audio publishers here in New York to talk with them about our list.

2) Have you held other kinds of jobs in publishing? How did you end up doing what you do now?

My first few jobs were at literary agencies reading manuscripts, answering phones, and learning to think about what makes a book work across the market. I have a background in foreign literature and have always found the global life of books fascinating, so transitioning to rights was pretty natural!

3) What was the first book fair you attended? What advice would you give someone going to their first fair?

Bologna 2016 was my first, so I’m no expert yet – but my best advice is to relax! We work with an amazing community of intelligent and passionate book lovers, and you’ll find that people you meet at book fairs are very kind and encouraging. Everyone is there with the same goal: to do the best we can for the books. Also, BYO snacks.

4) How do you determine what qualities make a book appealing for the broader international market? Are there any specific subjects or styles that limit a book’s potential for international appeal?

This is tricky, as the answer is always changing. Stories with deep, universal themes and great writing have a better chance, particularly if they aren’t tied to a specifically American setting. Writing done in verse is very difficult to sell abroad (just think of the added challenges for translation). On the picture book side, we can have a tough time with cartoon-y art, particularly if it’s created digitally. But it’s ever-evolving and every book is different!

4) From movies and television to podcasts, video games, and beyond, there so are many different ways to adapt a book. What are some of your favorite multimedia adaptations and why?

Hmm, I’m shamefully behind on non-book pop culture these days, so I’ll share a couple of adaptations I’m excited about: A Monster Calls and the upcoming Handmaid’s Tale. Two fantastic books paired with fabulous casts – how could you go wrong? I’m also a huge fan of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which is an ingenious musical adaptation of part of Tolstoy’s War & Peace.

5) Reading anything good right now? Alternatively, what was the last book you really loved?

I just finished Ann Patchett’s glorious and transportive novel State of Wonder. I also recently read our forthcoming graphic novel Spinning by Tillie Walden and found its intimacy and resonance truly moving.