People & Publishing Roundup, January 2025

MILESTONES

KHAN WONG is now repre­sented by Ernie Chiara of Fuse Literary.

ETHAN LAI is now represent­ed by Arley Sorg of kt literary.

AWARDS

Authors LAURA LIPPMAN and JOHN SANFORD are the recipients of the 2025 Grand Master Awards, presented by the Mystery Writers of America.

PETE WOLVERTON, vice-pres­ident and executive editor at St. Martin’s Publishing Group, re­ceived the Ellery Queen Award, honoring “outstanding writing teams and outstanding people ...Read More

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New Entangled YA Imprints

Entangled Publishing has announced two new YA imprints, Mayhem Books and Mischief Books.

Mayhem Books is meant for teens 16 and older “who aren’t ready for New Adult fiction just yet, but are searching for a similar level of romance and action.” Their first titles, due later this year, will come from Elise Kova, Shannon J. Spann, and Nisha J. Tuli.

Mischief Books is coming in 2026, and is directed ...Read More

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12:01 Books Imprint

Atria and Emily Bestler Books have announced the launch of a new horror imprint, 12:01 Books, to “develop and publish a carefully curated list of horror novels, working with emerging and established creators and authors to launch compelling books and films.”

The imprint was created in partnership with producer Scott Glassgold of 12:01 films and Emily Bestler, publisher of Emily Bestler Books, with the deal facilitated by Liz Parker of ...Read More

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30 Years of Tachyon

Tachyon Publi­cations is celebrating 30 years of operation in 2025, with numerous events planned.

The San Francisco Public Library will host an exhibition of Tachyon books, historical photos, and documents. Tachyon will host an anniver­sary party, open to the public, at the library on October 5, 2025. Attendees will receive a limited-edition commemorative chapbook. Tachyon will also give away ebooks to news­letter subscribers. They plan a virtual salon with Tachyon ...Read More

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SFWA Career Mentorship Program Open to Applications for 2025

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has opened applications their 2025 career mentoring program, seeking both mentors and mentees. The program “is an all-volunteer service provided free of charge… with the objective of providing community, sharing knowledge, and offering networking opportunities.” The program runs for three months.

Mentees are chosen via lottery and paired with mentors based on their responses to questions. “Mentorships are open to all SFWA ...Read More

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Durkin Promoted to Editorial Director at Gollancz

Brendan Durkin has been promoted to Editorial Director at Gollancz, reports The Bookseller. 

Durkin has been a member of the Gollancz team since 2018, and was promoted to Editor in 2020. He also launched The Gollancz Emporium, a direct-to-consumer line of special editions and classic works. Durkin has been involved with the publishing of works by authors and estates like Joe Abercrombie, Frank Herbert, Nnedi Okorafor, and Brandon Sanderson.

  ...Read More

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Publishing News

Penguin Random House and United for Libraries have announced a partnership to provide grants of $500 and $1,000 to help libraries. They plan to donate a total of $25,000 to support Friends of the Library groups and other groups that raise fund for local libraries. PRH will also offer some $500 in-kind donations so libraries can purchase PRH books. Skip Dye, senior vice president of library sales and digital strategies ...Read More

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Science Fiction Book Club To Close for Orders February 1, 2025

The seventy-year-old Science Fiction Book Club, originally launched by Doubleday in 1953, has announced on its website that it will close for orders as of February, 1, 2025. The Club thanked customers for their longstanding loyalty and gave a hard date for the end of its services.

We very much appreciate your many years of loyalty, patronage, and support. After 2/1/2025, orders will no longer be processed at SFBC.com.

After ...Read More

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New Horror Magazine Remains

Andy Cox and Richard Wagner, who worked together on Black Static and Interzone, announced the launch of a new horror magazine, Remains. The quarterly magazine will feature all-new horror fiction, columns, and features; stories will be illustrated by Wagner, who has contributed cover and interior art for Black Static and more.

From a Facebook post via Livia Llewellyn, Cox announced:

REMAINS. 100 colour pages of new horror fiction. Smells nice. ...Read More

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Best Horror of the Year 2025 Submission Call

Ellen Datlow is accepting submissions for her 17th Best Horror of the Year anthology, to be published by Night Shade Books and covering material appearing in 2025.

I am looking for stories and poetry from all branches of horror: supernatural, uncanny, sf horror, psychological, dark crime, terror tales, or anything else that might qualify.

This is an all reprint anthology, so I’ll only consider material published in 2025. Deadline ...Read More

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Fantasy Magazine Relaunch

Sean Markey has announced the relaunch of Fantasy Magazine, with the first issue scheduled to publish June 1, 2025. Fantasy will be joining sibling magazine The Deadlands under the Psychopomp publishing umbrella. Sean has named Arley Sorg and Shingai Njeri Kagunda as co-Editors-in-Chief.

Fantasy Magazine will publish original short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry on a quarterly basis. Subscriptions will be available to support the magazine, which will also provide ...Read More

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People & Publishing Roundup, January 2025

MILESTONES

MARK W. TIEDEMANN is now represented by Vaughne Hansen of the Virginia Kidd Agency.

AWARDS

ESPAÑA SHERIFF is the win­ner of the 2024 Rotsler Award for “long-time wonder-working with graphic art in amateur publications of the science fiction community,’’ announced dur­ing Loscon 50, held November 29 – December 1, 2024 at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles CA. The award was established in 1998 by the ...Read More

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Diamond Comics Distributor Bankruptcy

Diamond Comic Distributors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in US court in January 2025. They have secured $41 million in financing from JP Morgan Chase bank to “fund post-petition operating expenses and ensure adequate working capital to meet its obligations to associates and suppliers.” A letter to distributors from president Chuck Parker says,

I’m writing to share one of the most challenging messages of my career.

Earlier today, Diamond made ...Read More

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Winterbottom Joins Transworld

Rachel Winterbottom has joined Penguin Random House UK imprint Transworld as sci-fi and fantasy publishing director. Winterbottom is scheduled to start working in the newly created role in March 2025, reporting temporarily to managing director Kimberly Young. Winterbottom has worked as an editor for Gollancz as well as HarperVoyager UK. Young said,

Rachel brings with her a magical combination of a deep passion for the SFF genre and a genuine ...Read More

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The Bookseller Ranks British and Irish Acquiring Editors

The Bookseller has created a list of their top 30 UK and Ireland editors of 2024, using available data from Circana Bookscan and factoring in other achievements like literary prizes. The rankings feature several editors and works of genre interest, including:

  • Natasha Bardon (HarperCollins/HarperVoyager, acquisitions include Yellowface by R.F. Kuang)
  • Romilly Morgan (Brazen, acquisitions include The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, translated by Jesse Kirkwood)
  • Michal Shavit (PRH/Jonathan
...Read More Read more

Pelletier Named PW Person of the Year

Liz Pelletier, publisher of Entangled Publishing, is Publishers Weekly’s 2024 Person of the Year.

Entangled Publishing—which includes genre imprints Red Tower, Entangled Teen, and Amara—had a breakout year in 2023 with the publication of bestseller Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Other notable titles include Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer and the Crave series by Tracy Wolff.

Pelletier founded Entangled in 2010 “to bridge the gap in the ...Read More

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People & Publishing Roundup, December 2024

MILESTONES

CLIO EVANS is now repre­sented by Stevie Finegan of Zeno Agency Ltd.

AWARDS

HAYAO MIYAZAKI is this year’s recipient of the Forry Award for lifetime achievement in the SF field, presented by The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. Miyazaki is the founder of Studio Ghibli and an Academy Award-winning filmmaker. The award, named for Forrest J Ack­erman, has been given annually since 1966.

BOOKS SOLD

SEANAN MCGUIRE, writing ...Read More

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Chen Joins Putnam

Ruoxi Chen has joined Putnam as executive editor after seven years at Tor. She will report to editor-in-chief Lindsay Sagnette, who told Publishers Weekly,

Ruoxi will draw on her deep experience in the speculative fiction space to bring exceptional crossover fantasy, romantasy, and science fiction titles for the general reader to the Putnam list… I look forward to watching her bring a new generation of talented storytellers to Putnam.

Chen ...Read More

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New Imprint: Stonefruit Studio

Sourcebooks has announced a new children’s and YA imprint, Stonefruit Studio, and plans to publish 16 to 24 “distinctively creative children’s books across all age categories and formats” annually, including middle grade, YA, graphic novelws, and non-fiction by “authors and illustrators [who] can showcase their bold narrative voices and distinct styles that bring the joy of reading to children of all ages.”

Ben Rosenthal and Mabel Hsu will be editorial ...Read More

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Hachette Acquires Sterling Publishing

Hachette Book Group has announced its purchase of Sterling Publishing from Barnes & Noble.

Sterling Publishing includes the imprints Union Square & Co., Union Square Kids, Boxer Books, Puzzlewright Press, plus stationery brands. Sterling’s output includes various genre books and gift editions of classic works.

B&N CEO James Daunt cited Union Square’s recent expansion and its need for more resources as a publisher. “Union Square has [outgrown] the infrastructure of ...Read More

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People & Publishing Roundup, November 2024

MILESTONES

ROY GRAHAM, K ARSE­NAULT RIVERA, and SASCHA STRONACH are now represent­ed by Arley Sorg of kt literary.

LAURA BLACKWELL is now represented by Jake Lovell of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

AWARDS

JOHN HORNOR JACOBS received the Heasley Prize for Fiction, presented October 22, 2024 at his alma mater, Lyon College in AR.

BOOKS SOLD

TIM LEBBON sold folk horror novel Secret Lives of the Dead to Cath Trechman ...Read More

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Terry Pratchett’s ‘Night Watch’ Re-Release

An annotated version of Terry Pratchett’s 29th Discworld novel, Night Watch, will be released in Spring of 2025. The title will be released under Penguin Random House as a Penguin Modern Classic, recognizing Pratchett’s immense influence in the literary world as a genre author.

The edition will have a foreword by Rob Wilkins, managing director of Pratchett’s literary estate, and annotations by Dr David Lloyd and Dr Darryl Jones ...Read More

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Erewhon News

Diana Pho has been promoted to editorial director at Erewhon Books. Pho posted on social media,

Marking my upcoming 2-year anniversary at the company, I’m so, so thrilled to announce that I have been promoted…. Grateful to have the support from the Erewhon and Kensington Publishing teams as we level up!

Pho joined the company as executive editor in 2022. This promotion follows the departure of publisher Sarah Guan earlier ...Read More

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People & Publishing Roundup, October 2024

MILESTONES

VIDA CRUZ-BORJA is now represented by Stevie Finegan of Zeno Agency Ltd.

 

BOOKS SOLD

SCOTT WESTERFELD & JUS­TINE LARBALESTIER sold adult novel The Mortons – “The Secret History meets The Sopranos meets Saltburn,” – and a second book to Jeramie Orton at Pamela Dorman Books at auction via Jill Grinberg of Jill Grinberg Literary Management. UK rights sold to Rosa Schierenberg at Viking UK in a ...Read More

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Strange Horizons Launches Podcast Series

Strange Horizons has announced the launch of a year-long podcast series, SH@25, in celebration of their 25th anniversary.

SH@25 will feature “interviews with authors, artists, poets, and former staff of Strange Horizons, charting the magazine’s 25 year trajectory from being founded in September 2000 to winning a Hugo in August 2024, as well as looking ahead at its future.” The project will be led by podcast editor Kat Kourbeti and ...Read More

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SFWA Secretary Candidate Withdraws

Matthew Reardon, AKA JRH Lawless, has withdrawn his candidacy for secretary of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) special election. While there are now no official candidates, Steven D. Brewer is a write-in candidate for the position.

SFWA is holding the special election for president and secretary following the resignations of president Jeffe Kennedy and vice-president Chelsea Mueller, among others. Secretary Anthony W. Eichenlaub is currently interim president. ...Read More

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F&SF Goes Quarterly

In the newly released Summer 2024 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, publisher Gordon van Gelder explains that “Ongoing production problems have led us to skip the Spring issue and to switch to a quarterly schedule.”

He apologized to “disappointed readers” and assured subscribers that they would not be shorted any issues. “Thank you for bearing with us during this rough stretch.”

The magazine, edited by Sheree ...Read More

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People & Publishing Roundup, September 2024

AWARDS

REBECCA YARROS’s Fourth Wing (Red Tower) won in the International Book of the Year category at the TikTok Book Awards, held July 25, 2024 in London. Winners were voted on by the #BookTok community.

’PEMI AGUDA’s “Breastmilk” (One Story 5/27/21) is a finalist for the £10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing. The winner will be selected by a panel of judges and announced September 17, 2024.

KATHRYN ...Read More

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Changes at Saga

Saga Press, the SF/F imprint of Simon & Schuster (S&S), has announced several promotions and other changes.

Tim O’Connell has become vice president and publisher of Saga, moving from his role as vice president and editorial director of fiction at S&S, though he will continue to acquire for the latter. He will report to S&S VP and publisher Sean Manning.

Joe Monti has been promoted to vice president, associate publisher, ...Read More

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Changes At Gamut

House of Gamut has rebranded and relaunched Gamut Publishing as Ruadán Books, including “All anthologies and novel contracts” previously signed with Gamut. Scheduled titles include anthology 120 Murders edited by Nick Mamatas. Ruadán is open to submissions of short stories, novellas, and novels, as well as non-fiction for their column “From the Writers Desk”.
Gamut also announced the closure of Gamut Academy and Gamut Magazine, with their final scheduled issue
...Read More Read more

Hearne Launches Horned Lark Press

Kevin Hearne announced the launch of Horned Lark Press, for “novellas, short story collections, and anthologies” which are “anti-monarchist, post-capitalist, decolonized stories.”
They plan to open to submissions in Spring of 2025. The first four books on the list are Hearne’s own The Squirrel on the Train and The Purloined Poodle and novella anthologies Canines and Cocktails and Death and Honey, both featuring work by Delilah S. Dawson, Chuck
...Read More Read more

People & Publishing Roundup, August 2024

AWARDS

JOSEPH COELHO won the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing for The Boy Lost in the Maze, illustrated by KATE MIL­NER (Otter-Barry). The award was presented by the Chartered Institute of Library and Informa­tion Professionals.

CLARE WINGER HARRIS (1891-1968) is the winner of the 2024 Cordwainer Smith Redis­covery Award, intended to bring attention to lesser-known SF and fantasy authors, announced at Readercon 33, held July 11-14, 2024, in ...Read More

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