Publishing Industry Update

HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN’S

Barbara Lalicki will retire from HarperCollins Children’s, where she has been svp, editorial director since 1999, on January 31 after more than 40 years in publishing. As a result, Rosemary Brosnan moves up to editorial director. In addition, Andrew Harwell has been promoted to editor.

Agents reported to Publishers Marketplace seven book contracts sold to Rosemary Brosnan at Harper Children’s in 2012:

One Digital Young Adult:

Jennifer Castle’s KEIRA’S STORY, a companion story to the author’s YA novel YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE, at Harper Teen Impulse, for publication in May 2013.

Two Middle Grade Novels:

MarcyKate Connolly’s debut novel, MONSTROUS, about a girl recreated from the parts of her broken body, the wings of a raven, the tail of serpent, and a cat’s razor-sharp vision, and given the mission to avenge her own death and stop other girls of the countryside from suffering the same fate, pitched as Frankenstein meets Brothers Grimm.

WIG IN THE WINDOW author Kristen Kittscher’s sequel, TIARA ON THE TERRACE, in which tween sleuths must go under deep cover as pages in their town parade’s “royal court” to find clues and stop a murderer.

Four Young Adult Novels:

Angie Stanton’s self-published YA romances ROCK AND A HARD PLACE and SNAPSHOT in her Jamieson Series about a rock band and their complicated love lives, plus two more unnamed books.

Courtney Stevens’s FAKING NORMAL, following a 16-year-old girl and the relationship she develops with her awkward neighbor, a teenage boy, as she struggles to forget the traumatic events of the summer before.

THE BEGINNING OF AFTER and YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE author Jennifer Castle’s next two untitled YA novels.

VCFA grad Rachel Wilson’s debut DON’T TOUCH, about a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy playing Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.

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Agents reported to Publishers Marketplace that Andrew Harwell contracted four books in 2012:

One Graphic  Novel:

Noelle Stevenson’s NIMONA, about an impulsive young shapeshifter who aspires to supervillainy.

Two Middle Grade Novels:

Star Wars franchise author Jason Fry’s multi-volume middle grade series THE JUPITER PIRATES, about a family of space privateers (operating under a Letter of Marque from a coalition of moons and planets at war with Earth) who live by a tradition in which the kids, in a sort of high-stakes “Space School on Rocket Blasters,” must compete for the captaincy of the family ship, even as they work together to battle rogue space pirates, venal Earth diplomats, and even treason from within the family.

Marion Jensen’s ALMOST SUPER, pitched as SAVVY meets THE INCREDIBLES, about two brothers in a family of superheroes who must team up with the girl they thought was their enemy to defeat the real super villains in town, despite having new powers that are total duds.

One Young Adult Novel:

SADIE WALKER IS STRANDED author Madeleine Roux’s ASYLUM, about three teens at a summer program for gifted students who uncover disturbing secrets beneath the sanatorium-turned-dorm where they’re staying – secrets that connect all three of them to the asylum’s dark past – illustrated with haunting original photographs.

LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP

Patricia Stockland has been named editor-in-chief of the Lerner Publishing Group, replacing Mary Rodgers, who recently departed the company after nearly 14 years. Stockland first joined Lerner in 2012 as editorial director.

Adam Lerner, publisher of the Lerner Publishing Group said, “I am delighted that Patricia will be an important leader and architect of Lerner’s multi-genre fiction and nonfiction list. She will oversee all our acquisitions, broaden our cadre of authors, and provide direction to our editors. Under her guidance we expect to be an industry leader, publishing titles of the highest quality and the greatest appeal to K-12 readers.”

In addition, editorial director for Carolrhoda Books and Darby Creek Andrew Karre and editorial director for Millbrook Press Carol Hinz will serve as interim co-directors of the Graphic Universe imprint until a permanent replacement for Carol Burrell, who recently left the company, is announced. All operations for the Graphic Universe imprint will transition from New York to the Company’s headquarters in Minneapolis at the end of January. Finally, Tara Warren was promoted to vp, Information Technology for Lerner.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy