Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing is undergoing a major reorganization, which is bringing with it many staffing changes.
Three people are being laid off: Dee Anne Grande (formerly with Little Simon Inspirations), Susan Burke (of Atheneum) and Renne Fountain (in subsidiary rights). According to division president Rick Richter, the layoffs are a result of creating “discrete units” within the company: the trade group (which includes S&S Books for Young Readers, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and Margaret K. McElderry Books), the media tie-in and novelty division, and a new unit (which includes the Aladdin and Pulse imprints).
Stephanie Voros has been hired as the company’s new Vice President in charge of subsidiary rights; she’ll be starting on 10 March. Voros is currently the director of subsidiary rights at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Several other staffers will see new titles due to the changes: Emma Dryden has been promoted to Vice President and Publisher of Atheneum and Margaret K. McElderry; Justin Chanda has been promoted to Vice President and Publisher of S&S Books for Young Readers; Bethany Buck has been promoted from Vice President and Publisher of the new combined Aladdin/Pulse; Mara Anastas has been promoted to Vice President and Deputy Publisher of Aladdin/Pulse; and Alyson Grubbard, who is the director of brand management, will add the title of Associate Publisher for the media tie-in and novelty division to her portfolio.
Publishers Weekly reports that, according to Richter, the reorganization creates a vertical structure that will allow both editors and authors to “take a longer view of a book’s life and to actively participate in the publishing process for the full cycle of the book.” The change also calls for Aladdin/Pulse to maintain a focus on middle grade and teen titles.