Until last year's post-reorganization layoffs at Random House, Gretchen Koss (left) and Meghan Walker were the publicity and marketing directors, respectively, at Spiegel & Grau. Both had been spotted doing freelance work early this year—we've been talking to them about a couple of their projects, in fact—but now they're prepared to pull back the curtain on Tandem Literary, their new PR/marketing firm.

Among the publishing insiders who give the joint venture a thumbs-up: former bosses Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau. "Together they are unbeatable," the two publishers say in a statement posted to the Tandem website. "They bring creativity, dedication, insight, and a welcome dose of humor to every project. We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have worked closely with them in the launch and development of Spiegel & Grau, which benefited immensely from their publishing savvy, energy, and innovative thinking."