Category: Hire, Fire, Reload

We've got pretty good information to the effect that Random House has just dropped about two dozen of its sales reps, both in the field and at the New York office. Additional details to follow...

UPDATE: Shelf Awareness reports the following: "Random House has apparently cut 20-30 members of its sales force, mostly reps both in the field and New York office as well as a few people in sales management. Another 10-20 may have been let go in operations and IT. Some of the reps who have been laid off have decades of service with the company. The accounts serviced by the departing reps will apparently be handled by remaining reps. Cuts in other parts of Random House are rumored.

"Random House spokesperson Stuart Applebaum stated that the sales group "is constantly evaluating the ever-changing book marketplace and adjusting accordingly" and that "with a restructuring this month, some of our salespeople will take on expanded duties upon retirements and the elimination of some sales positions." He emphasized that "a small fraction" of the Random House sales force was affected and that Random House "continues to maintain the largest field sales force in the industry--by far."

In my haste to get something up yesterday, I neglected to mention that the Book Standard broke the Terry McAuliffe book deal story on Friday. So to give some props to them, they get the primary link on this story, which even a few hours after I first read it has me scratching my head.

First reason: a medical thriller, THE KARSIK CONSPIRACY, originally slated for publication in December from Phoenix Books was partially funded by a major pharmaceutical agency, the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (with the handy acronym of PhRMA!)

Second reason: Phoenix Books is the new publishing venture from enfant terrible Michael Viner, late of New Millenium Press and a particularly nasty lawsuit from mystery aficionado Otto Penzler -- which Viner lost, forcing him into bankruptcy.

Third reason: THE KARSIK CONSPIRACY was originally edited by one Jayson Blair -- yes, that guy. And evidently his reputation not only preceded him, but was justified, as he did a lousy job and finally skipped out.

Fourth reason: After Blair's fall from grace, the NYT plagiarist later turned up with a creepy manifesto/memoir, BURNING DOWN MY MASTER'S HOUSE -- conveniently published by Michael Viner at New Millenium Press.

The end result for the thriller? No Blair, no pharmaceutical company funding, and a later pub date. Everybody happy?

The name JT Leroy probably puts people in two distinct groups: those who have never heard of him, and those who are sick of his ever-presence in the media. But this not-so-sweet (and extremely reclusive) transvestite might not even exist, according to a piece slated to run in New York Magazine on Monday. Stephen Beachy, a San Francisco-based writer, is said to have combed every detail of JT's "background" scouring Polk Street, West Virginia, truck stops, friends, family leads, and eventually, a paper trail that leads him directly back to JT's friend and roommate, Laura Albert (aka Speedie, Emily Fraiser).

As hoaxes go, it does seem rather elaborate, and somewhat pointless, but I guess no real person could convincingly pull off that hairdo, anyway...

Jon Karp has landed at Warner, PW (sub req'd) reports:

By this morning, Warner sent the official word: the former Random young gun would be handling his own imprint, as many speculated he would, and it would be at Warner.

Warner Twelve will do no more (but not at least) one book per month (which means that the line some years could be Warner Nine or Ten). Karp is tapped as publisher and editor-in-chief, though it's an editor-in-chief without too many Indians [ed's note - why don't I get this?] : The marketing and sales all comes from Warner, and no full-fledged editorial hires are immediately on the horizon. Instead, Karp will personally acquire and edit each book. Karp reports to Warner Books publisher Jamie Raab; he'll launch the list in spring '07.

According to PW, the editors who previously reported to Karp -- including Jennifer Hershey and Susan Mercandetti -- will now report to Menaker.

As for the bigger question -- Karp's next move -- Karp's keeping mum. "I just want to take a new risk," he tells PW. "I honestly don't know what it will be. It may be book publishing, it may be something else ... Right now I just want to take some time to think and read."

Have more info? Send it to galleycat at mediabistro dot com.

FishBowlNY's got the scoop on the latest changes at The Paris Review, which include the departures of Managing Editor Fiona Maazel, Deputy Editor Lea Carpenter, and other top staff.

Meanwhile, ousted TPR editor Brigid Hughes isn't wasting time getting back into the game; according to an email sent out to her friends, Hughes will soon be starting up another magazine. (Know more than mediabistro does? Share your wealth of info with fishbowlny at mediabistro.com, or galleycat at mediabistro.com.)

Dear Natalie [sic],

I just read your post about The Paris Review and Rick Moody's resignation as a contributing editor. While I trust some publications to get things wrong (often on purpose¹), I should like to think that mediabistro holds itself to a higher standard.² So, to correct the errors:

1. Rick Moody is not a "financial backer" of the magazine.³ He has generously contributed to The Paris Review in the past, alongside hundreds of donors. "Financial backer" suggests excessive contributions of the sort Drue Heinz, Bloomberg, Inc. et al., might make in a fiscal year.

2. Rick Moody's resignation was tendered shortly after Brigid Hughes's contract was not renewed. But the resignation was never officially announced; no one had been notified.⁴ As a result, once a new editor was hired and the resignation was "leaked," it appeared reactionary (in response to the new hire), which it was not. In order to avoid giving the wrong impression⁵, he retracted the resignation, only to be characterized, on your website and in The Observer, as a fair-weather friend⁶. I'm sure you do not delight in libel and, as such, assume you will correct the record as you see fit. This is a hard enough business as is--a lotta people out there are mean and selfish and cruel⁷ --so I figure it's just good karma to redress injustice whenever possible.

cheers,
Fiona

----
Fiona Maazel
Managing Editor
The Paris Review

¹ I've got to say, this attitude towards fiction doesn't bode well for its future at the new, nonfiction-friendly TPR.
² As the Borg said, We are blog.
³ I don't know much about journalism, but I think the distinction between "reporting on reporting" and "reporting" holds water ... Right/No? yes/wrong? As in: We were reporting on the Observer's reporting, and, in that sense, our report was accurate. (But .... to rectify any sense in which our report might have been inacurrate, we're posting this letter. We're good that way. Even if we think Fiona's real beef is -- or should be -- with the Observer -- which, incidentally, hasn't yet posted any correction or follow-up.)
⁴ But, the real question is, Is this really a correction? -- Or just an argument against one interpretation of events? The Observer isn't saying Moody's resignation was public (or, to use Fiona's phrase: "officially announced"). It's saying that Moody asked to resign; Fiona's choice of words ("tendered") leaves open the slight possibility that Moody "offered" to resign (and then wasn't taken up on it), but doesn't explicitly contradict the Observer's report.
⁵ If Fiona thinks our "wrong impression" consists of calling Moody's resignation a "response to the new hire," she can rest assured that neither the Observer nor (coincidentally!) GC's quote from the Observer says anything like that. (The Observer quite clearly attributes the resignation to "the circumstances of Ms. Hughes' firing.")
⁶ (Updated) Getting to the heart of the matter: Is Fiona saying Moody's retraction was just a PR stunt? And that, consequently, the Observer's gossip about Moody's possible return is incorrect? If so, the Paris Review should consider this: a "fair-weather friend" who comes back is better PR than an ex-friend who wants to stay an ex.
⁷ This seems like a needlessly dark sentiment for a correction letter, doesn't it? Anybody want a hug?

I didn't think there was much left to say about The Paris Review's choice of editor, but the Observer's write-up of the regime change flushes out some new, intriguing details. Among them: Slate editor Meghan O'Rourke was Philip Gourevitch's co-front-runner for the job, and Rick Moody unofficially broke up with the mag over Brigid Hughes' departure. According to the Observer, Moody, "a longtime contributor and financial backer" of TPR,

was so outraged over the circumstances of Ms. Hughes' firing that he sent a "resignation" letter to the magazine several weeks ago, declaring that he would have nothing more to do with it after Ms. Hughes' final issue. He rushed to complete a 50-page novella, called The Omega Force, for the April magazine, which will be Ms. Hughes' last. But now, with the new editor revealed, Mr. Moody is reconsidering his resignation, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Moody did not respond to requests for comment.

Like a time-lapsed game of Whack-a-Mole, Carole Baron ducked out of sight last month only to reappear this week as Bookspan's new VP. Leaving Penguin, where she served as President of Putnam and Dutton, she was -- as PW put it -- "non-committal" about her future plans.

"It's time for me to let go of the day-to-day detail and concentrate on taking a look at the larger picture of our industry," [Baron] wrote. "I look forward to being involved in publishing in a way that will take advantage of my years of experience and at the same time always allow me that exquisite pleasure of working with writers."

Following yesterday's announcement that New Yorker writer Philip Gourevitch would take over the post-Plimpton TPR, Edward Wyatt files a quick update on Gourevitch for the Times. Among the highlights:

• At the time of Brigid Hughes' firing, "board members said that they wanted a better-known literary figure at the helm, someone who could raise The Paris Review's profile by attracting new writers as well as supporters who could contribute to its financial success."
  
• Whether or not that describes Gourevitch, the correct pronunciation of the new editor's last name is gor-A-vitch.
  
• Gor-A-vitch's plans for the mag include printing single poets' portfolios "rather than single poems by many poets throughout an issue."
  
• Author of We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories From Rwanda, Gor-A-vitch also hopes to include "more reported nonfiction articles."