Former Houhgton Publisher Janet Silver, downsized during the Harcourt merger, is now taking her authors to Nan A. Talese. According to the Observer, “Silver has formally moved three of her authors to her new list at Doubleday: Monique Truong, Peter Ho Davies and John Pipkin. That leaves about a dozen more, all of whom, according to Ms. Silver, could still end up following her to Doubleday,” including Philip Roth and Jonathan Safran Foer. However, according to Publishers Lunch,

HMH trade and reference president Gary Gentel says that “with distinguished publisher Becky Saletan and a staff of a dozen editors and the smarts of the combined Houghton and Harcourt publicity, sales and marketing departments in place…Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has a bigger presence than ever in the industry and is geared up to publish Philip Roth, Jonathan Safran Foer and an ever-expanding list of award-winning and bestselling authors for many years to come.”

However, The Observer isn’t quite as optimistic as Gentel

The fact that Houghton Mifflin, once a beloved, ambitious literary house, has been all but dismantled as a result of the Harcourt merger, suggests that authors will be even more eager to jump ship now…