David Roth-Ey, the editorial director for both HarperPerennial and the Harper paperback imprint, is heading to HarperCollins UK, where he’ll be the director for that house’s audio and e-book lines. Replacing him at East 53rd Street is Cal Morgan, who will retain his current title as an executive editor for Harper, continuing to acquire for the hardcover division while overseeing the trade paperback strategy.
“I just love and adore David,” said HarperPerennial publisher Carrie Kania when I called her yesterday about the personnel changes, “and I’m so excited that he has this opportunity to move to London, even though it’s devastating to me personally. When I started to think about who I could replace him with, the first person I thought of was Cal.” I asked Kania what the new duties for Morgan, who built his reputation for cultivating bestsellers as the editorial director at ReganBooks, meant in terms of the company’s plans for the paperback line. “HarperCollins is dedicated to trade paperbacks as an important format,” Kania said, “and Cal’s experience in marketing and packaging is going to be invaluable to us. Bringing him in underscores everything we’ve been saying about our commitment, and I’m really looking forward to working with him.” Morgan and Roth-Ey both assume their new responsibilities on September 10.