Simon & Schuster Publisher Reorganizes

By Jason Boog 

s&slogo23.jpgIn a series of memos today, Simon & Schuster publisher Jonathan Karp announced some changes at the trade imprint–dividing publicity and marketing responsibilities among “fluid” and “less centralized” teams of publishing professionals.

Along with this new strategy, executive director of publicity, Victoria Meyer, will be leaving the company. Karp explained: “it became clear that we could not maintain the role of an executive director of publicity within this new structure.”

Karp said the new team structure will take effect in 2011. Generally, the teams will consist of two editors, two publicists, and one marketing specialist. These teams will “propose, develop, and execute their own publicity and marketing plans, from the moment of acquisition through paperback publication.”

These teams will consult with associate publisher Aileen Boyle and Karp. Director of publicity Tracey Guest will serve as the primary media contact for the imprint. Karp called this new structure the “publishing environment most conducive to focused concentration on our authors.”

On Twitter, a few publishing folk started analyzing the reorganization at the #simonreorg hashtag. Karp assumed his position in June, taking over for David Rosenthal.