Jan Johnson will be leaving her post as publisher of the Red Wheel/Weiser group of imprints, becoming publisher emerita. Johnson, who has led the group since November 2000, will no longer focus on the day-to-day operations at the publisher and, instead, continue to work with select authors. She will also, according to RWW, work on developing "special projects and new ventures."
Together with RWW president Michael Kerber, Johnson purchased Samuel Weiser publishing in 2000. Previously, Johnson worked at Tuttle Publishing, HarperOne (when it was known as HarperSanFrancisco), and Winston/Seabury Press.
“I’ve worked in book publishing since 1972, which kind of seems like the dark ages now," said Johnson. "There have been so many exciting and unforeseeable changes over the past four decades. I’m looking forward to discovering new ways of doing things and finding new projects to pursue.”
With Johnson's departure, Kerber will be taking a more "direct role in the publishing program," and associate publishers Caroline Pincus and Greg Brandenburgh will "continue and expand their roles in acquisition and operations."
