The staff at Touchstone will join either Atria or Gallery Books following the imminent departure of Susan Moldow, president of the Scribner Publishing Group and publisher of Touchstone. The news was announced in a memo to Simon & Schuster staff today, from Adult Publishing president and publisher Jonathan Karp. He said that the imprint will continue to publish its forthcoming titles through the end of the year, but that titles slated for 2019 and beyond will be brought to the Atria and Gallery lists.
"When Susan Moldow alerted us to her retirement at the end of the year, we were given the opportunity to consider Touchstone’s role in the context of our larger adult publishing effort," Karp wrote. "As a standalone imprint, Touchstone has certainly enjoyed its share of successes through the years.... Touchstone also possesses a backlist that any publisher would be happy to own, and which is a vital and central part of Simon & Schuster. Touchstone’s frontlist, however, frequently overlaps with our other adult publishers, particularly Atria and Gallery Books, and I believe that going forward we will be best served by integrating Touchstone’s talented staff within these imprints."
Beginning in January, executive editor Matthew Benjamin, associate editor Kaitlin Olson, executive editor Trish Todd, and editorial assistant Isabella Betita will move to Atria, along with associate director of publicity Shida Carr, publicity assistant Megan Rudloff, and marketing coordinator Isabel DaSilva.
Senior editor Cara Bedick, executive editor Lauren Spiegel, and assistant editor Rebecca Strobel will move to Gallery, along with assistant director of Publicity Jessica Roth and associate publicist Sydney Morris.
Brian Belfiglio, director of publicity at both Scribner and Touchstone, will focus exclusively on Scribner and will report to Nan Graham. Assistant director of marketing Kelsey Manning will also join Scribner.
Associate publisher Meredith Vilarello will manage Touchstone’s backlist. Senior art director Cherlynne Li will leave the company at the end of the year.
