Hachette Book Group is in the process of revamping its sales department, an effort that has eliminated some positions, including two VP roles, and reenvisioned others. The reorganization follows last fall’s appointment of Lauren Monaco as EVP and group sales director, succeeding the retiring Alison Lazarus.
In a memo sent to employees late last week, Monaco outlined the changes, which an HBG spokesperson said are “designed to strengthen HBG’s customer relationships, bring our books to market as effectively as possible, and to position the team to identify and capitalize on marketplace opportunities."
As part of the restructuring, HBG has posted eight new openings, among them national account managers for a number of huge clients, including Barnes & Noble, Readerlink, Target, and Walmart. (The postings can be found in PW Job Zone.) “The reorganization of the team will allow us to be nimble and market focused, ensuring our sales team is aligned with opportunities for growth in the market,” the spokesperson added.
The changes in the HBG sales department are coming at a time when the HarperCollins sales operation has also been undergoing a restructuring under Ed Spade, who was named president of sales last year. Earlier this week, HC made a number of promotions following the departure of Mary Beth Thomas and buyouts offered to other sales department employees.
In addition to the restructurings at HC and HBG both occurring under new leadership, both companies, like most publishers, are looking for new ways to improve the discoverability of books—particularly for frontlist titles—as many new books struggle to find readers.
