Kloske to Run Riverhead



Geoffrey Kloske has been appointed v-p and publisher at Riverhead Books, with responsibility for directing the strategy of Riverhead's hardcover and trade paperback imprints. Previously v-p and executive editor of the adult trade group at Simon & Schuster, Kloske will start February 13 and report directly to Susan Petersen Kennedy, president of Penguin Group. He is expected to add an editor soon.

Kennedy Leaving Globe Pequot

Linda Kennedy will step down as president of Globe Pequot Press January 31 after serving in that role since 1994. Kennedy said she had been thinking about leaving "for quite a while," and was looking forward to spending more time with her family. Under Kennedy's leadership, Globe, which is owned by Morris Communications, made a number of acquisitions and dramatically expanded its distribution business.

Big Gains At MHE

Revenue at Mc-Graw-Hill Education rose 11.5%, to $2.7 billion in 2005, while operating profit increased 20.6%, to $410.2 million. Sales in the school group jumped 18.5%, to $1.5 billion, while revenue in its higher education, professional and international group, rose 3.5%, to $1.2 billion.

MHC sees "modest revenue growth" for the entire MHE group in 2006 as softer sales in the school group offset gains in college. The company expects the entire school market to be flat to down 4% next year, with the college market up by 6% and MHE beating that number.

Reorg at Tokyopop

As part of a companywide reorganization, Tokyopop has eliminated six positions from its 100-person staff. Among those leaving the company is Steve Kleckner, v-p sales and distribution at Tokyopop, who said his departure stemmed from differences about where the manga market is going." Mike Kiley, editor-in-chief of Tokyopop, said the manga market "is maturing; it's a different, more competitive landscape, and growth is challenging. We have to make changes to keep the company profitable."

Pearson Buys Promissor

Pearson has acquired Promissor, Houghton Mifflin's professional testing company, for $42 million. Pearson will combine Promissor with Pearson VUE, its professional testing company.

Pohlman Up At Harcourt

Tina Pohlman has been promoted from editor of Harcourt's Harvest Books imprint to editorial director. Pohlman took the job after Houghton Mifflin announced she would be coming on board as editorial director of trade paperbacks. At Harvest, Pohlman has edited and acquired the National Book Award finalist Florida by Christina Schutt and Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners.

Singh to HM

Anjali Singh has joined Houghton Mifflin as senior editor. Singh, who worked as a scout for foreign publishers at Mary Anne Thompson Associates, was most recently at Vintage Books, where she acquired for both Knopf and Pantheon. Best known for discovering graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi—she edited and translated (from French) the author's bestselling memoirs Persepolis and Persepolis 2—Singh has published a number of lauded graphic works, including David B's Epileptic and Joann Sfar's The Rabbi's Cat. Singh begins at Houghton February 20.

Trump Sues TWBG

Donald Trump has filed a defamation of character lawsuit against Warner Books and one of its authors, Timothy L. O'Brien. Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for claims that O'Brien, a business reporter at the Times, made in his October 2005 book TrumpNation. The suit claims that O'Brien knowingly printed false statements underestimating Trump's net worth. Warner stands by its author.

Gore, Ashcroft Make Deals

Two Beltway heavy hitters have announced book deals. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft has signed on to do his memoir for Warner Books' Center Street imprint. The as-yet-untitled book is set for a 2006 release. Former v-p and one-time presidential hopeful Al Gore also has a book in the works, a tome on global warming, to be published by Rodale. An Inconvenient Truth is slated to hit stores in April.

Big Earth's Fourth Buy

Big Earth Publishing has acquired Trails Books and Prairie Oak Press from Trails Media Group. The deal adds 115 titles on sports, gardening, travel and cooking aimed at the Midwest.