Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is reorganizing into "three discrete units," leading to the creation of a new position, a number of promotions and three job eliminations, according to Rick Richter, president of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Ruben Pfeffer, senior v-p and publisher, children's trade, will continue to lead the trade group--S&S Books for Young Readers, Atheneum and Margaret K. McElderry Books. Emma Dryden has been promoted to v-p and publisher, Atheneum and Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Justin Chanda has been promoted to v-p and publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Valerie Garfield, v-p and publisher, media tie-in and novelty, will continue to lead the Little Simon, Simon Spotlight, Little Simon Inspirations and Simon Scribbles imprints. Bethany Buck has been promoted to v-p and publisher to lead a new combined unit, Aladdin/Pulse.
The position of associate publisher or deputy publisher has been added to each of these three publishing units. S&S will recruit an associate publisher for the trade publishing group. Alyson Grubard, director of brand management, will take on the role of associate publisher for the novelty and media tie-in unit. Mara Anastas, currently v-p, sales and subsidiary rights, will assume the role of v-p, deputy publisher of the Aladdin/Pulse group. Effective March 10, Stephanie Voros, currently director of subsidiary rights at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, will join S&S as v-p of subsidiary rights.
As a result of the restructuring, Dee Anne Grande, formerly with Little Simon Inspirations, Susan Burke of Atheneum and Renne Fountain in subsidiary rights have all been laid off.
Richter said that in conjunction with these changes, the children's division "will adopt a new vertical publishing structure in which the individual imprints will now be responsible for both the hardcover and paperback publication of their titles." Aladdin/Pulse will originate publications in both hardcover and paperback "with a special emphasis on middle grade and teen titles."