Reconfiguration At Random

by Steven Zeitchik -- Publishers Weekly, 7/19/2004

The Random House Publishing Group is pushing ahead with the integration of the Random and Ballantine sides of the division. Dan Menaker became the editor-in-chief of both in May, and last week the group announced that Tom Perry, director of publicity for Random House, will also assume that role at Ballantine. With Perry's added responsibilities, Random House associate director of publicity Sally Marvin has been promoted to deputy publicity director.

The change also comes with a series of other moves. Kim Hovey, who had previously directed Ballantine publicity, becomes director of marketing for Ballantine, while a new hire, Simon & Schuster's Sanyu Dillon, will be her counterpart on the Random side. Both are new positions; the tasks had been handled by group associate publisher Libby McGuire, to whom both will report.

Spokesperson Carol Schneider said the increasing number of titles drove the need to create new marketing positions, and a desire to give the two publicity departments a central line of reporting helped prompt the expansion of Perry's role. "This is an attempt to have better flow of information while still having [Random and Ballantine] remain separate imprints," she said.