John F. Baker Retires, But Will Keep Hand In

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 9/13/2004

After 31 years with Publishers Weekly, John F. Baker, PW's editorial director and former editor-in-chief, is retiring this month from day-to-day participation in the magazine, but will continue to provide reporting on rights transactions and on English-language publishing outside the U.S.

Nora Rawlinson, editor-in-chief of PW, said, "John Baker saw this magazine through a time of upheavals in the book publishing business. His prodigious memory, insight and love of the business are a great resource to us all. Happily, even though he is technically retiring, he will still be contributing those qualities to the magazine."

Baker will continue to work on Rights Alert, Hot Deals and the British and Canadian publishing supplements. He will also contribute occasional feature articles and attend the major international book fairs in Frankfurt and London as PW's international correspondent.

Virtually synonymous with PW over the course of a distinguished career in publishing journalism, Baker joined PW in 1973 as managing editor of the magazine. He was named editor-in-chief of PW in 1980 and appointed editorial director in 1990.

Baker's e-mail address (jobaker@reedbusiness.com) will remain the same. He can be reached at Barbara Braun Associates, (212) 604-9023.