Checking in With Jann (Wenner, That Is)
by Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 2/23/2006
Who says you need an editor-in-chief to run a publishing program? Not Jann Wenner. After Robert Wallace bowed out of the top spot at the magazine mogul's 2004-launched book imprint this fall (PW, 10/31/05), mum's been the word about his replacement. Now, after checking in with the Rolling Stone/Men's Journal/US Weekly publisher about Wenner Books and its book plans, PW found that the imprint is forging ahead without an official leader.
According to Wenner Media publicity manager Erica Kestenbaum the company is "not actively looking" to fill Wallace's vacated position, and that in-house editor Corey Seymour is handling the workload. Wenner Books, Kestenbaum said, has a "full catalog" for spring, summer and fall. Seven books are scheduled for 2006 (with distribution still through Hyperion); titles on the music and pop culture-centric slate include the May-scheduled Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews and Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson: An Oral History (planned for October). Kestenbaum said the imprint's six-person staff is working on, and pursuing, new projects that "extend our magazines' brands." No word yet on whether that extension will include more than seven titles a year.|
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