Ailen Lujo Named Humanoids’ Sales Director; Salbacka Promoted

French-owned Los Angeles-based graphic novel publisher Humanoids has hired Ailen Lujo, former DC Comics executive director of book trade marketing, as its new sales & marketing director as part of a reorganization of its sales and marketing dept.

Lujo will oversee distribution, sales and marketing for all of Humanoids English-language publishing in print and digital. Lujo will report to Humanoids COO Alex Donoghue. Lujo has more than 20 years experience in the book trade. She began her career at Soho Press, and during her tenure at DC she was instrumental in launching its DC Black Label, DC Ink and DC Zoom book-trade focused imprints.

As part of the reorganization of sales and marketing, Humanoids has promoted sales & marketing assistant Harley Salbacka to the newly created position of sales representative. Salbacka will work with direct market retailers as well as booksellers and librarians. Before joining Humanoids in 2018, Salbacka worked for years in comic book retail in addition to being an educator.

In addition, Andrea Torres has joined Humanoids as sales and marketing assistant. Before joining Humanoids she was an editorial assistant at a university press, a digital marketing intern at a NYC trade publisher, and has attended the Denver Publishing Institute

Salbacka and Torres will report directly to Lujo.

The restructuring of Humanoids sales and marketing comes as the publishing house expands its program beyond epic classic European science-fiction into new markets. Over the last two years the house has added new imprints focused on kids and young adults, and adult memoir, as well as H1, the house’s foray into a superhero-driven universe, which will launch in early June.

Humanoids CEO and Publisher Fabrice Giger described Lujo as an example of “invaluable veteran leadership,” and said she will bring “book trade publishing expertise to Humanoids at a crucial time for the company’s continued evolution.”