Hyperion

Cum Laude, that Cecily von Ziegesar book for grown-ups we wrote about last week, has found a home at Hyperion, where it was acquired by publisher Ellen Archer, possibly as part of a two-book deal.  read more »

Pam Dorman had been an editor at Penguin Viking for 19 years when she announced in 2006 that she was leaving to become the editorial director of Voice, an imprint of Hyperion dedicated mainly to women's fiction. Today she announced that she is returning to Viking to start her own eponynous imprint.  read more »

The publishing world was stunned yesterday by two major resignations, as Rob Weisbach, founding president of Weinstein Books, and Bob Miller, founding president of Hyperion, both announced that they were vacating their positions to pursue other opportunities.

No word yet on what Mr. Weisbach's next move will be—he hasn't returned our calls, though a Weinstein spokesman told us he does have a job in publishing lined up—but Mr. Miller is heading to HarperCollins, where he will head a new, nontraditional publishing "studio" that will put out 25 short, low-priced hardcover titles per year. Mr. Miller will work with a small staff and report directly to company CEO Jane Friedman, with whom he has been friends for almost 30 years.  read more »

Robert Miller, the founding president of Disney's publishing operation Hyperion, has stepped down to take a job at HarperCollins. Hyperion's publisher Ellen Archer, who has been with the company for nine years, has been promoted to president effective immediately. Ms. Archer will report to Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney-ABC Television Group.

Hyperion loses its president just three months after losing its editor-in-chief Will Schwalbe in January.  read more »

Hyperion, Disney's book-publishing arm, is bringing in Barbara Jones, deputy editor of the women's magazine More, as executive editor. The hire comes just under a month after Hyperion lost its editor-in-chief, Will Schwalbe, who resigned after 11 years at the company to pursue internet-related projects.  read more »

As reported in the Observer three weeks ago, two new books by Latin American author Oscar Hijuelos -- one of them a memoir, the other a novel -- have been sold to two different publishers. Though the deals were all but finalized around Christmas, the books were officially announced today: the memoir, as predicted, will be published by Gotham Books, and the novel, a spin-off of Mr. Hijuelos Pulitzer Prize-winning Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, will be published by Hyperion.

The novel, titled Beautiful Maria of My Soul, is scheduled for 2009, and the memoir, Thinking Without Cigarettes, should follow a year later.

Will Schwalbe spent 11 years at Hyperion, almost seven of them as editor-in-chief. Last week he told the president of the company, Bob Miller, and its publisher, Ellen Archer, that he would resign at the end of next week—not to go to a different publishing house, but to pursue projects the precise nature of which he does not yet know.

Having just completed a day of phone calls with the authors he has been editing at Hyperion and the literary agents who represent them—some of whom were surely distressed to read about Mr. Schwalbe’s imminent departure this morning—Mr. Schwalbe spoke to the Media Mob about his decision to leave, his plans for the future, and the vacuum he will leave behind when he vacates his office.  read more »

Will Schwalbe, editor-in-chief of Disney's publishing arm Hyperion, is leaving the company, according to a memo sent to Hyperion staff today. He has not taken another job elsewhere, the memo said, but is going to "pursue some ideas he has for the next chapter in his career."

Mr. Schwalbe confirmed by phone this afternoon that he is resigning his post.

Full memo after the jump.  read more »