BTW News Briefs

Here’s what’s happening this week in the book industry:

NetGalley has added audio excerpts, giving publishers the option to upload audio clips for any books listed on the site. It plans to introduce full audiobook files by summer 2020.

The merger of Simon & Schuster parent company CBS with Viacom was completed December 5. The new ViacomCBS will have combined sales of about $28 billion.

R. Todd Noden has been promoted to the position of president at Books-A-Million. He was previously both chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Books-A-Million.

James Meader will join Vintage/Anchor as executive director of publicity and social media on December 16. Most recently he was vice president and associate publisher of Macmillan’s Picador imprint.

At Penguin Random House Christian imprints Waterbrook and Multnomah, Laura Barker has been promoted to vice president and publisher, and Andrew Stoddard is now editorial director. 

The executive director of publicity for Knopf and Pantheon, Paul Bogaards, has been promoted to the additional role of deputy publisher.

George Witte has been promoted to senior vice president and editor-in-chief of the St. Martin’s publishing group.

Children's author Tom Palmer won the Ruth Rendell Award for his work raising literacy levels in the U.K.

The Center for Fiction named In West Mills by De'Shawn Charles Winslow (Bloomsbury) the winner of its 2019 First Novel Prize.