Little, Brown names Reagan Arthur publisher

Reagan Arthur will become publisher of Little, Brown, the company announced Thursday. The move is scheduled to take place on April 1, when current publisher Michael Pietsch will become CEO.

“Soon after Reagan Arthur arrived at Little, Brown, one of our sales reps told me, ‘I’ll read anything Reagan recommends.’” Pietch said in a news release. “Reagan was born to the work of publishing, she understands it deeply, she possesses a publisher’s relentlessness and charm, and she is hungry for more.”

Arthur has had her own imprint at Little, Brown, which is part of Hachette, one of the big six publishers. The bestsellers she has racked up include Tina Fey’s “Bossypants,” Elizabeth Kostava’s “The Historian” and books by George Pelecanos, Ian Rankin and Kate Atkinson. The imprint will be closed as Arthur moves into her new position, and the authors will published by Little, Brown.

“I’m thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to work with some of the greatest writers and colleagues in the business,” Arthur said. “Michael is an incredibly tough act to follow, but I’ve been lucky to learn from him, and I’m excited to be part of this next chapter in Little, Brown’s 175-year history of publishing important, lasting fiction and nonfiction.”

If there is a downside to the news, it’s that with her new responsibilities, Arthur’s lively Twitter feed may get less offhanded and irreverent. But I’m hoping not.

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