Larry Kirshbaum Leaving Amazon.com in January, Daphne Durham Takes Over Publishing Role

Posted on October 25, 2013

Daphne Durham is taking over for Larry Kirshbaum as the new head of Amazon Publishing. Kirshbaum is leaving Amazon on January 17, 2014, although his contract isn't up until spring, 2014. Kirshbaum says he is going back to being a literary agent according to Digital Bookworld.

Daphne Durham, the editor in chief of Amazon Publishing will take over for the departing Kirshbaum. Durham will oversee all of Amazon's adult trade and children's publishing and will remain in Seattle. The news of Kirshbaum's departure was met with glee inside New York publishing houses who see it as a sign that Amazon will pull back on on its plans to dominate the book industry after it met stiff resistance from booksellers in carrying its titles. A spokesman for Amazon told Digital Bookworld that those rumors are not true and that the New York office will continue to expand in the future. She said, that they will be launching new imprints soon.

The rumor mill says Amazon is unhappy with Kirshbaum because of that nasty sexual harassment suit filed against him in August and this is fallout from that. But the official word is that Amazon will miss him and is sorry to see him go. Amazon did stop short of saying that he is leaving "to spend time with his family," so at least we were spared that cliche.