Sanj Kharbanda has been named director of sales and marketing at Beacon Press, the 163-year-old independent publisher based in Boston. Kharbanda’s appointment, which is effective June 5, was announced on May 31 by Beacon’s longtime director, Helene Atwan. 

Kharbanda, a member of Beacon’s Board of Advisors since 2014, has thrived at the intersection of books, marketing, and transformative technology for over twenty years. He was most recently Senior Vice President, Digital Markets at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he worked for eleven years.  Kharbanda also has experience at the store level, beginning in publishing as a bookseller and store manager at WordsWorth Books in Cambridge, MA. An innovative marketer, Kharbanda has worked on a wide range of books, including New York Times bestsellers Fun Home and The God Delusion. “As a member of the Board of Advisors, I have had the opportunity to work with Helene, Tom, and others at Beacon Press for quite a few years,” he commented. “I have long been impressed with their passion for book publishing and with the remarkable titles they acquire, edit, and market. I am thrilled to be part of the team and contribute to the success of Beacon and its mission.” 

This additional hire was made possible by several successful years of record-setting sales, combined with a move by associate publisher Tom Hallock, who has been with the press for two decades, to part-time status. “I am excited Sanj is joining us at a time of increasing interest in the important stories that Beacon authors have to tell. At the same time, this transition provides me with added time to pursue my interests in political and electoral organizing.” 

“We are delighted to have Sanj joining our staff, particularly as he brings us both a rich range of experience and such a sharp focus on the tech-filled future,” Atwan said in making the announcement. “He has been an invaluable advisor to us for several years and now he will become a key part of our staff.” 

Hallock will continue as associate publisher while handing over many of his sales and marketing responsibilities to Kharbanda. He will increasingly turn towards special projects, including the migration of the press to a new title management system, enhancing the backlist and audio lines, and developing new business opportunities for the press.