Twelve years ago, Ned Rust was the lone employee on James Patterson's team at Hachette Book Group (then Time Warner Book Group), working as what was then "radically" (as he put it) called a brand manager. At the time, Patterson was publishing two adult titles a year. "People were worried it was just too fast a clip," Rust said, and that "readers wouldn't be able to keep up."
As Patterson became much more prolific-he is expected to publish eight adult titles in 2016-his team at HBG's Little, Brown division has grown as well. Rust, who was recently promoted to v-p and James Patterson publishing director, heads a group of 16 employees dedicated to Patterson's publishing efforts, which includes the staff working on Patterson's new children's imprint, Jimmy Patterson Books.
