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Priscilla Painton, the former deputy managing editor of Time magazine has been hired by Simon and Schuster to run the adult trade imprint.

David Rosenthal, Simon & Schuster's publisher, said he had hired Ms. Painton because he wanted to "bring someone with a very fresh perspective of things." Ms. Painton, 49, had been at Time for nearly two decades before she resigned, working first as a reporter and then as an editor. Before being appointed deputy managing editor, she served as Time's executive editor, which made her the highest-ranking woman editor in the history of the magazine.

At Simon & Schuster, Ms. Painton will acquire and edit books as well as oversee a team of nine editors. Until now, the editors have reported to Alice Mayhew, who is Simon & Schuster's editorial director. Ms. Mayhew will continue to acquire and edit titles and will report to Mr. Rosenthal, as will Ms. Painton.

"I just felt the strong need to launch a second career," Ms. Painton said. She said she saw publishing as complementary to her experience and that her network of contacts could serve as a pool for possible authors.

Mr. Rosenthal said he hoped Ms. Painton's media connections would benefit the publishing house. "Media is critical to how we publicize and promote our books, so a sophisticated knowledge of that ain't a bad thing to have," he said.

It's an interesting hire: Ms. Painton's media connections apparently weighed heavily in the decision. She worked at Time for twenty years, first as a reporter and then as an editor.

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