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| Ron Shoop (courtesy Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore) |
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Ron Shoop, longtime sales rep in the Bay Area, died January 16. He was 74. He was a sales rep for Penguin Random House for more than 21 years, first with Bantam Doubleday Dell, and then Random House, until his retirement in 2016.
In a memo to staff, Jaci Updike, president, sales PRH U.S., gave a warm, detailed appreciation of Shoop, saying, in part, "Ron loved selling all our books. Literary first novels. Bestselling authors. Genre titles. Backlist. He made you care about each of them. While doing so, he pioneered the role of rep as a leader in community outreach, building strong relationships not only with his colleagues in the field and in New York, but also with authors, local media, bloggers, social-media influencers, and librarians. He was one of the very first reps to understand that it takes an army to launch a new-writer voice, and to take an inclusive approach in creating local excitement around many of our major titles, in one of the most important book markets in America.
"Ron was also a tremendous advocate for new independents, helping to train a generation of booksellers in the Bay area. To quote the booksellers at Mrs. Dalloway's in Berkeley, the bookstore in which Ron chose to work after his retirement, 'Ron was one of the foundational bricks in all aspects of book life in the Bay area.'
"As a colleague, Ron was a true and constant gentleman, ever generous with his time and advice, especially for new reps who were just learning our ropes. There was an ever-present twinkle in his eye, and in difficult circumstances he always knew just what needed saying. His optimism, dry wit, and kindness were a source of comfort and inspiration for many of us, in sales, as well as on the publishing side.
"On a personal note, I counted Ron as a dear friend as well as a wonderful colleague. He had this knack for offering up advice in such a way that you would leave thinking you had been struck by inspiration, only to recollect later that Ron had given you a dose of his own humorously offered wisdom. His warm bear hugs will be missed most."