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Publishing world pays tribute to exec and Brooklynite Erika Seyfried, found dead in river accident

August 31, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
The late publishing executive and Brooklynite Erika Seyfried and her dog. Photo courtesy of Vermont State Police
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The book publishing world on Tuesday mourned and paid tribute to Penguin Random House executive and Brooklyn resident Erika Greber Seyfried, whose body was discovered in the Saxtons River in Westminster, Vermont, on Monday.

She was last seen around 11 a.m. Sunday when she had gone for a walk with her dog while in the area vacationing with her husband, Elijah Seyfried. She was reported missing about 8 p.m. on Sunday.

On Monday, members of the Vermont State Police dive team located her body in the river. According to the Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer, the pool where she was found “is a short distance upstream from the notorious Twin Falls, which is also on the Saxtons River, where more than a dozen people have drowned while swimming over the past decades.”

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Seyfried, according to her LinkedIn page, was a vice president at Penguin Random House and was most recently vice president of digital strategy and consumer engagement. In this position, she led “PRH’s email, e-commerce, content marketing, and advertising teams with the objective to accelerate growth by executing strategies that drive significant increases in website traffic, conversion rates and revenue.”

A spokesperson for Penguin Random House told The Bookseller, a publishing website and magazine, “We are devastated by the loss of our colleague Erika Seyfried, 36, who died in Vermont on Sunday … Her reader-centric approach to consumers, her social media prowess, and her tireless nurturing of or authors earned her reverence throughout our company and our industry. With her forward-looking, inclusive approach to every team and project she led, Erika was the embodiment of what we all hope for in a colleague, and friend.”

The statement added, “Our thoughts are with Erika’s family, loved ones, and our colleagues who worked with her and adored her.”

Before her most recent position with the publisher, she held the title of director of digital campaigns and media planning, also with Penguin Random House. As such, she evaluated and implemented advertising and promotion strategies, headed a department charged with implementing ways to drive sales via digital campaigns, tracked sales and trend reports to identify opportunities for growth, and more.

Bill Schweigart, a novelist, wrote on Twitter, “Devastated to see this. I only worked a bit with Erika, but every interaction brought me pure joy. I can only imagine how many other writers she delighted and how many people’s lives she enriched. Wishing her loved ones and PRH teammates love and peace.”

Seyfried’s neighborhood was listed as “South Brooklyn” by Whitepages.com. Her dog, a 7-month-old golden retriever, has not yet been found, sources said.


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1 Comment

  1. *9

    Virtually no useful information generates speculation. Odd that her dog would not be anywhere nearby. Maybe her dog jumped in and immediately got into trouble and she may have jumped in to help, v. foul play. Surprised the cops seem certain this is accidental, but again, no useful info to indicate one way, or the other.

    August 31, 2021 at 9:17 pm
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