Eyes of the Editor: Inside the Book Business

Discover the behind-the-scenes of publishing with some of the business’s hottest editors. Editors Angela Kim (Berkley), Kate Napolitano (Dey Street), Nadxieli Nieto (Flatiron Books), Shannon Jamieson Vazquez (Little,Brown), will share what they do, what they’re seeking, the state of the industry, and how books come to be. Brave participants are encouraged to send in the first paragraphs of their novels or non-fiction manuscripts for brief editor feedback. Moderated by Literary Cleveland Board President Brandi Larsen.

*Optional: Attendees may submit the first paragraph and up-to-one-paragraph synopsis of their novel or non-fiction manuscript by JULY 15. Submissions will be read aloud at the event. We will do our best to discuss as many submissions as possible during the event but can't guarantee we'll get to every page. Please note: submission is for personal growth and feedback only and does not denote editor acceptance, request, or publication. To get editor feedback on your work, enter here. 

PRESENTERS

Shannon Jamieson Vazquez has been an editor of award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles for over two decades, specializing in mystery/suspense/thriller as well as true crime and narrative nonfiction. She is currently with Little, Brown (Hachette), and was previously at Berkley (Penguin) and Bantam Dell (Random House), plus has worked with small presses, university presses, and freelance editorial clients.

Angela Kim is an assistant editor at Berkley (PRH), acquiring romance, women’s fiction, mystery, and suspense. She has worked with authors such as Mia P. Manansala, Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, Jennifer J. Chow, and Christina Dalcher. She looks for a fresh voice, sharp humor, and seamless storytelling, and is particularly interested in works by authors from underrepresented communities. Prior to publishing, she worked in government contracting in D.C. as a proposal manager. In her spare time, she roams the parks of Brooklyn, NY with her dog Finn.

Brandi Larsen is a writer, speaker, and coach building a more inclusive publishing landscape. Her work at Penguin Random House helped create NYT bestsellers and her journalism pieces earned Emmy nominations. As a motivational speaker, Brandi’s talks about publishing, leadership, and grief inspire audiences from Zoom to Harvard. She serves as the board president for Literary Cleveland and writes books and essays. UNCULTURED is forthcoming from St. Martin's. Get to know more about her at BrandiLarsen.com.

Kate Napolitano is an executive editor at Dey Street, focusing on non-fiction in the categories of humor, pop culture, memoir and narrative non-fiction. She aims to publish books that entertain and inform, and is passionate about working with authors who can contribute to and shape our cultural conversation about gender, race, and class in an accessible way. Prior to joining Dey Street, she was a senior editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where she edited the New York Times bestsellers NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS by humorist Cazzie David; MAKE CHANGE by activist Shaun King; THE LAST BOOK ON THE LEFT from the horror-comedy podcast Last Podcast on the Left; and THE 99% INVISIBLE FIELD GUIDE TO THE CITY by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt; as well as TIME Magazine Best Book of 2020 CAN’T EVEN: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by culture writer Anne Helen Petersen. Before joining HMH, Kate was a senior editor at Plume/Blue Rider Press, where she published New York Times bestselling authors Mamrie Hart, Reza Farazmand, Phoebe Robinson, and George Watsky, among others.

Nadxieli Nieto is an editor of literary and cross-genre fiction, nonfiction, and art books, including the anthologies Tiny Nightmares, Tiny Crimes and Gigantic Worlds; the award-winning Carteles Contra Una Guerra; and others. She is executive editor at Flatiron Books and on the board of Latinx in Publishing. She has published work by writers such as Carmen Maria Machado, Charles Yu, Danielle Evans, Rion Amilcar Scott, and Lilliam Rivera, and is the former editor of several award-winning literary journals, including NOON with Diane Williams, and the former director of PEN America's Literary Awards. Her work has appeared in Buzzfeed, Vice, The New York Tyrant, and elsewhere and her collaborative artist books may be found in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Details: Eyes of the Editor: Inside the Book Business takes place Wednesday, July 21 from 7-8:30pm remotely through Zoom.