Portfolio: BOOK PUBLISHING LEADERSHIP.
Working with authors I admired on books America loved.
I had the privilege of joining Penguin Random House at a pivotal moment in the company’s history. Penguin and Random House merged six months into my tenure, creating the world’s largest publishing company. Shortly thereafter, the publishing industry experienced massive shifts in sales and pricing models that changed the way the industry did business. That gave me the opportunity to understand the publishing process, help authors in a meaningful way, and lead my colleagues in the new environment.
As Book Country Director, I oversaw the business and daily operations for the online writing and publishing community. I connected authors to their peers in over sixty different literary categories. My leadership more than doubled site membership, helping thousands of writers workshop their books. I also increased our social media reach by over eighty percent. To further connect and support writers at all stages of development, I established creative partnerships with creative writing BFA and MFA programs, and the team behind National Novel Writing Month. My work sparked interest: I was quoted in Forbes, interviewed on the radio and book-industry podcasts, and spoke to audiences at Harvard Business School and Digital Book World. While I loved the challenge of lifting a start-up experiment into a business, the most fulfilling aspect of this role was working with writers as they set goals and accomplished their dreams.
I was promoted into the Publisher’s office at the Berkley and NAL imprints as Digital Publishing Director, and then promoted again into the President’s office to support the entire Penguin adult division. I worked with authors to create and manage digital strategies, including marketing, websites, social media, and best practices. I worked with publishers to set pricing and sales strategies. I worked with editors, publicists, and marketers on author acquisition, skill enhancement, and book metadata (the way a reader can find a book online). I taught colleagues how to apply data and analytics, as well as understand new tools. I worked with the Book Industry Study Group to create categories for books and set guidelines for the industry. I helped create a more inclusive publishing landscape, working with leadership on the company’s first diversity and inclusion initiatives.
I was promoted again to lead DK’s North American publishing program, as VP, Publishing. I oversaw the full publishing list; managed a team of talented editors, designers, and publishers; directed operations for the United States and Canada; and, served on the global leaders team. I continued working with the Book Industry Study Group and, with a team of colleagues, wrote the industry standards to help publishers navigate the complex world of book metadata. I also continued to guide audiences of writers and publishing executives by speaking at Book Expo America, Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, Digital Publishing Innovation Summit, among others.
Prior to my experience at Penguin Random House, I also worked as an editor at a small book publishing company based in Illinois. I started my publishing career as an intern for the late, great literary agent, Jane Jordan Browne. Full CV available here.
My strategies helped create bestsellers — and a better publishing landscape for authors, agents, publishers, readers, and retailers. Best of all, I had the opportunity to work with an incredible group of people and share their stories with the world. Here are some of my favorites:
