Jennifer Enderlin

President and Publisher

If you are visiting the editorial team page on our website, it’s with the eye to know who we are and what we do. Our lists are as varied as the personalities here, and I’m thrilled to be overseeing publishing programs at SMP. But for me, personally, as an editor, it boils down to this: I want to discover books that surprise me and make me feel something. Whether that’s the joy of a mother’s reunion with her child or the terror of a woman discovering something very unexpected or sinister about her past, I want to find authors who make me look at the world in a way I haven’t prior to reading his or her words. In addition to being publisher, I also edit a few of my beloved authors including: Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Hannah, Chevy Stevens, C. J. Box, Diane Chamberlain, Lisa Lillien a.k.a. Hungry Girl, Sarah Addison Allen, Katherine Center, Sarah Pekkanen, Sally Hepworth, Jamie Day, Michele Campbell, Rob Bell, and Nina de Gramont.

I have always believed that there is nothing more thrilling, deep-down soul satisfying, than reading someone’s work and then (literally or figuratively) grabbing someone else by the lapels and saying, “You have got to read this.”

George Witte

S.V.P., Editor in Chief, St. Martin’s Publishing Group

As editor in chief, I’m responsible for managing many of our editors, connecting them with authors, agents, and ideas, and helping them plan and publish books in the best way. St. Martin’s publishes across the entire spectrum of books; our list offers breadth and depth to all kinds of readers. Discovery, energy, and commitment to authors are the driving forces of our house.

I publish commercial, voice-driven books on politics, current affairs and issues, investigative journalism, memoir, narrative nonfiction, sports/adventure, popular science—and the occasional literary novel, if it’s right for me. Nonfiction highlights include The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin; The Threat by Andrew G. McCabe; If You Want Something Done by Nikki Haley; Aid State by Jake Johnston; Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara; Buses Are a Comin’ by Charles Person and Richard Rooker; Sixty One by Chris Paul; The Reckoning by Mary Trump; After by Bruce Greyson; A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth by Henry Gee; and the Killing series by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. Notable fiction: Thorn Tree by Max Ludington, Rednecks by Taylor Brown, Eli’s Promise by Ronald Balson, and All the Ruined Men by Bill Glose.

Kelley Ragland

V.P., Publishing Director, Minotaur Books

I began my career in publishing at St. Martin’s Press in 1993; now I serve as the Publishing Director of Minotaur Books, our celebrated crime imprint, and I also acquire and edit about ten books a year for Minotaur. Leading Minotaur’s quest to publish the finest and broadest range of today’s crime and mystery fiction is my number one goal. Personally, my taste in crime and thriller runs the gamut but focuses on the more serious and deeply drawn, but is always on the commercial side; furthermore, I am looking for authors with an eye on building a career, not publishing just one book. Some of my recent books include New York Times bestsellers C. J. Box’s Treasure State, Louise Penny’s A World of Curiosities and Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark, and Amy Chua’s The Golden Gate. In addition, I work with several longtime genre superstars like Kelley Armstrong, Rhys Bowen, Allison Brennan, and David Rosenfelt. Upcoming titles include Brian Panowich’s Nothing But the Bones, Thomas Mullen’s The Rumor Game, and Stacy Willingham’s Only if You’re Lucky.

What speaks most to me is a strong narrative voice with a commercial bent, usually somewhere at the crossroads of quality writing and commercial landscapes; if a book tells a gripping story, launches the career of a promising writer, is race-to-the-last-page unputdownable, or introduces unforgettable characters, it just might be for me.

Catherine Richards

Editorial Director, Minotaur Books

Having begun my career at Pan Macmillan UK, in early 2017 I moved across to Minotaur Books at St. Martin’s Press. I’m excited to be a part of the dynamic Minotaur team where every book is given focus, energy, and creativity from acquisition to publication and beyond.

I’m actively looking for thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and psychological thrillers at the upmarket end of commercial—in particular female and diverse voices. I love when a writer can create a totally immersive experience for the reader; having you turning the pages, heedless of your surroundings. For me, the secret sauce is a compulsive plot driven by an emotional heart: complex relationships with secrets that threaten them; ordinary people pushed by extraordinary circumstances; small, close-knit communities with a dark core. I also love books that can offer a spin on traditional crime fiction tropes, and I have embraced the recent trend for sharply humorous voice-driven mysteries.

I’m proud to publish several New York Times bestselling authors, including Ann Cleeves, whose Shetland, Vera, and Two Rivers series are also all major TV series; queen of domestic suspense B.A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors; Elle Cosimano, author of the beloved Finlay Donovan series, a hilarious and heartfelt crime romp about a single mom who accidentally becomes a hit-woman; and Sandie Jones, author of the twisty and thrilling Reese’s Book Club pick, The Other Woman.

My list also includes Alex Finlay, who writes character-driven and pulse-pounding thrillers including the forthcoming If Something Happens to Me; the acclaimed Ausma Zehanat Khan, whose latest series features a Muslim police officer whose investigations intersect with issues of policing in minority communities; Mariah Fredericks, whose recent novels The Lindbergh Nanny and The Wharton Plot reimagine famous 20th century crimes through a unique lens; Anna Downes, whose forthcoming Red River Road is an atmospheric, bone-chilling tale of a woman searching for her missing sister in the beautiful wilds of Western Australia. New to my list are Kat Ailes, whose charming and laugh-out-loud funny debut The Expectant Detectives features a group of pregnant amateur sleuths, and Catherine Mack, with her hilarious romp and sharp riff on the world of publishing, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.

Eileen Rothschild

VP, Associate Publisher, Wednesday Books
Executive Editor, St. Martin’s Publishing Group

I started my publishing career at Macmillan in 2007 working on math and chemistry textbooks. Since then, I have held roles in sales and marketing with the ultimate goal of finding an audience for fantastic and unique voices. I fell in love with the excitement of reading a special new voice for the first time and have found my true passion in editorial. As an Executive Editor I use the skills learned in my various roles to help create lasting careers.

On the fiction side I gravitate toward commercial stories with a fabulous hook and a captivating voice. I am always on the lookout for the type of read that stays with you long after you finish the last page. The one that makes you fall in love, cry and jump for joy. Maybe even all at once! Both adult and young adult. My fiction list includes Reese Witherspoon pick and New York Times bestseller Fable by Adrienne Young, swoony and sexy The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy and the blockbuster Tik Tok sensations Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao.

On the non-fiction side I love sharp voices and compelling narratives. I am actively looking for women’s health and mind/body/spirit titles. My non-fiction list includes Here & Hereafter by Tyler Henry, A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings, and Momma Cusses by TikTok star Gwenna Laithland. I want to be moved, to learn something, to feel something, to be so excited I want to shout to everyone that will listen…and I am waiting for the next book to do that.

Sara Goodman

V.P., Editorial Director, Wednesday Books

I started at St. Martin’s Press in 2007 as an Editorial Assistant and am now the founder, VP and Editorial Director of Wednesday Books, our crossover young adult imprint. We publish bold, diverse voices for the young adult reader, offering a boutique publishing experience within the powerhouse that is the St. Martin’s Publishing Group. We are innovators in our field with a dedicated team of book lovers and book advocates working on every title.

In the course of my career here I’ve worked with bestselling authors Rainbow Rowell, Hayley Kiyoko, Kim Liggett, Dana Schwartz, Courtney Summers, and more. I’ve worked on the story anthologies My True Love Gave To Me and Summer Days & Summer Nights with Stephanie Perkins. I also worked on Hurricane Summer and Songs of Irie by former Riverdale star Asha Ashanti Bromfield, two powerful coming-of-age stories set in Jamaica. I love coming-of-age stories of any kind and stories with a strong, emotional storyline at their core, be it a romance or a friendship or the bond between human and animal. I’m looking for contemporary realistic stories as well as grounded speculative stories, and anything with that perfect blend of heart and humor, with big themes that make you think. I love stories that are published for young adults but could be read by adults, too.

Joel Fotinos

V.P., Editorial Director, St. Martin’s Essentials

Welcome to St. Martin’s Essentials, our lifestyle imprint dedicated to books that make lives—and the world—a better place. Since our first book was published in January 2019, St. Martin’s Essentials has hit the ground running. With over 150 books published and in the pipeline, we’ve grown quickly, thoughtfully, and successfully.

And we keep growing.

I’ve been in the book business for many years, and I can’t think of a time I’ve been more excited about upcoming titles. From motivation, soft business, inspiration, wellness, creativity, psychology, and body/mind/spirit, the books of St. Martin’s Essentials are all aimed at bringing the most potent, positive, and practical books, from the best and freshest voices in these genres, to readers both here and around the world.

I’m looking for books that inspire, educate, and motivate. I’m looking for authors who I can work with to bring their genius to the page, so we can reach as many people as possible. The categories I tend to acquire in include high-concept self-help, creativity, soft-business, and spirituality. Recent and upcoming books include Living the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron; Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson; The Body Code by Bradley Nelson; Encounters by D. W. Pasulka; The Stoic Mindset by Mark Tuitert; Manifest in Action by Roxie Nafousi; Writing on Empty by Natalie Goldberg; and Deconstructing by Karla Kamstra. As you can see, I love publishing transformative books by authors who have something important to say, and who are inspiring many with their passion and their brilliance.

Our goal for St. Martin’s Essentials? To become the best lifestyle publisher in the world! A lofty goal? Of course! But why would we strive for anything less?

Marc Resnick

V.P., Editorial Director

I have been working at St. Martin’s Press since 1996. My nonfiction list consists of military combat narratives, sports, and outdoor adventure titles as well as pop culture, music books, and memoirs.

My military list includes the New York Times bestsellers Kill Bin Laden, Seal Team Six, The Red Circle, Trident K9 Warriors, Level Zero Heroes, The Reaper, No Ordinary Dog and Three Wise Men. I also published the 5 million-copy- selling leadership books Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink, as well as Jocko’s Discipline Equals Freedom and HIS other solo projects along with the Jocko Press line of books.

Also on my eclectic nonfiction list are sports books by everyone from Big Papi to Arnold Palmer; and music books Deal, the memoir by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann; and the bestselling biography of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Texas Flood. I published the bestselling narrative histories Dodge City and Tombstone by Tom Clavin and Blood and Treasure and The Last Hill by Clavin and Bob Drury. My award-winning YA nonfiction for boys includes I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior and Navy SEAL Dogs. I am always looking for exciting and unique nonfiction that will appeal to a large, commercial male audience.

Charles Spicer

V.P., Executive Editor

When people ask me what I love about my job, the response is always the same: the variety of books and authors on my list makes every day a fascinating challenge. My list encompasses bestselling commercial fiction, like New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin’s upcoming roman à clef Diva about opera legend Maria Callas or British author Sarah Freethy’s upcoming novel The Porcelain Maker about doomed love during World War II. Crime fiction—mystery and suspense—is a big area for me, and my Minotaur titles include Linda Castillo’s New York Times bestselling Amish series (An Evil Heart) and Tasha Alexander’s New York Times bestselling historical crime series (A Cold Highland Wind), as well as Edgar Award Finalist Paul Doiron’s brilliant mysteries set in Maine (Dead Man’s Wake) and Charles Finch’s critically acclaimed Victorian mysteries (An Extravagant Death).

I enjoy celebrity biographies, like Randy Taraborrelli’s New York Times bestseller Jackie: Public, Private, Secret or Wild by Graham Boynton, which chronicles the life of legendary photographer and socialite Peter Beard. I’ve published many books of true crime, most recently Edgar Award Winner Dan Stashower’s American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper and New York Times bestseller John Glatt’s Tangled Vines about the sensational Murdaugh family murders.

Narrative nonfiction is a favorite of mine, among them John Bainbridge Jr.’s Gun Barons: The Weapons that Transformed America and the Men Who Invented Them and underwater archeologist David Gibbins’ A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks. Works of history and biography I’ve published include Natalie Livingstone’s The Women of Rothschild; Anne Sebba’s Ethel Rosenberg; Laura Thompson’s Heiresses, a fascinating look at inherited wealth throughout history; and Helen Rappaport’s After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War.

Peter J. Wolverton

V.P., Executive Editor

Over the last 30 years, I’ve held many roles—from Associate Publisher to Editorial Director—and I have always enjoyed working closely with authors to create the best possible book. My passion, though, is in the challenge of building established authors and launching the careers of new ones.

My fiction list is broad. I’ve published in almost every genre, but invariably find myself drawn to commercial fiction such as literary thrillers like the bestselling novels by John Hart; speculative fiction in the vein of Jason Pargin; historical novels with a twist akin to the wonderful witchy works of Paula Brackston; groundbreaking epic fantasy with New York Times top ten bestselling Jay Kristoff (The Empire of the Vampire (125k sold)); powerful science fiction with Lindsay Ellis; and quality mysteries from Minotaur authors such as Donna Andrews, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Paula Munier.

I cast a wide net for my nonfiction list and look for sports, memoir, history and science. In recent years I’ve had great success with The Immortality Key (280k sold), the pre-history works of Graham Hancock (460k sold), a riveting history in The Longest Minute by Matthew Davenport and engaging sports books in Tiger & Phil by Bob Harig and The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality by Mike Sielski.

Upcoming titles include How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi by the creators of Nerd Nite; a look at the creation of AI in Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World; two weather related memoirs in A Billion Butterflies and The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue; and Death by Astonishment: The History and Science of the World’s Strangest Drug by Andrew R. Gallimore, PhD.

Tim Bartlett

Executive Editor

I acquire primarily in the areas of narrative nonfiction, business, sports, and politics. My recent books include Rob Copeland’s New York Times bestseller The Fund, József Debreczeni’s Cold Crematorium, McKenzie Funk’s The Hank Show, Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao’s The Friction Project, and Marc Zao-Sanders’ Timeboxing. Other projects include Kim Scott’s landmark bestsellers Radical Respect and Radical Candor; Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr; Safi Bahcall’s national bestseller Loonshots; #1 New York Times bestseller On the House by John Boehner; Preventable by Andy Slavitt, and the New York Times bestseller One Nation After Trump by E.J. Dionne, Thomas Mann, and Norman Ornstein.

Regardless of category, I’m looking for some combination of three elements: strong, provocative argumentation; important subject; and compelling narrative. I particularly enjoy the challenge of conceiving the idea for a book and finding the right author for it, and I’ve commissioned a number of bestselling titles, among them Alan Dershowitz’s Supreme Injustice: How the High Court Hijacked Election 2000, Jed Horne’s Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City, and Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein’s It’s Even Worse Than it Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism.

Elizabeth Beier

Executive Editor

I love the kinds of books I acquire and edit for us at St. Martin’s!

Ranging from wonderfully written fiction, to food and health books with a practical aspect to big personality-based nonfiction, those books are easy to cheer for. And cheering, both in-house and out, is part of an editor’s job.

But so, of course, is editing. And there’s nothing I love more than taking an author—often a first-timer—and helping them develop that seed of “I think I have something people will want to read about” into strong-selling and well- reviewed final form.

In health and diet, two standouts are Gin Stephens’ bestselling intermittent fasting bible, Fast. Feast. Repeat.; and Stephen Perrine’s The Full-Body Fat-Fix Diet. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee exemplifies the kind of fiction I’m looking for: a great story with writing that’s a cut above, as well as the surprise of a meaty topic (in Lee’s case, a divorcée’s boundary-crossing romantic relationship).

When it comes to books by personalities, Blondie co-founder Chris Stein’s Under a Rock and Erika Ayers Badan’s Nobody Cares About Your Career are just the kind of meaty and effervescent books I love to help shape and bring to market: ones from talented voices in other worlds who can get what they’ve lived through, and what they know, between covers for the rest of us!

Sarah Cantin

Executive Editor

I joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2018, after a decade at Atria Books/Simon & Schuster. During my tenure at Atria, I edited a range of bestselling and critically acclaimed writers including Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lisa Jewell, Jennifer Weiner, Lucinda Riley, Carola Lovering, Karin Tanabe, and Sarah Pekkanen. My list at SMPG includes some of those writers, and new ones, like New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Hawkins, Jessica George, and Emilia Hart, as well as critically acclaimed debut novelists Laurie Albanese, Mikki Brammer, and Katie Bishop.

At St. Martin’s, I am acquiring big upmarket commercial fiction: book club fiction, domestic drama, historical fiction, psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and romantic comedy with a smart, high-concept hook. I am also interested in select narrative nonfiction that illuminates women’s issues and women’s stories, and accessible poetry that readers can turn to as a form of self-care.

I spent the formative years of my childhood with my head buried in a book––and the stories I fell in deepest love with as a girl still influence my reading taste today. I love narratives that center on buried secrets that are finding the light, old houses with memories embedded in their walls, and scrappy, dazzling, complex female voices. I adore books set in the kinds of cloistered settings (boarding schools, ships, small towns) that are powder kegs waiting to explode. As a former ballerina and current marathoner, I am fascinated by stories that explore the singular focus and ferocity of dedicated artists and athletes, and grant us access to their interior lives. I’m forever drawn to novels where the reading experience is fundamentally altered by the narrative structure––it feels more important and relevant than ever to have fiction underscore for readers that a story is wholly defined by who tells it, and when, and how. I edit from a place of character motivation, so I am always looking for richly developed protagonists who take the reader by the hand and urge them to come along for the ride.

Above all else, I want narratives that are full of heart—its whims, its discontents, its dark and messy corners, and its remarkable, redemptive possibilities.

Elisabeth Dyssegaard

Executive Editor

After many years in publishing, I still get a thrill when a new project arrives in my inbox. And I love working closely with writers to make their books great and then watching how those books transform readers’ – and writers’ – lives.

I began my career at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and am happy to be back at Macmillan. Some of my recent acquisitions include Victoria Amelina’s Women Looking at Women Looking at War, by the beloved Ukrainian writer killed in the war; NYT bestselling author Malcolm Nance’s memoir of being a Black spy: Tik Tok’er Dan McClellan’s The Bible Says So; Dr. Joan Williams’s Outclassed: Healing the Problem of the Left that Fuels the Far Right; and Gwen Strauss’ Milena and Margarete, a Holocaust love story.

Upcoming publications include Jim Wallis’ The False White Gospel; Tore Olsson’s Red Dead’s History, presenting US history through the lens of a popular video game; Director of the Carl Sagan Institute Lisa Kaltenegger’s Alien Earths; Jen Harvey’s Anti-Racism as Daily Practice; and MacArthur Genius award winner Cristina Jimenez’s This Is Home.

I love fiction that startles you with a new way of looking at the world, beautiful writing but also page-turning storytelling. Whiting Award winner Eiren Caffall’s first novel All the Water in the World is set in a future NYC of storms and flooding where Nonie lives on the roof of the Museum of Natural History with her family — a cross between Station Eleven and From the Mixed-Up of Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Eleven Percent, the first novel to appear in English by celebrated Danish author Maren Uthaug, is a provocative inverse Handmaid’s Tale with witches, priestesses, amazons and lots of snakes set in a future when there are only 11% men — the minimum required to avoid inbreeding –under lock and key in “spa” centers for women.

Originally from Denmark, I believe international fiction can travel. My most compelling examples include the NYT bestsellers Smilla’s Sense of Snow and The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.

I am looking for narrative nonfiction that gives contemporary issues a human face, history with a fresh angle (US and WWII), stories that have not been told before especially those of women and people of color, books about therapy, new perspectives on faith (for Essentials), narrative science, memoir, and literary fiction.

Michael Flamini

Executive Editor

I love non-fiction that makes me think, but I also like to be entertained when I read. Given that, the areas I gravitate to are history, politics, biography, memoir and performing arts. My list includes the #1 New York Times bestseller Humans by Brandon Stanton as well as two other New York Times bestsellers Kushner, Inc. by Vicky Ward and Playing With Myself by internet sensation Randy Rainbow. Upcoming on my list are Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench, Randy Rainbow’s next book – Low-Hanging Fruit, Miss May Does Not Exist – a biography of Elaine May – by Carrie Courogen, Cloistered: My Years as a Nun by Catherine Coldstream, Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna and the Birth of the Modern Mind by Frank Tallis and The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady by Heath Hardage Lee. Other published titles from my list include Into Siberia by Gregory Wallance, Brandon Stanton’s #1 New York Times bestseller Humans of New York: Stories; Jane Austen at Home and Queen Victoria , both by Lucy Worsley; And Furthermore by Judi Dench (New York Times bestseller); Mississippi Sissy by Kevin Sessums (New York Times bestseller and winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Memoir) and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore (winner of the NAACP Image Award for Non- fiction).

Leslie Gelbman

Executive Editor-at-Large

After a long career in publishing as President & Publisher of the Berkley Publishing Group (an imprint of Penguin Random House), I am thrilled to be at St. Martin’s Press. Some of the authors I have personally edited include Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, Patricia Cornwell and Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick).

My passion for reading, discovering new voices, and expanding the readership for established writers is what I love most about being an editor. At SMP, I continue to edit bestselling author Nora Roberts (aka J. D. Robb), while acquiring an eclectic list of extraordinary fiction. Some recent titles include: No Two Persons by New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister, an unforgettable literary novel about the power of books and how they can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected ways; The Trail of Lost Hearts by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves, a captivating story of second chances; Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison, a wonderful historical of love and intrigue; the stunning new crime thriller, When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey; and A Blood Red Morning by acclaimed mystery writer Mark Pryor set in Paris during WWII.

Entertain and emotionally engage me with a textured, compelling commercial or literary page-turner. It’s always all about the story.

Keith Kahla

Executive Editor

As a long time editor at St. Martin’s Press, over the years, I’ve worked on a broad range of books with a diverse group of authors. Currently, my focus is predominantly on commercial fiction, including a number of award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors. The mix of fiction includes commercial fiction (Natalie Jenner); thrillers (Gregg Hurwitz, James Byrne, Jennifer Hillier); mysteries (Phillip Margolin, David Housewright); international (Keigo Higashino, Juan Gomez-Jurado); and historical (Lindsey Davis, Will Thomas).

Favorite recent books include both debut authors (The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos and Leave No Trace by A. J. Landau) and established writers (new Enola Holmes books by Nancy Springer and Jeff Shaara). Recent bestsellers include The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz, The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner, and Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.

I work with writers at all stages of their careers—established writers, writers who are branching out into new areas, and beginning novelists. I’m particularly interested in working with writers with an eye to developing a career over the long term. (Some of my authors I’ve published for over two decades.) In my mind, what links the books on my list are the quality of writing, a distinct, compelling authorial voice, and a strong narrative. As an editor, I’ve found it isn’t the topic, story, or “hook” that is the determining factor for interesting, enriching, and successful books—it’s the quality of execution by a uniquely talented author.

Vicki Lame

Executive Editor

There’s a quote I keep close at all times: “Your story was beautiful—it made my heart beat.” And this is exactly what I want from a great book. I want that book of yours with a wildly beating heart at its center, one that makes my heart beat wildly, too.

As a fiction editor, I have the luxury of acquiring for both St. Martin’s as well as our exciting young adult imprint, Wednesday Books. I’ve found certain things to be true no matter what. For both, I want dynamic, propulsive reads across genres that immediately capture the imagination. Diverse voices for diverse readers are a must. And I love to be surprised.

During my career, I have been lucky to edit books that make readers ready to rush into battle to save a kingdom, have them begging for tissues, whisk them away to another time and place, and even leave them breathless, without words, and ready to fall in love.

Thrilling current and upcoming titles include: A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup (Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner); a lush Moulin Rouge inspired YA fantasy (Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles); a swoony sailing adventure about healing and new love (Float Plan by Trish Doller); a powerful YA debut novel partly told in verse that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America (Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana); and a YA fantasy set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them (Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell).

What’s the next book that will make my heart beat? Let’s find out together.

Alexandra Sehulster

Executive Editor

There is truly nothing I love more than sitting down with a book that roots me to the floor, compels me to read straight through, and gives me a unique emotional experience. I work in commercial fiction across multiple genre spaces, and look for that “can’t-put-it-down” kind of read in romance, women’s fiction, suspense, thriller, mystery, and horror. Over the years, it has been my utmost privilege to work on many incredible books, including Tweet Cute and Begin Again by New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord; the Sunshine Vicram series by New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones; The Bookshop by the Bay by USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley; and The Lost Village by celebrated horror author Camilla Sten, among others.

I am most attracted to books and authors that have a clear, definitive voice and style that brims with intensity and emotion. Across all my areas of interest I look for a high-concept hook, immersive storytelling, and a strong sense of narrative drive. I love all romance from spirited banter to angsty and dark, contemporary to suspense to paranormal. On the mystery/thriller/suspense side, I look for high-concept novels with a strong sense of pacing, ranging from dark and intense psychological suspense, to twisty dramas with iconic premises, to lighthearted romps filled with a big-hearted cast of characters. I gravitate toward horror and speculative novels that have a distinct cast of characters, a strong sense of pacing, and unpack something deeper about life, society, and humanity, with a glimmer of hope at the end. Across all my areas of interest, diverse voices and experiences are essential. The connecting theme across my list is storytelling that opens up feelings of empathy and joy, pain and rage, hate and love, and everything in between. It is my passion to work closely with authors editorially and strategically throughout the publishing process, and I am always on the lookout for that next incredible read!

Anna deVries

Senior Editor

I’ve worked in publishing for over twenty years, including long stints at Scribner and Picador, where I published authors such as Katha Pollitt, Jeff Chang, and Damon Tweedy. At St. Martin’s I’ve been happy to continue to publish works of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. Some of the notable books I’ve published at St. Martin’s include Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault, shortlisted for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize; The Inevitable by Katie Engelhart, who was the recipient of a 2021 George Polk Award; and The Address Book by Deidre Mask, shortlisted for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction. I’m looking forward to the upcoming publication of Damon Tweedy’s next book, Facing the Unseen, as well as Emily Bloom’s debut memoir, I Cannot Control Everything Forever, and a brilliant look at a pressing issue, What Are Children For?: On Ambivalence and Choice by Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman.

I’m interested in voice-driven narratives, particularly novels and non- fiction by writers of color, LGBTQ+ writers and those outside the dominant narrative. Along those lines, I appreciate projects that can express a wonder and appreciation about the human experience while also addressing harder truths and outrage over injustice. I’m drawn to journalistic accounts of culture, history, science and psychology, and projects that are centered on a more formal topic through personal experience. I’d love to acquire more books by female scientists and scientists of color, and as a native New Yorker, I’m always searching for novels and non-fiction set in and around the city.

Courtney Littler

Senior Editor

I began my publishing career at St. Martin’s more than 10 years ago in the production editorial department, where I learned all the essential aspects of creating complicated books from cover to cover. Now, as an acquiring editor, I’m drawn to commercial nonfiction projects that incorporate unique design elements with a riveting story or helpful life lessons. I’m excited to see submissions that combine a trending theme with interactive components, such as murder mystery puzzles, mindfulness or motivating guided journals, and body-positive wellness planners. My list is diverse and prolific and includes gift books, puzzles & games, guided journals, humor, trivia, pop culture, DIY, self-help, and mind/body/spirit.

Over the years I’ve been proud to publish many exceptional books, such as the USA Today bestselling puzzle book series Murdle by G.T. Karber; Monica Sweeney’s bestselling series of no-holds-barred guided journals Zen as F*ck and Let That Sh*t Go, among others; beloved comic artist and illustrator Yumi Sakigawa’s The Little Book of Life Hacks; and Rachel Hoffman’s Unf*ck Your Habitat and Cleaning Sucks, the celebrated practical guide books for real people with messy homes.

My favorite part of my job is collaborating closely with an author or illustrator to turn a big idea into a book we’re both proud of. And whenever possible, my ultimate goal is to make our relationship a long-lasting one, to surpass the publication of just one book and help to build an author’s successful career at St. Martin’s.

Michael Homler

Senior Editor

In the past few years I have published a number of amazing books. I am proud of all of them, and really thrilled for each and every author that I work with.

Most recently, there’s Mark Divine’s terrific Staring Down the Wolf, a Navy Seal Leadership book; Ron Darling’s New York Times bestselling 108 Stitches; and Katrin Davidsdottir’s beloved CrossFit memoir Dottir. Some other notable books (two of my favorites) I’ve published over the years are Clive Barker’s decades-in-the-making The Scarlet Gospels, also a New York Times bestseller, and the very end of Pinhead; and the legendary wrestler Daniel Bryan’s New York Times bestselling Yes (based on his “Yes” chant). I’ve always had a love for horror and thrillers and that is featured best in New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series. One of my all-time favorite novels that we published recently is Crossings by Alex Landragin, a historical cross-genre novel that can be read in two different directions, which was an Indie Next Pick, a Jenny Lawson Book Club pick, and B&N Book Club pick. As well as Christopher Golden’s Road of Bones which was a B&N Book club pick as well. Not to be forgotten is also my love of literary figures, the latest of which was Joan Didion, profiled in the biography The Last Song, a New York Times bestseller by Tracy Daugherty, and whose new book Larry McMurtry is sure to make a splash. Forthcoming, I am very excited about Ed Ashton’s Mal Goes to War, a stunning speculative take on AI by the author of Mickey 7, which is soon to be a major motion picture (Mickey17) from Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho, starring Robert Pattinson.My books have won or been finalists for the NBCC Awards, Edgar Award, Stoker New Yorker Notable, and the New York Times Book Review Notable. I’ve had over two dozen national bestsellers and nine New York Times bestsellers.

I am seeking a broad range of quality nonfiction in biography, sports memoir, fitness, commercial tie-ins, celebrity memoir, and smart pop culture; and in fiction I am looking for science-fiction, cross-genre, horror, and thrillers.

Sallie Lotz

Senior Editor

Growing up, I sometimes got in trouble for reading too much at the dinner table. Now more than ever, nothing brings me more joy than reading a book that transports me to another world, with characters I feel as if I know. I began working at SMP in August of 2015 as a Publisher’s Assistant at Minotaur Books—a dream job for a lover of books! I started out with the goal of becoming an editor, and read everything I could get my hands on. Now, with that title, I am building a robust list of both fiction and nonfiction geared towards (but not limited to) an audience of millennial female readers with their finger on the cultural pulse, who are interested in exploring identity, lifestyle, and relationships.

In fiction, I am looking for novels that range from the upmarket end of commercial fiction to the more literary, with anything that is plot and character-driven. Such as novels like Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler. I am especially drawn to strong female voices, and am in search of book club fiction, rom-coms, historical fiction, and more. I love stories about second chances, women who are rebels or who are passionate about their careers, complex friendships, families with secrets, and explorations of all forms of relationships. I am on the hunt for thrillers and psychological suspense with an especially dark edge, like Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander, digital director at Marie Claire. I am looking for any novel that you would take as part of your TBR pile on vacation.

I speak French and lived in Paris for a period of time. I love novels set in France (or nonfiction having to do with French culture!) or any great city where you can feel the pulsing energy in the writing. I am looking for more French novels in translation that have crossover appeal with an English-speaking audience.

On the nonfiction side, the titles on my list feel like an extension of the fiction I work on. I look for memoir, essay collections, and platform-driven narrative nonfiction with feminist and/or humor elements. Books like One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy, host of the podcast Be There in Five, an exploration of the female millennial zeitgeist, and Drinking Games by Sarah Levy, sobriety memoir and social critique of this generation’s drinking culture, are examples of accessible narratives that are just as compelling to readers of commercial fiction. I am also looking to add mind/body/spirit, prescriptive, and lifestyle books to my list. As someone who was a ballerina for years and paints as a hobby, I would also love to see projects having to do with creativity and art.

Hannah O’Grady

Senior Editor

Since joining St. Martin’s Press in 2016, I’ve had the pleasure of working on virtually every genre we publish, from literary fiction to true crime to U.S. History. I’m eager to continue building a list of fiction and nonfiction titles that tell absorbing stories, introduce new ideas, and highlight unique perspectives.

On the fiction side, much of my list falls within the mystery space—from cozy to noir—and centers unique, emotionally complex protagonists. I am especially eager for mysteries and thrillers that challenge and critique the criminal justice system and feature characters from underrepresented groups. Please send me your queer mysteries!

On the nonfiction side, I am looking for voice-driven narratives including untold stories from history, cultural deep-dives, memoir, and investigative journalism, particularly projects dealing with racial justice and gender. Some of my nonfiction titles include American Kleptocracy by Casey Michel, an investigation into how America built and continues to profit from an offshore financial system benefiting the world’s wealthiest people; First to the Front by Lorissa Rinehart, a biography of pioneering female photojournalist Dickey Chapelle; and The Black Agenda, a groundbreaking essay collection compiled by economics researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, featuring writing by Black scholars and experts across economics, policy, sociology, and medicine on ideas for big societal change.

I also edit select, plot-driven, upmarket fiction, including Gabrielle Korn’s queer dystopia Yours for the Taking. Across all genres, socially conscious writing and work that highlights marginalized voices is of particular interest.

Hannah Phillips

Editor

I joined St. Martin’s Press in 2019, having worked previously at Hachette Book Group, where I had the privilege of working with bestselling authors across a range of nonfiction. At SMP, I’m happy to be able to acquire any book I’d read in my spare time, so my list resembles my eclectic shelves at home: narrative nonfiction and memoir, investigative journalism, overlooked history and biography, popular science, and cultural criticism.

I’m particularly drawn to issues and idea-driven narratives; books that sharpen our understanding of society or shift conversations, often via feminist or diverse lenses; any project about a seedy religion or subculture; stories that ask big, prodding questions. Keri Blakinger’s Corrections in Ink, for example, exposes our broken prison system through her deeply personal story and acts as a clarion call for readers, while Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez’s My Side of the River illuminates the immigrant experience and explores the power of education and separation. Rhaina Cohen’s The Other Significant Others is a perfect blend of cultural commentary and social history on how our friendships should be prioritized, and Sarah McCammon’s The Exvangelicals is a memoir-reporting hybrid about the growing number of people who loved and left the white evangelical church.

I particularly love working with first-time authors and sharing their passion for their topics, and I’m always a sucker for any book set in my homeland of the deep south.

Tiffany Shelton

Editor

I don’t know exactly when or where my love of reading began, but I do remember the afternoons I would spend hours in the school library waiting for my mom to finish her job in the office. I’ve been lucky enough to have amazing people in my life who have helped to cultivate and share in this love with me. My passion for books, and more specifically words, led me to complete a MS in Book Publishing before joining St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2016.

I’m really looking for stories from under-considered voices across race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, neurodiversity, or even the intersection of any and all of these marginalized groups. Uplifting and advocating for these voices is something I’ve really been passionate about since I started acquiring. I’m looking for voice-driven and character-driven narratives with dynamic storytelling, immersive worlds, and characters to love (or love to hate). I have a soft spot for stories inspired by classic works, legends, myths, and fairy tales that feature diverse characters.

At St. Martin’s, I am lucky enough to acquire both adult and upper/crossover young adult fiction. I’m open to commercial and upmarket fiction with speculative elements; book club fiction; and exploratory coming-of-age fiction like Maame by Jessica George. I would also love upmarket horror in the vein of Get Out or horror that uses the usual tropes in a new, interesting way; romantasy; contemporary and historical fantasy; sweeping historical from groups traditionally underrepresented in the genre; epic love stories that don’t necessarily end in an HEA; twisty thrillers, especially psychological; southern gothic; gothic; and dark academia. Witches (across the Sabrina the Teenage Witch to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina spectrum) and vampires are always a good fit for me in both adult and YA. Something on the top of my wish list is a friendship story—adult or YA—whether it’s a toxic friendship, friendship breakup, friendship make up, or dealing with being the token marginalized person within a certain friend group. I am also acquiring select commercial adult nonfiction projects in narrative, history, and pop culture spaces.

Brigitte Dale

Associate Editor

I joined St. Martin’s Press in 2021 after earning my master’s degree in history at Yale. My passion for storytelling inspired my transition from academia to publishing, and I am actively building my list in both fiction and nonfiction.

On the fiction side, I’m seeking upmarket/book club novels that are witty and well-written, with characters whose voices I can hear in my head. I also love historical fiction, especially if it sheds light on previously untold women’s stories. For nonfiction, I focus on books that tell compelling stories about pop culture, politics, history, and feminism.

Some of my notable titles at St. Martin’s include novels such as The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri and The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell. On the nonfiction side, I’m proud to be publishing Taylor Swift Style by Sarah Chapelle, The Good Mother Myth by Nancy Reddy, and Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser.

Mara Delgado Sánchez

Associate Editor

When I was learning to read in school, after hours, I would ask my aunts and parents to teach me the letters of the phonic primer we hadn’t studied in class that day. Some of my earliest memories are of my aunts reading romance novels, curled up in a corner of the sofa, or of my mother reading in the living room. I was lucky enough to have been surrounded by people that shared their love for books with me, and I grew up in a world of stories crafted by others and myself. My passion for them led me to join the St. Martin’s Publishing Group on 2018.

For fiction, I’m looking for stories with gripping characters that center on relationships, and voice that drips off the page. The heart of a book is the nuance and emotion of character arcs and dynamic relationships, so I’m always looking for stories that feature these. If there’s a romance at the center, the better. I’m a vocal advocate of marginalized voices, whether they’re writing their own experiences or not; I want to see marginalized characters living their best lives, following their dreams and just existing as they are.

I’m looking to acquire women’s fiction centered on relationships, family secrets and romance. I also have a soft spot for romantic comedies like Jayci Lee’s Booked On a Feeling. For nonfiction, I focus on the mind, body, spirit side geared more towards the spirit dealing with the esoteric, mediums and magic like The Maker’s Guide to Magic by Andrea Hannah.

For Wednesday Books, my sweet spot is fantasy, especially romantasies like the upcoming For She is Wrath by Emily Varga and Break Wide the Sea by New York Times bestseller Sara Holland. In contemporary, I gravitate towards light and fluffy, from romcoms to friendship stories.

Madeline Houpt

Associate Editor, Minotaur Books

I began my publishing career in 2018 at Minotaur Books, the crime fiction imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. As I’ve continued to grow my list, I’ve never left. I decided to acquire crime fiction because I love the range of genres within the genre. On my list it’s all there: from traditional, gothic, historical, to the lighter/cozy. And I’m always on the hunt for more. I’m looking to acquire crime fiction where the crime drives the book, yes, but the reader connects with the characters or setting in a deep way. I like to think of it as “crime plus.” Perhaps it’s voice-driven, or the setting is a deeply layered character. For me it doesn’t matter if a submission is heart-pounding or slow-burn, debut or established author, series or standalone. I want to connect to the world the author creates. My recent acquisitions include Delia Pitts’s Trouble in Queenstown, Julia Spiro, and Archer Sullivan.

Kevin Reilly

Associate Editor

I began my publishing career in 2017 as part of the All Points Books team, and have worked on a wide range of nonfiction titles and some fiction. I’m excited to continue expanding my list of books in current affairs, politics, and popular history and philosophy, and I’m also on the hunt for commercial fiction with political or environmental themes.

Some of my notable titles include Divided We Fall by David French, Break ‘Em Up by Zephyr Teachout, Why You Should Be A Socialist by Nathan J. Robinson; and the upcoming Dirtbag by Amber A’Lee Frost, How Are You Going to Pay for That? by Ryan Cooper, and His Greatest Speeches by Diana Schaub.

Above all, I love books that make a strong argument and contribute to the national discourse. I’m on the lookout for quality investigative journalism and polemics on environmentalism and sociology, and I’m especially interested in finding emerging voices and ideas on the political left.