I’ve spent the entirety of my career as a nonfiction book publicist, working in-house and out-of-house, with well-known public figures and unknown first-time authors. I got my start at Storey Publishing, publicizing books for creative self-reliance, including guides to backyard chicken keeping and year-round gardening. At Harvard University Press, I worked on scholarly titles across a range of subjects and helped academic authors communicate their research to general audiences.
After working a few years out-of-house at a book publicity firm, it became clear that the model of charging incredibly expensive monthly retainers reproduces the inequality already pervasive in the publishing industry. When this is how publicity works, the ideas that get the biggest megaphone are not necessarily the worthiest but the most moneyed.
The books that I love to publicize—those that imagine a better future and offer new perspectives on important issues—are often written by people who don’t have the resources to work with expensive PR and marketing firms. I’m hoping to level the playing field for academics, first-time authors, indie presses, and marginalized voices by providing high-quality publicity without the big city premium.
I believe my primary role is as an advocate for my authors, and I pride myself on cultivating true partnerships with them and their publishers. I only work on projects that I genuinely care about and believe I can add value to, which allows me to pitch the media with honest and unabashed enthusiasm. As my authors navigate the maze of launching their books, I provide candid feedback and realistic expectations, brainstorm all manner of ideas, and offer best practices on all things book promotion.
Outside of work, I enjoy playing violin and piano, sending snail mail, and trying to keep my houseplants alive. I also love spoiling my nephew, Cameron—you can listen to me gush on NPR about seeing him for the first time here. I’m currently based in Cambridge, Mass.
✽ As part of my pro bono work, I represent John J. Lennon, an incarcerated journalist writing from a maximum security prison in New York. Last autumn, I worked closely with him on his application and interview preparation for a fellowship with Galaxy Gives, a philanthropic organization focused on criminal justice reform. John recently joined the 2023 cohort as the organization’s first incarcerated fellow, receiving a $150,000 award to support his writing.
✽ After discovering that the Texas State Board of Education was meeting to determine eight grade science standards during the launch week of Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America, I watched several hours of the live-streamed meeting and helped author Katie Worth pitch an article that ran as a six-page reported feature in the July 2022 issue of Scientific American. You can read more about the publicity campaign for Miseducation here.