Poets & Writers Theater

In this installment of the PBS American Masters documentary series Renegades, which highlights the cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities, the series spotlights the life and career of editor Judy-Lynn del Rey who revolutionized the world of science fiction by editing and publishing books from writers such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and George Lucas.

In this 2020 video hosted by Philip Brady, Johnny Temple, publisher and editor-in-chief of Akashic Books, and Ibrahim Ahmad, the press’s former editorial director, discuss a day in the life of a small press and offer insights on the publishing process. Ahmad, currently an executive editor at Viking, is featured in Agents & Editors in the September/October issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.

In this virtual event hosted by the Strand Book Store, Sue Shapiro, author of The Forgiveness Tour: How to Find the Perfect Apology (Skyhorse, 2021), leads a conversation about best practices for pitching, submitting, and querying with agents and editors including Miya Lee, Rakesh Satyal, and Howard Yoon.

“I want to create a legacy for the people who come after me.” In this interview hosted by Las Comadres Para Las Americas and Latinx in Publishing, Michelle Herrera Mulligan speaks about launching Atria Books’ new imprint, Primero Sueño Press, whose mission is to publish Latinx authors from the United States in English and Spanish and bring them to new audiences. Read more about the press in “A New Imprint for Latinx Authors” by Jennifer De Leon in the July/August issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.

In this video, Simon & Schuster president and CEO Jonathan Karp gives writers advice on how to get a literary agent and their books published, including useful websites and reference books such as The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer (Avid Reader Press, 2020).

“Ideally, you’re trying to get your eye as close to the text as you can.” At the 2012 Summer Literary Seminars, author Molly Antopol speaks with Graywolf Press publisher Fiona McCrae about editing and acquiring manuscripts.

“The vitality of poetry right now, I think, is at a high pitch.” Jeff Shotts, executive editor of Graywolf Press, speaks with PBS NewsHour’s Jeffery Brown about the independent press’s success, poetry submissions and rejections, and why there’s never been a better time than now for poetry publishing.