SIMON PULSE EDITORIAL TEAM

Vice President, Editorial Director LIESA ABRAMS editing for both the Aladdin and Pulse imprints. At S&S, Liesa launched Rachel Renée Russell’s #1 bestselling DORK DIARIES series and edited New York Times bestsellers from Brandon Mull, Lisa McMann, Suzanne Young, Lynn Weingarten, James Riley, Shannon Messenger, Kiersten White, and Scott Westerfeld. She edits a diverse list of teen and middle grade properties from award-winning authors including Deb Caletti, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Amy Reed, Shaun David Hutchinson, Christa Desir, and others. Liesa started in children’s publishing in 1997 at the company now known as Alloy Entertainment, editing classic YA series like Sweet Valley High. She left Alloy in 2003 to become a founding editor of Penguin’s Razorbill imprint, where she edited YA titles including R.A. Nelson’s Teach Me, Maureen Johnson’s Devilish, and Justine Larbalestier’s award-winning Magic or Madness trilogy. Follow Liesa on Twitter @BatgirlEditor to hear all you need to know about Batman, comics, and gluten-free treats.

‍WHAT RAISES LIESA’S PULSE? Stories of #resistance from young women characters; sex-positive characters and storylines; books that navigate the world of rape culture; high stakes stories (bonus points if the whole world is in danger!); angsty characters coping believably with difficult life situations; escapist fantasy grounded in accessible characters; ticking clocks; new ways to create a soap opera; dark and intense concept and voice; people reinventing themselves; toxic relationships of all kinds including family/friendship; magical realism.

‍LIESA’S TITLES INCLUDE:

Senior Editor JENNIFER UNG joined Simon Pulse in August 2015. Her previous experience includes editing books for teens and tweens at Scholastic and hand-selling books and moderating events at Books of Wonder. When she’s not reading or talking about books, you can find her waxing poetic about food, playing uselessly complicated board games, and thinking of appropriate ways to incorporate dog memes into professional emails. Follow her on Twitter @JenPanda.

WHAT RAISES JEN’S PULSE? Underrepresented voices in the contemporary realistic space; stories that are funny and sad and true, that reflect the diversity of our world; messy family dynamics; smart, wry humor; specific stories that speak to universal realities; ordinary stories that explore extraordinary emotions; romantic comedies with depth.

‍JEN’S TITLES INCLUDE:

Senior Editor NICOLE ELLUL joined Simon Pulse in February of 2012 and worked at Bloomsbury Children’s Books before her current position. Nicole received her BA in English and History from the scenic Grand Valley State University (near beautiful Lake Michigan). Originally from the Detroit area, Nicole is a die-hard hockey fan. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleMEllul.

‍WHAT RAISES NICOLE’S PULSE? Romance with an engaging plot (usually set outside the walls of high school), and a strong structural hook; fairy tales, legends and myths reimagined; stories with a magical/mystical vibe and an incredible storybook atmosphere (reminiscent of The Hazel Wood); light fantasy reads in the vein of Caraval; and anything that feels Tim Burton-like in tone (think Big Fish). I like to say that the books I gravitate toward seem as if the words are sprinkled with magic and star dust, especially pertaining to the atmosphere and musical/lyrical quality of the writing.

‍NICOLE’S TITLES INCLUDE:

Editor SARAH McCABE joined Simon Pulse in October 2014. Before coming to Pulse, she worked at Springer International Publishing and did freelance projects with Open Road Integrated Media and Full Fathom Five. She received her bachelor’s degrees in English and journalism at the University of Kansas and her Master of Science in Publishing at New York University. Follow her on Twitter @SarahRMcCabe to hear her obsess over the books, movies, and TV shows that have ripped her heart out.

‍WHAT RAISES SARAH’S PULSE? All SFF, all the time! Lush, inventive fantasies; accessible, character-driven science fiction (especially if it’s set in space!); emotionally complex heroes and sympathetic villains; detailed worldbuilding; classics and fairy tales reimagined; stories exploring the nature of humanity and morality; anything with a time travel, alternate history, or parallel universe hook; and I always love a good conspiracy or deep dark secret.

‍SARAH’S TITLES INCLUDE:

Associate Editor JESSICA SMITH joined Pulse in September 2016 soon after finishing NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute. She received her BA in English literature and fiction writing at the University of Pittsburgh where she fell in love with YA literature. Follow her on Twitter @ll_cool_jess.

‍WHAT RAISES JESSICA’S PULSE? Stories about first experiences—first love, first heartbreak, first experience of loss; observant, thoughtful narrators; characters who are forced to make impossible decisions; seemingly breezy beach reads that are deceptively moving; good old-fashioned love triangles.
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JESSICA’S TITLES INCLUDE:

Editorial Assistant KRISTIE PATTERNSON joined the Aladdin and Pulse teams in February 2020 after interning at W.W. Norton & Company, McIntosh & Otis, and previously sleuthing as an investigator; these days, she’s happy to just read about sleuths. A lifelong bookworm, she received her B.A. in English Literature from New York University. Outside of reading, she likes to spend her free time hiking, doodling, and catching up on movies/shows – along with healthy helpings of Avatar TLA/Korra and all things Studio Ghibli. Find her on Twitter @minjipatterson.

‍WHAT RAISES JESSICA’S PULSE? Diverse/underrepresented voices; speculative fiction of all kinds but especially fantasies inspired from diverse cultures and folklores (East/South Asian, African, Latinx, Indigenous, etc); imaginative worlds and concepts; epic adventures and quests; magical realism; a touch of romance (especially forbidden romance); sympathetic villains and moral ambiguity; complicated family dynamics; plot twists; quick pacing; lyrical writing; regardless of genre, stories that are equal parts plot and character-driven featuring complex characters that can make me laugh and cry; nonfiction or fiction that explores mature or heavier subjects (social justice issues, grief, trauma, mental illness etc.).

(Note: Kristie is not currently accepting submissions)