Erin McClaryAssociate Editor, Sourcebooks & Sourcebooks Landmark
WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
NONFICTION... Narrative/creative nonfiction with a focus on titans of business, writing, and travel, along with historical figures, social sciences and current affairs, and self-help/personal development. FICTION... Character-driven contemporary or historical fiction and general women’s fiction. I love books with a slow burn but a big impact. I’m also looking to bring international voices to the US. RIGHT NOW DON'T SEND ME... YA, children’s, romance, poetry, fantasy |
HOW I GOT INTO BOOKS... I owe my mother a debt of gratitude for cultivating my love of reading as a child (even if she continually had to yell at me for reading under the covers at night with a flashlight well past my bedtime). I worked in brand and digital marketing for fourteen years but always knew I was destined for the publishing world, so when the opportunity to join Sourcebooks arose, I enthusiastically jumped in with both feet!
SOME FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS I DIDN'T PUBLISH... I know a book resonates with me if, at the end, I’m choking back tears—either from joy or sadness—and I’m physically hugging the book (does anyone else hug their books?). Some recent books that fit that criteria: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (his dialogue is some of the best I’ve seen), A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (such a joyful and delightful read), and The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (she develops characters who jump off the page and feel wholly real). My all-time favorite author is Isabel Allende; her prose reads like poetry as you’re taken on an epic adventure through her characters’ lives.
ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS AN EDITOR DOES FOR AN AUTHOR IS... Help to create a connection from the author to the reader. When I read a book I love, I want to learn as much about that writer—her processes, her inspiration—as possible, and I want to be a part of cultivating that author/reader relationship for others.
I LOVE MY JOB BECAUSE... Helping others discover their next favorite book or author is a dream come true.
I KEEP MY READING PILE... Neat and tidy on bookshelves organized by already-read, TBR, and TBRA (To Be Read Again).
BOOKSTORES YOU SHOULD VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE... I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years and spent a lot of time at Book Passage in Corte Madera attending author events (Isabel Allende! Zadie Smith! Emma Donoghue! Markus Zuzak!).
WHEN I'M NOT READING, I'LL BE... Perusing bookstores to add more books to my TBR pile, hiking and enjoying nature, or planning my next international excursion.
I FOLLOW READING, WRITING AND PUBLISHING NEWS AT... BookRiot, SheWrites, Shelf Awareness, Publishers Lunch, Publishers Weekly
SOME FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS I DIDN'T PUBLISH... I know a book resonates with me if, at the end, I’m choking back tears—either from joy or sadness—and I’m physically hugging the book (does anyone else hug their books?). Some recent books that fit that criteria: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (his dialogue is some of the best I’ve seen), A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (such a joyful and delightful read), and The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (she develops characters who jump off the page and feel wholly real). My all-time favorite author is Isabel Allende; her prose reads like poetry as you’re taken on an epic adventure through her characters’ lives.
ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS AN EDITOR DOES FOR AN AUTHOR IS... Help to create a connection from the author to the reader. When I read a book I love, I want to learn as much about that writer—her processes, her inspiration—as possible, and I want to be a part of cultivating that author/reader relationship for others.
I LOVE MY JOB BECAUSE... Helping others discover their next favorite book or author is a dream come true.
I KEEP MY READING PILE... Neat and tidy on bookshelves organized by already-read, TBR, and TBRA (To Be Read Again).
BOOKSTORES YOU SHOULD VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE... I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years and spent a lot of time at Book Passage in Corte Madera attending author events (Isabel Allende! Zadie Smith! Emma Donoghue! Markus Zuzak!).
WHEN I'M NOT READING, I'LL BE... Perusing bookstores to add more books to my TBR pile, hiking and enjoying nature, or planning my next international excursion.
I FOLLOW READING, WRITING AND PUBLISHING NEWS AT... BookRiot, SheWrites, Shelf Awareness, Publishers Lunch, Publishers Weekly
AGENTS CAN CONTACT ME AT erin.mcclary@sourcebooks.com, Twitter @biblioerin
I am also open to unagented adult fiction by BIPOC authors.
I am also open to unagented adult fiction by BIPOC authors.