Sara Nelson, currently editorial director for Books and Kindle at Amazon, is moving to HarperCollins' Harper imprint where she will be v-p, executive editor and special advisor to the publisher, Jonathan Burnham. At Harper, Nelson will acquire fiction and nonfiction and work with Burnham on strategy decisions, providing advice on editorial, marketing and publicity.
Burnham said he was "thrilled" to have Nelson joining his team. "She has proven her ability to identify, support and drive great books and bestsellers at Amazon and elsewhere," he added. "I can’t wait to see her deploy her experience in the context of a publishing imprint."
Nelson joined Amazon in 2012 after serving as the books editor at O, the Oprah magazine. Prior to moving to O, Nelson held a variety of positions in publishing and magazines, including a stint at Publishers Weekly as editor-in-chief.
While at Amazon, Nelson raised the profile of the company's editorial program, launched the Amazon Book Review and oversaw a team of editors and writers.
“After observing the publishing world from the near-outside for many years, I am excited to have this opportunity to be involved directly in the publishing process itself," Nelson said. "I can’t wait to join my many friends at Harper, and to work closely with them on books that we love.”
Nelson will start at Harper on July 18.
