Is it possible to have a professional crush on someone?
Nine valentines from publishers, editors and agents to their industry counterparts attest that Cupid is an avid reader.
"I've always found that Knopf editor Robin Desser is more interested in the integrity of her books than in seeking the limelight for herself. And she has a wonderful eye for both reprinting and originating work. Whether it's Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat, which she bought for paperback from Soho Press, or Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, she publishes the kinds of books I can easily get lost in."
—Dawn Davis, editorial director, Amistad
"At one Random House sales conference, I watched Bob Loomis masterfully present Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie, a book that had taken years to come to fruition. It was obvious that without Bob's devotion to it, his editorial sixth sense and careful work with the author, this classic book would never have materialized, let alone become a bestseller and win the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He leaves me in awe and reminds me why I am an editor."
—Doug Pepper, vice-president, senior editor, Crown Publishers
"I'm a fan of so many people on Nan Talese's list, from Margaret Atwood to Ian McEwan to Jennifer Egan to Pinkney Benedict and on and on. It's a hugely impressive range of authors who vary widely but all have in common wonderful storytelling, gorgeous writing and, of course, their fabled editor."
—Reagan Arthur, senior editor, Little, Brown
"I have great admiration for Gloria Loomis. She represents only writers she truly admires, and works relentlessly on their behalf. If things go well for an author, she doesn't rest but works to build their success further; if badly, she fights relentlessly to improve things. And she's never—ever—afraid to speak her mind. I learned to be a bit more all-American blunt when working at Watkins Loomis."
—Nicole Aragi, agent, Aragi
"I don't know Peter Workman very well personally, but I could spot one of his books from across the Grand Canyon. There's a freshness to his ideas, an intelligence to his designs, and he always gives his readers more than they expect—at a low price. Innovation and quality are combined in the service of long-term success, and he's willing to make sacrifices in the short term to do so. Each of his books has a life of its own, and yet each one could only have come from Peter Workman."
—Bob Miller, president, Hyperion Books
"My valentine goes to Artisan publisher Ann Bramson. Her heart beats with love for all her books and my heart beats for one in particular. I am an enthusiastic gardener but I'm never able to grow a worthwhile melon. In March, Ann is publishing a book that makes me uncharacteristically envious. It's Melons: An Heirloom Gallery: With a Practical Guide to Growing, Pollinating, Picking and Preparing and Extraordinary Harvest. The text is by Amy Goldman, an expert on Cucurbitaceae, and there are 150 breathtakingly beautiful photos by Victor Schrager."
—Larry Ashmead, v-p, executive editor, HarperCollins
"I admire Chris Calhoun at Sterling Lord Literistic because he maintains his integrity and his high standards despite opportunities to the contrary; because he can smoke and drink the way publishers were supposed to have done in the good old days; because I have never heard anyone use slang so poetically; because (prior to 9/11) he kept a gas mask in his office "because there was so much gas coming through his phone"; and because he is a true author's advocate."
—Elyse Cheney, literary agent, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
"Other than my colleague Tina Bennett, I would have to say I have a professional crush on Leigh Feldman of Darhansoff, Verrill & Feldman. Leigh has a knack for discovering fresh original literary voices that also turn out to be very commercial. And, in person, she's a totally original, fabulous character."
—Eric Simonoff, vice-president, literary agent, Janklow & Nesbitt
"I used to deliver mail to Jed Mattes when I worked in the mailroom at ICM. I never had the feeling from the always-friendly, always-professional folks there that I was a simple clerk. Cut to a time about five years after I left ICM and was representing a writer in a collaboration where Jed represented the principal. Although I was a baby agent, he treated me like an equal who had done those negotiations for years. I was grateful then and am grateful today."
—David Black, David Black Literary Agency
