Rosa Hernandez

Marketing and social media manager

Third Place Books

Outspoken online and in store, whether it is about helping a customer find their next great read or amplifying marginalized voices, Rosa Hernandez has become a leading bookseller in the Seattle metro area and beyond. As marketing and social media manager for Third Place Books in Seattle, Hernandez is “the pillar behind Third Place Books’ DEI efforts, our marketing, our creative social media presence, and our generally cheery dispositions,” says author events manager Spencer Ruchti, who nominated Hernandez. “Rosa is our most vocal bookseller online and in our store in promoting trans voices and speaking out against book banning, and she is relentless in her pursuit to bring Latinx authors and authors of color to the forefront of our store’s work.”

With the encouragement of managing partner Robert Sindelar, Hernandez has also helped Third Place excel in the shifting social media landscape, with the store amassing more than 5,000 TikTok followers; 20,000 Instagram followers; and 24,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter). And beyond her store, Hernandez has become a powerful voice in the greater bookselling community, serving on the board of directors of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association; the American Booksellers Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee; the jury for the Pacific Northwest Book Award; and as a judge for the Kirkus Fiction Prize.

Hernandez says she is grateful to Sindelar for recognizing her talents, and carving out a role in which she could succeed. “When I knew this was going to happen, the one word that kept coming to mind is collaboration. Because that is how I approach almost all my work, whether it’s with my coworkers, with other booksellers from other stores, or with publishers and readers. And I feel like that’s what keeps me grounded,” Hernandez says. “I think that’s what I want people to know: that I don’t do this alone. This is a group effort. And I’m very grateful for that, because I couldn’t do this alone.”

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