(Note: Apologies for Jessica's sound! This is what happens when we try to use Bluetooth earbuds.)

In this episode, we talk about the challenges and insights that come with being a writer/editor, the complexities of the submission process, and how the phrase “editors no longer edit” just isn’t true (but there's plenty you can do to make the process easier for everyone).

We also discuss author-agent relationships, what it takes to be an editor in NYC, and the fact that there is no one perfect version of a manuscript.

Mara Delgado Sánchez joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2018. Originally from Puerto Rico, she holds a BA in English-Literature from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College.

Mara is interested in young adult fiction, particularly in all kinds of fantasy, magical realism, and light, fluffy contemporary. She’s looking for commercial stories with voice that drips off the page, characters she’ll want to follow to the end of the world, emotional resonance, tight plotting and dynamic relationships. She’s an advocate of #ownvoices stories, and would love to see stories from marginalized writers. In adult, she’s looking for crossover fantasy, romantic comedies, millennial women’s fiction, and category romance.