<p>In March 2026, students from the NYU SPS MS in Publishing program met at the Simon &amp; Schuster building, which, with its sheer enormity and gold embellishments, projected a tasteful elegance.</p> <p>Peter Borland, Vice President and Editor-In-Chief of the imprint Atria, guided us through the long white hallways of Atria. My peers and I curiously poked our heads in and out of the offices which were piled high with copies of Atria’s newly released books, including <i>An Academic Affair</i> by Jodi McAlister, <i>Finding My Way</i> by Malala Yousafzai,&nbsp; and an abundance of Colleen Hoover novels. After the tour, we gathered&nbsp; in a conference room decorated with wooden moulding and two large portraits of company founders Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster on either side of a doorway. Inside was a panel curated by Hannah Frankel, an Assistant Editor, which featured employees from every major team, including Editorial, Marketing and Publicity, Sales, and Subrights. We had a fascinating and lively conversation as the staff described their career trajectories and current reading lists, and took the time to answer our many questions.</p> <p>Kate Naolitano, the Editorial Director of Nonfiction, described how she was initially interested in fiction; however, after seventeen years in the industry and three years at Atria Books, she realized her true calling was nonfiction works that accessibly discussed race, gender, and socioeconomic questions. Kate’s list, including books such as&nbsp;<i>Sellout: The Major Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore</i>&nbsp;by Dan Ozzi,&nbsp;<i>Scream with Me: The Enduring Legacy of the Misfits</i>&nbsp;by Eleanor Johnson, and&nbsp;<i>To Catch a Fascist&nbsp;</i>by Christopher Mathias, had many of us scrambling for a copy.&nbsp;</p> <p>In response to questions regarding the acquisition process, Alessandra Bastagli, Vice President of Publishing, who specializes in investigative journalism and political discussion, noted that when it comes to her acquisitions, she seeks works that are “professional, liberal, and purposeful,” relying on her in-depth knowledge of the space. Loan Le, a senior editor at Atria for the last twelve years, added that when evaluating fiction, she wanted a novel that would “play like a movie in [her] mind,” emphasizing vivid imagery and deeper themes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We were also curious about the publicity process for Atria’s books; David Brown, the Director of Publicity and Marketing, explained the process for appealing to as wide an audience as possible.</p> <p>On our way out, the amazing Hannah Frankel passed out Atria-branded tote bags and guided us to the promised land: the Atria Books free book shelf, where we eagerly nabbed copies of the books Napolitano and Le had spoken about, including <i>The Last Session</i> by Julia Bartz, <i>It Could Have Been Her</i> by Lisa Jewell, and <i>Unbound</i> by Peyton Corinne.&nbsp;</p> <p>The passion and excitement felt by each member of the staff for the books they produce was palpable, and I left the industry visit feeling welcomed and hopeful knowing that the Atria books I have read and plan to read in the future are created by a team of people who love the content they create as much as we do.</p>

<p><i>Maura Melcher is a first-year student in the MS in Publishing program. Her favorite genres are thriller, mystery and horror books, as well as romance.</i></p>