I make books.
I came to publishing out of a love for books. I don’t hold degrees in the subject areas I acquire, but I try to read a lot—across subjects and styles. In my daily work I care most about trying to bring fresh ideas and underrepresented voices into the fold.
My background: I started at the MIT Press as an acquisitions assistant working on Economics, Finance, and Business in 2007. From there I worked as an assistant editor on the New Media, Game Studies, and Design lists before taking on work as an associate editor acquiring titles in Digital Media and Learning. I then took a gap year and worked as a freelance manuscript editor for various clients, including MITP. I returned to the Press as an assistant editor on the STS and Information Science and Communication lists in 2014. Shortly after, I was promoted to associate editor of the STS list and then full editor of the STS and MIT & Regional lists. I acquire trade books, professional books, crossover books, and (very occasionally) textbooks. Head here if you’d like to learn more about those different book types and some other random publishing stuff that may or may not be useful to you. Head here if you’d like to learn more about the MIT Press, its history, and some of its current initiatives.
I have a BA in English Lit from Michigan State and an MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College in Boston. My last name is pronounced “hell-key,” but I don’t care if you mess it up. My pronouns are she, her, and hers.
The opinions expressed on this site reflect my own thinking (mostly) and not necessarily that of my employer, my colleagues acquiring other lists at MITP, or how editors at other presses may approach publishing. I will aim to update this site if my thinking changes and as best practices evolve in the industry and at my place of employment. If anything on this site seems outdated, unclear, or just plain wrong, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.