Interview With SFFH Editor Vanessa Aguirre of St. Martins

For this post, we had a talk with Vanessa Aguirre, an up-and-coming editor at St. Martins. She is looking to publish sharp, commercial stories that make her laugh, cry, and flinch. She has a soft spot for anything SFFH: fantasy, science fiction, horror, speculative, magical realism, and all things in between.

___________________________

INTERVIEWED BY BRIANNA HALL ON BEHALF OF UMS

Vanessa, hi. Thanks for the interview. First of all, what do you look for in a debut manuscript before acquiring? 

VA: Voice, voice, voice! If a book instantly sweeps me away and doesn't let me go, I'm in love. 

 BH: What trends are you seeing in the market right now in terms of acquisitions—romantasy, horror, etc.?

VA: Fantasy in general is very exciting, and romantasy is still very popular, though I think the kinds of romantasy that rise to the forefront now will have to be fresh and incredibly standout in some way. Horror and genre mash-ups within that have also been growing in buzz, which makes me really happy, ha. 

BH: Regardless of trends, what kinds of books has your imprint been most successful with over the past five years?

VA: One of my colleagues likes to say "books with Big Feelings," and it's one of my favorite phrases ever. Those are the kinds of books we've been seeing resonate with readers again and again.

 BH: How are platforms like TikTok and other social media influencing how you think about acquiring and marketing books? 

VA: Certainly discoverability has shifted in many ways--social media has kind of amplified word of mouth marketing and given us new avenues to interact with "gatekeepers", which used to mainly be booksellers and reviewers but has now grown to include influencers. We've also gotten more direct access to what a lot of readers want and are excited about, which has been really fun and interesting. 

BH: Where do you see your role as an editor evolving within today’s rapidly changing publishing landscape?

VA: This may perhaps come off as blithe, and I don't mean it to, but I don't really see it changing. My vision was, and still is, to acquire books I believe in and to support authors in their career to the best of my ability. Regardless of what's going on in the industry, I'll remain committed to that.

BH: Looking ahead, how do you see the publishing industry shifting in the next few years?

VA: The embracing of the indie-to-trad-pub pipeline is going to lead to some fun genre mash-ups, I think. On the production end, tariffs and inflation are most likely going to continue to affect book lengths and distribution.

BH: What is one thing you think all aspiring career authors should know?

VA: Community is so important. Writing can feel like a solitary sport, but it isn't. Having a village to both fall back and support is invaluable. And the writing community is, I've found, lovely and open and generous. This industry can be tough, but it's easier when you're not going through it alone--for a variety of reasons.

BH: Thanks again for your time, Vanessa. See you at the New York WTP!

_____________