ABOUT THE EDITOR
Rachel Stark is a senior editor, former marketer, and activist with a decade and a half of experience in children’s and young adult publishing at houses including Disney-Hyperion, Macmillan, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Bloomsbury, and Sky Pony Press. The award-winning and bestselling authors they’ve edited include Erin Bow, Alexandra Bracken, Rainbow Rowell, Jen Wang, John Patrick Green, Ben Hatke, Faith Erin Hicks, Codie Crowley, Pablo Cartaya, Jason June, Mo Willems, and more. Books they have edited have been awarded a Newbery Honor and Schneider Honor; been #1 New York Times, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers; been longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature; won the Goodreads Choice Award, Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature, and Christopher Medal; received multiple starred reviews; appeared on the Kids’ Indie Next List, and been listed as best books of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and more.
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Rachel is also the lead editor for Kugali Ink, a joint venture between Disney-Hyperion and Kugali Limited, an African company dedicated to telling stories in a variety of mediums that forefront African culture and highlight African creators. The first two middle-grade graphic novels to be produced out of this partnership, Runeless and Àkànní, will published in October 2025. They are also attached to a yet-to-be-announced multi-platform IP in development at Disney and helmed by Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano on Clone Wars), Jeff Gomez, and executive produced by Henry Gilroy.
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As a marketer, Rachel has worked with beloved authors and illustrators like Jason Reynolds, Sarah J. Maas, Ylvis, Cassandra Clare, Shannon Hale, Emily Carroll, Holly Black, Tim Federle, Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, James Howe, Megan Miranda, and Simone Elkeles to bring their books to wider audiences. They have contributed to campaigns for New York Times–bestselling books and series, as well as winners of the Caldecott Medal, Newbery Honor Medals, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Stonewall Book Award, the Walters Award, and more. They also helped to market the 2015 launch of Saga Press, Simon & Schuster’s dedicated diverse speculative fiction imprint.
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Rachel is a senior mentor with the Representation Matters Mentorship Program, which is designed to help people of color gain a foothold in the publishing industry, a mentor for Point Foundation LGBTQ scholars, and an activist whose organizing has centered around advocating for workers’ rights, providing sanctuary to immigrants and asylum-seekers, and creating safe and equitable spaces for women and LGBTQAI+ people.