Like our workshop, these faculty interviews focus on youth novels. To read all years’ faculty interviews, see our Directory. For additional information about Krista, see our home page.

KRISTA VITOLA

Senior Editor

Simon & Schuster

Krista Vitola brings a wealth of experience, skill, and enthusiasm to our workshop. We're thrilled to have her share her editorial insights. She has kindly offered many in the interview below. Enjoy!

I. GENERAL TOPICS

Why and how did you become an editor?

I kind of fell into the publishing industry. I always thought I would write for a magazine. I loved the printed word—newspapers, magazines, books—and I loved reading about pop culture, fashion, news, and trending topics, so I thought writing for a magazine would be my ideal job. I could meld my love of the written word with trending issues. The summer of my sophomore year of college, I interned for a magazine that’s no longer in publication, and I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited to learn what it would be like to live and breathe in the day-to-day life of a magazine editor.

And… I hated it; absolutely hated it. The people were unfriendly, they kept the three interns in a closet-like space transcribing copy and we were barely spoken to. My dream of working in the magazine industry popped like one gigantic, sad bubble. This was in 2006, so magazine weren’t doing so hot, anyway; my little broken heart decided to move on to bigger and better things. More…

What do you enjoy most about being an editor?

It’s hard to pick just one part of the process that’s my favorite. I live for the joy of finding a manuscript I just can’t live without. It’s the best feeling, knowing that this book needs to be out there in the world for many, many children to cherish and read over and over again.

But in following that, the editorial process is another one of my favorite parts. I love speaking with my authors and coming up with ways in which they can make their narratives stronger. Phone calls are my ideal form of communication when an author and I are in the editorial phase. I really think it’s imperative for me to talk things through so I can fully tap out of ideas. Sometimes one comment can spark an amazing chain of conversation that becomes the bedrock of a new plot thread or conclusion.

I have a name plate on my desk that my former coworkers gifted me that says: “Do Epic Shit.” I try to keep that in mind each and every day when I turn on my computer.

Which middle-grade and YA fiction genres are you currently soliciting? Do you acquire controversial and/or New Adult novels?

I usually gravitate toward voice in any novel I seek to acquire, more so than to a specific topic. I’m more of a contemporary fan and of adventures one can have in their backyard. Then there’s the inherent balance of matching the voice with the target audience. I’m not reading for me, regardless of how much I fall in love with a book, but rather I’m reading to put said book into the hands of as many adolescent readers and I can. Yes, bring on the controversy and I never seek to acquire something with crossover appeal but at times it does happen. I do not acquire new adult.

What’s the outlook on MG and YA novel trends, if any?

Oh, trends. I mean, I guess we do see trends, but by the time we see them in the industry there are already a plethora of novels being published and the shelves will soon be glutted with these types of stories. If you happened to acquire a novel that falls into this trend at the time, then that works out great. But as an editor, I don’t seek out trends. I would also caution writers against writing for a trend, because by the time it’s considered a “trend” in the market, there are a ton of books in the pipeline that will satisfy the desire of these readers before they move on to the next hot thing.

I remember when my former boss acquired Fallen by Lauren Kate. We all really liked it and we released it into the word hoping readers would fall for this love story, and all of a sudden fallen angels were the biggest thing. YA tends to see the more apparent trends that MG. I shy away from acquiring trends. The best stories resonate on a multitude of levels and emotions and relationships, and those things never change no matter who you are or where you’re from.

Name several representative middle-grade and YA novels that you’ve edited in the past few years (including forthcoming). Which aspects of each novel appealed to you from the query and/or the manuscript’s first lines?

The Hotel Between by Sean Easley. The Grand Budapest Hotel meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. The story follows twins Cam and Cass whose father is missing and is lost in a magical hotel with doors that open to countries all over the world.

The setting of this novel is so fun! And it grabs you from the very first page as you find Cam stuck in a locker and the reader wants to know what the heck is going on. I’ve never read an adventure story with such a captivating, unique and diverse setting. It’s a thrill of a novel and I envisioned myself racing through the pages when I was this age. I knew young readers needed this on their shelves.

If This Were a Story by Beth Turley. In the tradition of Crenshaw and The Thing About Jellyfish, ten-year-old Hannah copes with the bullies at school and troubles at home through the power of stories.

I absolutely fell in love with the voice of this novel; Beth is an amazing writer and she pulls you in for a big hug right from the very first line of this book. Her use of sensory imagery is perfect and spot on to how a young girl would feel when unfortunate things happen around her. I knew it would resonate with so many young girls who internalize their grief instead of speaking to someone about the things that are bothering them. This novel is going to be a best friend to many readers.

Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood. This middle-grade historical fiction novel in verse, tells the true story of a boy who was abandoned on a lifeboat for eight days, unsure if he or the other members on the boat would survive.

The sparse, beautiful, and strong words in this novel immediately grabbed me into Ken’s world, and the troubles he faces are accessible to any reader, even if they may never experience war. It’s a very harrowing story but the form makes it very digestible and intimate, lessening the scariness of such a horrific event. Extensive resources and photographs are featured in the back of the book, so that readers who want to learn more about the true story can easily do so.

Strange Fire by Tommy Wallach. This the first book in The Anchor & Sofia trilogy. For readers who adored The Giver and The City of Ember. A book that’s Oregon Trail meets Westworld meets Game of Thrones. Set in a future U.S. that’s been wiped out by an asteroid, two cities with completely opposite foundations—one that centers around religion, the other on science—find out about the other’s existence. Let the battle begin.

The sense of place in Tommy’s books is unlike any book I’ve read before. Told in four alternating points of views, readers immediately immerse themselves in the contrasting worlds and beliefs, and take a seat alongside our four teens who soon play a pivotal role in determining the fate of humanity itself. It’s fast-paced and edgy and taps into all the emotional ups and downs of becoming an adult.

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