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Meet the RP Editorial Team

Meet the RP Editorial Team

Kristin Kiser is Senior Vice President and Publisher of The Running Press Group and is a member of the Executive Management Board at Hachette Book Group USA. Her imprints include Running Press, comprised of Running Press Adult, RP Kids, RP Studio, and RP Minis; Black Dog & Leventhal; and Avalon Travel, which includes Rick Steves and Moon Travel Guides. The Running Press Group publishes a wide variety of adult illustrated titles and select reading books in categories including film, TV, performing arts, and other pop culture; mystical and magic-adjacent; body/mind/spirit; science; reference; humor; lifestyle; art; gift; and travel. The kids’ list includes illustrated reference, board books, picture books, and middle grade and young adult nonfiction and fiction aligned with categories on the adult list. The RP Studio and RP Minis lines include a wide range of decks, including tarot, oracle, and trivia decks; advent calendars; journals and some stationery formats; toys; games; and collectibles. Running Press also works with a wide variety of licensed partners across all of its imprints, with products from more than 80 different brands, such as Harry Potter, DC Comics, Disney, Marvel, Bob Ross, Sanrio, and many more.

Kristin originally joined Running Press and The Perseus Book Group as VP and Publisher in 2015 and came to HBG when Hachette acquired Perseus in 2016. Before that she was Deputy Publisher at Rodale, Associate Publisher at Hyperion/ABC-Disney, and Editorial Director at Crown Publishers, after an early career as a nonfiction editor.

Jennifer Leczkowski (she/her) is Director of RP Minis and Licensing at Running Press. Jennifer joined the company two decades ago and has enjoyed a variety of editorial positions over the years, ranging from Associate Editor to Managing Editor to Director of our unique RP Minis line. Jennifer oversees the development and growth of the RP Minis list and of our licensing programs across the RP Minis, RP Adult, RP Kids, and RP Studio imprints.

Julie Matysik (she/her) is Editorial Director of Running Press Kids. She acquires books for young readers, from board book through young adult, with a focus on celebrating solutions (with emphasis in LGBTQ+ and diverse topics), licensed picture books, mythological collections, and seasonal titles. Her acquisitions include Sugar in Milk by New York Times bestselling author Thirty Umrigar and illustrated by Khoa Le; Pink Is for Boys by New York Times bestselling author Robb Pearlman and illustrated by Eda Kaban; The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess and illustrated by Olga de Dios; ABC-Deconstructing Gender by Ash + Chess; Silent Night illustrated by Sara Gianassi; The Wizard of Oz: The Official Picture Book; and more.

Shannon Connors Fabricant (she/her) is Editorial Director for the RP Inspires, RP Mystic, and RP Studio lists at Running Press. She acquires a range of nonfiction books, decks, and ancillary products for adults, with a particular focus on body/mind/spirit, lifestyle, creative self-help and wellness, cocktail, gift, and select art titles. She is passionate about the intersection of content and package and is drawn to projects with distinct aesthetic visions, unique and authoritative voices, and a strong sense of place—as well as the possibility of living in multiple formats across lists. Her acquisitions include The Body Is a Doorway by Sophie Strand; Take Back the Magic and Mothers of Magic by Perdita Finn; Small Town Living by Erin Austen Abbott; Practical Magic by Nikki Van De Car; Queer Tarot by Ash + Chess; The Night School by Maia Toll;  Everyday Tarot and Intuitive Manifesting by Brigit Esselmont; Art Hiding in New York by Lori Zimmer and Maria Krasinski; and In Session Cocktails by Steven Grasse and Adam Erace. Prior to joining Running Press in 2016, she was part of the editorial team at Abbeville Press, where she edited books on fine art, photography, and cocktails.

Cindy Sipala (she/her) is Editorial Director for RP Entertains at Running Press. Her passion for classic Hollywood has led to a robust series of film-related books, including the ultimate guide to film noir, Dark City by Turner Classic Movies host Eddie Muller; Hollywood Black by award-winning historian Donald Bogle; and This Was Hollywood, based on the viral Instagram account by Carla Valderrama. She’s always looking for authors who bring fresh perspectives and tell the tales of hidden pockets of not just film but entertainment subjects in general. Her interest in more modern pop culture is seen in her management of Running Press’s long-standing Wizarding World series; a program of titles with the Bob Ross estate; and one of her most beloved projects of all time, the Britney Spears Oracle. Cindy is also interested in lifestyle books, like the Booze & Vinyl series published with André and Tenaya Darlington and Ignite Your Light by Jolene Hart.

Shannon Kelly (she/her) is a Senior Editor at Running Press. She acquires books, decks, and other projects for adults in categories including self-help and wellness, magical and mystical, gift, lifestyle, cocktail, pop culture, and humor. She is drawn to offbeat points of view, voices with attitude or an edge, and modern takes on familiar subjects. Her acquisitions include the You Are a Badass® Guided Journal and You Are a Badass® Deck by Jen Sincero; Scam Goddess by Laci Mosley; Cat People by Hannah Hillam; Gentle Chaos by Tyler Gaca aka Ghosthoney; Make Your Own Magic by amanda lovelace; Sip Me, Baby, One More Time by Ashley Gibson; No One Has Seen It All by Betty Halbreich; and Weed Witch and Reproductive Rites by Sophie Saint Thomas. Prior to joining Running Press, she was on the editorial teams at Abrams and Viking Penguin, where she worked with authors including Ziwe, Elaine Welteroth, Abbi Jacobson, and Henry James Garrett.

Jordana Hawkins (she/her) is a Senior Editor and Licensing Manager at Running Press. She works primarily on RP’s licensing program with brands like Hello Kitty and Friends, Queer Eye, The Office, Friends, Gudetama, Pusheen, and more. She also acquires a selection of non-licensed books in the pop culture, humor, lifestyle, cocktail, and illustrated gift book categories. Recent acquisitions include Tequila Mockingbird: 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition by Tim Federle; BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural by Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej; Clueless: The Official Cookbook by Kim Laidlaw; Bless Your Heart by Landon Bryant; Literary Cats Coloring Book by Andrew Shaffer; and Street Cats and Where to Find Them by Jeff Bogle.

Allison Cohen (she/her) is a Senior Editor at Running Press Kids. She acquires fiction and nonfiction in the picture book and middle grade space, in addition to select young adult fiction. Her acquisitions include I Affirm Me: The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids by Nyasha Williams; The Junior Witch’s Handbook by Nikki Van De Car; The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad by Natasha Deen; Peculiar Primates by Debra Shumaker; and There’s No Ham in Hamburgers by Kim Zachman, to name a few. Prior to joining Running Press Kids, she was a literary agent and represented both adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction.

Randall Lotowycz (he/him) is a Senior Editor at Running Press. He focuses on pop culture, humor, and licensed projects in both book and kit formats. He’s drawn to smart and lively adult nonfiction with unique and diverse voices championing fun and offbeat information, as well as the occasional children’s title. His acquisitions include  TCM’s Hollywood Pride by Alonso Duralde; The De Palma Decade by Laurent Bouzereau; Oh, Bother: Winnie-the-Pooh Is Befuddled, Too by Jennie Egerdie; Peeing and Pooping in Space by Kiona Smith; Queer Mythology by Guido Sanchez; The Rocky Horror Cookbook by Kim Laidlaw; Strange and Unsung All-Stars of the DC Multiverse by Stephanie Williams; and the This is Fine Mini Kit by KC Green.

Sara Bader (she/her) is an Editor at Running Press. She acquires nonfiction books, decks, and journals that focus on lifestyle, wellness, creative self-help, and body/mind/spirit. She champions projects that expand the way we think about ourselves and our connection to the world. Having worked on illustrated books throughout her career, she is particularly interested in the relationship between words and images, and she has great appreciation for the aesthetics of book design and how it shapes the reader’s experience. Prior to joining Running Press, she authored The Book of Pet Love & Loss and coauthored The Collars of RBG: A Portrait of Justice. For many years, she was part of the editorial teams at Princeton Architectural Press and Phaidon Press, acquiring and editing visual culture books for both publishers.

Britny Perilli (she/they) is an Editor at Running Press. She acquires licensed titles across all imprints and adult and children’s nonfiction books and other projects in categories including fandom, pop culture, novelty, and gift, as well as select young adult fiction. She is interested in unique and interactive formats, passionate and accessible voices, and diverse perspectives on pop culture and fandom. Her acquisitions include Dungeons & Dragons: How to Be More D&D by Kat Kruger; Fight, Magic, Items by Aidan Moher; The Essential Manga Guide by Briana Lawrence; A Kid’s Guide to Tabletop RPGs by Gabe Hicks; A Kid’s Guide to Anime & Manga by Samuel Sattin and Patrick Macias; Roll for Love by M.K. England; and The Endless Grove: A Fantasy Oracle and Guidebook by Zachary Woodard.

Maria Lourdes Riillo (she/her/ella) is an Associate Editor at Running Press. She acquires adult nonfiction with a primary focus on pop culture and entertainment with an emphasis on humor, theater, film, music, and licensed properties. She also occasionally works on lifestyle, personal growth, and gift titles. She is seeking inventive formats, interesting pop culture stories, bold voices, and original takes, and as a proud Latina, she is always looking for ways to increase diversity in publishing and expand access for underacknowledged peoples. Her favorite projects and acquisitions include Mattel’s Barbie IRL by Kristen Mulrooney and The Official Barbie Cocktail Book by Ginny Landt; TCM’S Falling in Love at the Movies by Esther Zuckerman; History Hiding Around Broadway by Teale Dvornik; The Hirschfeld Broadway Tarot by Emily McGill; and The Borderlands Tarot/El Tarot de Tierra Fronterizas by Enid Baxter Ryce and Luis Cámara.

Anna Shura (she/her) is an Editorial Assistant at Running Press. She is inspired by titles and projects that dive deep into creative passions, broaden musical and food-related tastes, and infuse lifestyles with magic and wellness. Prior to joining Running Press in 2024, she interned at DeFiore and Company Literary Agency and with editorial, marketing, and publicity teams across W.W. Norton and Hachette Books and Hachette Go. Some of her favorite titles she has worked on include The Lyrics by Paul McCartney and PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking by Carleigh Bodrug. Anna is also currently earning her MS in Publishing from NYU.