Joanne O’Sullivan

Asheville

Contributing Reporter at Publishers Weekly

Author of BETWEEN TWO SKIES (Candlewick, 2017), THE GREAT AND THE TERRIBLE (RP Kids, 2020),+ kids' non-fiction titles, PW contributor, freelancer + editor

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Articles

Sarah Barley Books Set to Launch at Simon & Schuster

2 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has announced a new imprint to be helmed by Sarah Barley, previously editorial director of young adult publishing at Flatiron Books. Sarah Barley Books will launch in spring 2026 with three YA titles, and will add middle grade books in subsequent seasons. The imprint’s focus is on literary and commercial fiction, aimed at readers ages eight and up.
Fantasy MG Series Dragonborn Set for October Launch from Dutton

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

Scottish author Struan Murray made a splash in 2021 when he won the U.K.’s Branford Boase Award for his debut novel, Orphans of the Tide, about a group of courageous kids battling an overwhelming evil in a watery world. His new series Dragonborn, originally scheduled to launch in spring 2026, is now scheduled for an October release from Dutton.
Highly Anticipated Final Volume of Philip Pullman’s Book of Dust Trilogy Slated for October

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

When readers first met her in The Golden Compass (first published in the U.K. in 1995 as Northern Lights), Lyra Belacqua was a young orphan, hiding in a wardrobe at Oxford’s Jordan College, spying on the scholars she lived amongst in a world with some parallels to our own.
2025 YA Trends: Bouncing Between the Dark and Light

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

A reads are a mood these days. The mood tends to veer between light and swoony and mysterious and sinister, with not a lot in between. We asked agents and editors what’s on the horizon for YA this spring, summer, and beyond, and found that several of the trends seen in recent years are still holding strong. Editors report readers craving escapism, whether that’s through romance in a faraway land or treachery in a fantasy world.
2025 YA Trends: Bouncing Between the Dark and Light

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

A reads are a mood these days. The mood tends to veer between light and swoony and mysterious and sinister, with not a lot in between. We asked agents and editors what’s on the horizon for YA this spring, summer, and beyond, and found that several of the trends seen in recent years are still holding strong. Editors report readers craving escapism, whether that’s through romance in a faraway land or treachery in a fantasy world.
Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025: Reaching Boy Readers Where They Are

1 month ago | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

On her book tour for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the feminist story collection and Kickstarter phenomenon she co-wrote with Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo repeatedly got the same question from audience members: “What about the boys?” She found the question annoying at first. After all, haven’t most books throughout history featured boys and men and their heroics?, she recalled thinking. Over time, though, she began to hear the question differently.
Greenwillow Books Celebrates 50 Years

Feb 20, 2025 | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

Legendary editor Louise Seaman Bechtel opened the first-ever children’s department at a publisher—Macmillan—in 1919. When the division celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1969, Susan Hirschman—then editor-in-chief—planned the celebration. Now retired, she’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of the imprint she founded in 1974, Greenwillow Books.
Anne Schwartz Moves to Editor-at-Large Position at Knopf

Jan 30, 2025 | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

Anne Schwartz, VP and publisher of Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will retire from her current role and become editor-at-large under the umbrella of Knopf Books for Young Readers, effective February 1. Although she will no longer widely acquire, Schwartz will continue to edit and publish new projects. Schwartz began her career in publishing in 1977 in the adult promotion department at Knopf.
Neal Porter to Become Publisher Emeritus at Neal Porter Books

Jan 23, 2025 | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

After seven years at his eponymous Holiday House imprint, Neal Porter Books, publisher Neal Porter will be stepping away from a full-time role to become publisher emeritus, effective this month. Taylor Norman, currently executive editor, has been appointed editorial director at the imprint. “Having toiled in the fields of children’s publishing for close to 50 years, the last seven very happily spent at Holiday House, this feels like an appropriate time to step back and take a breath,” Porter said.
Balzer + Bray Previews Its Inaugural List at Macmillan

Jan 16, 2025 | publishersweekly.com | Joanne O’Sullivan

After moving their eponymous imprint from HarperCollins Children to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group last spring,publishers Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray of Balzer + Bray have announced their inaugural list, to be published in winter and spring 2026.