Meet Hachette Books

Mary Ann Naples, VP, Publisher

Mary Ann Naples is the publisher of Hachette Books and Hachette Go—two imprints dedicated to publishing the best in nonfiction. It is an honor and privilege of hers to publish the bold voices of Hachette Books and the books that can change your life of Hachette Go. Mary Ann’s personal slogan has long been “books change my life every day”—and her goal is to ensure that every book finds its audience through strong campaigns and author partnership. Mary Ann has had broad experience across publishing, including as the publisher of the Disney Book Group, publisher of Rodale Books, as a literary agent, and, early in her career, as an editor, at Simon & Schuster, Hyperion, and Doubleday.

Michelle Aielli, VP, Associate Publisher

As the Associate Publisher of the Hachette Books imprints, Michelle oversees publicity and marketing for the group, liaises with HBG’s Sales team, and consults on all aspects of the publishing process – from acquisitions and production to cover design and distribution. With HB’s Publisher, she helps oversee the acquisition of new titles and authors, growing a formidable and diverse list of important, powerful, opinion-driven nonfiction voices in both the narrative and prescriptive spaces. 

Michelle has spent more than two decades in book publishing and held positions at HarperCollins, Random House, Basic Books, Little, Brown and Company and has had the honor of working with many bestselling and award-winning authors, including James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Elin Hilderbrand, Donna Tartt, Jonathan Safran Foer, J.K. Rowling, Keith Richards, Julie Andrews, Lindy West, and many more.

Lauren Marino, Editorial Director

Lauren Marino joined Hachette Books in January 2020. Prior to that she was Vice President, Editorial Director at Gotham Books where she was the founding editor in 2001, publishing multiple bestsellers in a variety of non-fiction categories. She has also worked at Broadway Books, a division of Random House, and Hyperion, where she was responsible for overseeing the Miramax imprint. She is also a published author and has collaborated with high profile celebrities, psychologists, doctors, educators and other people highly accomplished in their fields.

Lauren is looking for strong, edgy, diverse voices with fresh perspectives on popular subjects and bold new ideas in the area of human potential. For Hachette Books she acquires strong voices in memoir, current events and narrative non-fiction from authors with strong platforms. For Hachette Go she publishes cutting edge, credentialed and platformed authors with a fresh take on psychology, creativity, personal growth and big ideas.

Brant Rumble, Editorial Director

Brant Rumble has worked on a variety of narrative nonfiction, ranging from memoir to biography to history to humor to cultural criticism, and more. His early editorial discoveries included Chuck Klosterman’s generational classics, Fargo Rock City and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. Brant has since published numerous New York Times bestsellers, most recently including Nikki Sixx’s The First 21, Cassandra Peterson’s Yours Cruelly, Elvira, and Marin Fader’s Giannis. Brant has also worked with acclaimed authors such as Rainn Wilson, John Feinstein, Bill Janovitz, Tom Breihan, Jason Gay, Rob Halford, Joe Trohman, Rick Reilly, Kenny Loggins, George F. Will, Peter Frampton, Julie Andrews, Mike Love, Elvis Costello, Peter Criss, Patton Oswalt, Ken Jennings, Megan Amram, Bill James, Amanda Petrusich, Jonathan Ames, John L. Parker, Gustavo Arellano, and Rob Neyer. Brant joined Hachette Books in May 2018. He was previously at Blue Rider Press for several years, and at Scribner for a number of years before that. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

Reneé Sedliar, Editorial Director

Renée seeks to acquire books that inform and truly help readers, whether they are facing a health condition or looking for strategies for everything from self-care to interpersonal relationships—books that both inspire and challenge readers, books that ask questions and start conversations, books that ultimately offer a thoughtful path forward. From vegan superstars to go-to health leaders, she’s worked with a wide range of award-winning, bestselling authors including Carleigh Bodrug (New York Times bestseller PlantYou), Bryant Terry (Vegan Soul Kitchen), Maia Szalavitz (Undoing Drugs), Mia Birdsong (How We Show Up), Ellie Krieger (Whole in One), Michelle MiJung Kim (The Wake Up), Dr. Kara Fitzgerald (Younger You), Jessica Wilson, MS RD (It’s Always Been Ours), Dr. Stephanie Sarkis (Gaslighting), Meg Keene (A Practical Wedding Planner), Allison Moorer (Blood: A Memoir), Robyn Moreno (Get Rooted), and Heather Corinna (S.E.X.).

Based on the West Coast, Renée has held editorial positions at Da Capo Lifelong Books, Seal Press, Marlowe & Company, and HarperSanFranciso (now HarperOne). When she’s not nose down in a book, you can find her at San Francisco’s Circus Center or just strolling the glorious 7×7 seeking out the best coffee and vegan pizza (not together, of course).

Ben Schafer, Executive Editor

Ben specializes in music, popular culture, biography, memoir, and popular science, with an affinity for American counterculture. He has acquired several New York Times bestsellers, including Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr (the acclaimed, definitive biography of The Replacements) and NOFX by the band NOFX with Jeff Alulis. Based in southern California where he divides his time between Los Angeles and Wonder Valley, Ben published the classic two-volume history of L.A. punk Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World by John Doe (of X) and music publishing veteran Tom DeSavia, Do What You Want, the official biography of Bad Religion co-authored by Jim Ruland, the international bestseller Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan, and many biographies by veteran rock journalist David Browne. He has also worked on books with Christopher Hitchens, Lou Reed, Buddy Guy, Dave Van Ronk, Brian Wilson, and The Lunachicks.

Dan Ambrosio, Senior Editor

Dan acquires a wide range of nonfiction for the Hachette Books and Hachette Go divisions of Perseus Books, focusing on health, parenting, business and personal growth, as well as select memoirs and narrative nonfiction. At Perseus, he published several national bestsellers including Go See the Principal by Gerry Brooks and the Mental Health America Media Award-winning memoir Playing Hurt, written by the late ESPN host John Saunders with New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon. Dan also published I Wish My Teacher Knew, an invaluable K-12 guide for teachers, parents and communities, as well as The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living and The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness by Amit Sood, MD.

Gwen Hawkes, Editor

Gwen Hawkes is passionate about books that can catalyze change for their readers—whether that means quiet growth or large, culture shifting conversations. She gravitates towards authors that can share their message in an unexpected way or whose voices capture a new audience. Gwen has had the privilege of working with a cast of dynamic authors from James Beard and Nautilus award winning writers, to legends like Julia Cameron, and industry titans like the Franklin Covey Institute.

At Hachette, she acquires a range of prescriptive nonfiction—all of it sharp, accessible, and practical—along with select narrative nonfiction. She was previously at St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Essentials.

Carrie Napolitano, Associate Editor

Carrie Napolitano is dedicated to publishing books that challenge, entertain, and inspire. She acquires bold narrative nonfiction, including memoir, history, true crime, music history/biography, and humor, with extra points to anything progressive, cheeky, macabre, or straight-up weird. Her forthcoming titles include hip-hop icon Lil’ Kim’s debut memoir, The Queen Bee; criminal profiling pioneer and forensic nurse Dr. Ann Burgess’ A Killer By Design; journalist Jennifer Wright’s Behold the Triumph of Virtue; and popular historian April White’s The Divorce Colony, among others.

Prior to joining Hachette Books, Carrie worked at Basic Books and Oxford University Press. She graduated with honors from Brown University with a double concentration in Comparative Literature and Italian Studies.

Mollie Weisenfeld, Associate Editor

Mollie Weisenfeld partners with authors who progressively influence national conversations. She’s interested in women’s studies, social justice, investigative, deeply reported narratives and also acquires select pop culture, pop science, and sports (football, soccer). She seeks to highlight LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices. Additionally, she oversees the 3,300-title backlist and assists Brant Rumble.

Mollie has worked on multiple New York Times and national bestsellers including Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner. Her list includes Controlling Women by Kathryn Kolbert and Julie F. Kay – the post-Roe future of reproductive freedom, We Are Electric by Sally Adee – our body’s bioelectricity and its scientific implications, All the Gold Stars by Rainesford Stauffer – reconstructing ambition away from individualistic striving, and Book of Queens by Pardis Mahdavi – about the Middle Eastern horsewomen who fought the War on Terror. 

Niyati Patel, Assistant Editor

Niyati is a poet and assistant to Lauren Marino. After years working in psychiatric clinical research, she completed the Columbia Publishing Course and an internship at Norton before joining Hachette Books in March 2022. She holds an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is based in Manhattan.

Michael Barrs, Executive Director, Marketing

Michael joined the Hachette Book Group in 2017 and is currently the Executive Director of Marketing for Hachette Books and Hachette Go. He has overseen campaigns including bestsellers Code Girls by Liza Mundy, Billion Dollar Whale by Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, and Do You Feel Like I Do? by Peter Frampton. Prior to his time at HBG Michael spent twelve years working at HarperCollins Publishers, most recently as Marketing Director of Dey Street Books where he orchestrated the marketing campaigns for #1 New York Times bestsellers Yes Please by Amy Poehler and 10% Happier by Dan Harris. He also oversaw the campaigns that launched Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming, Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik, Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon, and Pretty Happy by Kate Hudson.

Ashley Kiedrowski, Marketing Manager

Ashley joined the Hachette Books team in March 2019. Prior to joining Hachette, she was a Visual Merchandiser at the Strand Bookstore and completed internships at PEN America and Catapult. She holds a BFA in Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Ashley has overseen marketing campaigns for a wide variety of titles, including Carleigh Bodrug’s New York Times bestelling cookbook PlantYou, Kid Congo Powers’ Some New Kind of Kick, Zoe Mendelson & Maria Conejo’s Pussypedia, and Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy’s None of This Rocks. She’s also the brain and fingers behind the Hachette Books & Hachette Go social media accounts, as well as our influencer program HB Social Club. Off hours, she loves travel, tattoos, and all things southwestern.

Emma Littel-Jensen, Publishing Coordinator

Emma joined Hachette Books in October 2022. Previously, she spent three years as a writing tutor and was the 2020 poetry editor of DePaul University’s literary magazine. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English Literature and French Studies, after which she attended the Columbia Publishing Course before briefly moving to Montana. She is now located in New York.

Michael Giarratano, Assistant Director, Publicity

Michael has been with the Hachette Book Group since 2016, ensuring our great authors and books receive the media attention and praise they deserve. He has worked with a diverse roster of authors across the categories Hachette Books publishes in: music, history, pop culture, memoir, cooking, and wellness.

Prior to this position, Michael was at Harvard University Press, and before that at Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, DC. He is also on the Boston Book Festival’s program committee. His reading interests are as eclectic as the list of books he works on professionally, and a good day outside of work includes a bike ride, making food with his daughter, and a crossword puzzle with his wife.

Sharon Kunz, Assistant Director, Publicity

Sharon Kunz has been in the industry for nearly 20 years, but still can’t believe she gets paid to read and talk about books all day. Before joining Hachette Books and Hachette Go as Assistant Publicity Director in 2022, she worked at Basic Books and Seal Press, where she had the honor of helping to launch the literary careers of Ijeoma Oluo, Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez, and Minda Harts, among others, and to secure top-level media for a diverse field of non-fiction titles. At HB

Sharon started her book publishing career at Globe Pequot/Rowman & Littlefield, where she was a PW Star Watch honoree. Prior to that she worked at Parade magazine on the editorial side. When she isn’t reading, she is… somehow still reading. This annoys her kids to no end.

Lauren Rosenthal, Publicity Manager

Lauren joined Hachette after working on a wide range of books at both Pegasus and Hay House, including campaigns for many high-profile authors. She was also an intern at Hachette back in the day and is excited to have returned to the company! A few titles Lauren has been proud to work on are CONFESS by Rob Halford, WHATEVER NEXT? by Anne Glenconner, New York Times bestseller YOURS CRUELLY, ELVIRA by Cassandra Peterson, national bestseller YOUNGER YOU by Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, and SOUL BOOM by Rainn Wilson.

Lauren is a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study where she created a concentration called “Uncovering Truth in Expression through Music, Psychology, and Creative Writing.” Outside the office, Lauren can be found singing in venues around the city, tutoring kids, and watching just the right amount of reality TV.

Kindall Gant, Publicist

Kindall Gant joined Hachette Books in January 2023. Previously she held positions at Phaidon Press, Oxford University Press, Poets & Writers Magazine, and Artbook D.A.P., among other literary institutions. Kindall is an award winning poet and a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where she studied the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and History. 

Abimael Ayala-Oquendo, Publicity Assistant

Abimael (Ah-bee-mah-L) joined Hachette Books’ publicity team in the summer of 2022. He previously was part of Legacy Lit’s marketing and publicity team, and prior to that was the events coordinator at the iconic Strand Bookstore in NYC. Abimael has a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, and Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Southampton in the UK. Apart from books, Abimael enjoys politics, video games, and his miniature dachshund Beatriz.

Amanda Kain, Creative Director

Amanda joined Hachette Books in 2015. She began her publishing career with a 3-year stint at Penguin Group designing marketing materials before moving on to spend over a decade at HarperCollins Publishers. At HarperCollins, she designed covers for a diverse array of acclaimed writers such as Greg Iles, Gail Sheehy, Alan Cumming, Robert Kolker, Gavin Edwards, Peter Swanson, Dan Harris, and T. Geronimo Johnson. As the Creative Director of Hachette Books, Amanda plays an active role in the creation of every book’s cover design, whether it be by designing it herself, art directing a designer, or directing a photoshoot. She wants every author to feel excited, proud, and connected to the packaging of their book.

Terri Sirma, Senior Designer

Terri joined the Hachette Books art department as a cover and jacket designer in 2019. Prior to joining Hachette, Terri was a Designer at Oxford University Press for almost four years where she began her publishing career as an Assistant Designer.

YY Liak, Junior Designer

YY (why-why) joined Hachette Books in the winter of 2023 after interning at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Epigram Books. She has a BFA in Illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and has dabbled in animation, advertising, and editorial illustration in addition to book design. Aside from books, she also enjoys open-world video games, illustrated food labels, and old Italian churches.

Monica Oluwek, Managing Editor

Monica joined the Hachette Books team in March 2019 after spending five years at Simon & Schuster working as managing editor of the adult imprints Scribner, Touchstone, and Gallery Books. As managing editor, Monica manages and oversees the entire production process, from title acquisition to finished book, and acts as a go-between for the production and editorial departments. She has a BA in creative writing and Italian from Florida State University, and enjoys reading narrative nonfiction, true crime, and anything related to pop culture.