Nina Ryan
For those of us who are readers, writers translate the world. When a story or idea speaks to you, you naturally want to share the experience. This is what working with writers is all about for me.
I began my career at Random House as a publicist, then went on to become an editor working on nonfiction and fiction, including books by Miami Herald crime reporter Edna Buchanan, Russian novelist Vassily Aksyonov, and political activist Tom Hayden. In 1990, I joined the Palmer & Dodge Agency (now Kneerim & Williams) where I helped develop a list drawn from Boston’s rich academic, medical and literary communities. I also started the agency’s foreign rights program. Subsequent years in New York, and Berlin took me to the Frankfurt Book Fair and put me in touch with many foreign publishers. During these years I represented my own list of general non-fiction and literary fiction as an independent agent, eventually joining forces with Katherine Cowles. Authors I have represented include Louisa Gilder, Jim Paul, Aryeh Stollman, Baron Wormser, Ted Levin, Rachel Smolker, Caroline Fraser and Claudia Shear.
ABOUT NINA RYAN
In addition to working with writers to develop their material, I know the elements of a strong book proposal, and enjoy transforming an author’s specific expertise or experience into a proposal aimed at the widest possible audience. To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker is a good example. Rachel is a biologist who did the first long-term study of dolphins in the wild. She knew she had a great subject but she had never written a book or book proposal. We went back and forth intensively and five publishers bid on the book, which we sold to Doubleday.
I’m particularly interested in fiction, memoir, natural history, and writing that explores a “sense of place.” I’m also interested in biography, history, psychology, science, art & culture, spirituality and mysteries with strong characters. I live in Western Massachusetts. In addition to my work as an editor, I teach writing workshops, write poetry, and fight for the environment