Falling for Publishing 2026 on EveryLibrary Live! - September 21 to 24
Meet the publishing industry professionals behind the books, ebooks, and audiobooks we love.
EveryLibrary Live! regularly brings authors and readers together to talk about books, ideas, and the freedom to read. This September 21 to 24, we're going behind the books themselves.
Falling for Publishing 2026 is a special EveryLibrary Live! series showcasing the publishing professionals whose creativity, judgment, expertise, and collaboration help bring books, ebooks, and audiobooks into the world.
A book doesn't simply travel from an author's imagination to a library shelf. Publishers identify and develop stories. Editors and production teams turn manuscripts into finished works. Designers create the covers that invite us in. Marketing, sales, audio, licensing, and countless other professionals help books find their audiences.
At EveryLibrary, we believe it is important to celebrate this entire creative ecosystem. Libraries connect readers with books every day, but those connections depend on a vibrant publishing industry and on talented people working throughout the creative process. Falling for Publishing 2026 is our opportunity to introduce readers, librarians, and book lovers to some of those people, and to better understand how the books we love actually come together.
The 2026 Lineup - September 21 to 24, 2026
Anthony Goff, President, Blackstone Publishing
How does a book move from an idea and a publishing decision toward readers? Anthony Goff joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the publishing business, the remarkable growth of audiobooks, how publishers think about audiences and discoverability, and the roles libraries and booksellers play in a book's life.
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Rebecca Homiski, Vice President and Managing Editor, Trade Group, W. W. Norton & Company
What happens after an author and editor finish the manuscript? Rebecca Homiski takes us behind the scenes of the extraordinary amount of work required to turn that manuscript into a finished book—from project management and manuscript cleanup to copyediting, proofreading, production, and the many specialized professionals who make every detail work.
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Julie Leung, Vice President and Deputy Publisher, Random House Worlds Group
How do publishers create books for worlds that readers already know and love? Julie Leung takes us inside publishing for fandoms, franchises, and expansive story worlds, exploring how publishers work with authors, creators, licensors, formats, and audiences to create books that both serve longtime fans and welcome new readers.
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Vi-An Nguyen, Art Director, Penguin Random House
How do you reduce tens of thousands of words to one unforgettable image that makes the right reader stop? Award-winning designer and art director Vi-An Nguyen takes us inside the creative process of book cover design—from reading a manuscript and finding its visual heart to developing concepts, collaborating with publishing teams, and creating the cover that makes a reader stop, look, and pick up the book.
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Nicole Luongo and Allison Schuster, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group
What does it take to turn a great manuscript into a book readers can’t stop talking about? Associate Editor Nicole Luongo and Director of Marketing Allison Schuster take us behind the scenes of the editorial and marketing process at Grand Central Publishing. Nicole will share how editors discover bold, distinctive voices, what makes a manuscript stand out, and how an editor helps shape a book while preserving what made it special in the first place. Allison will take us into the work of identifying audiences, positioning a book, building buzz, and creating the campaigns that help new titles find readers.
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And More to Be Announced!
Publishing is a collaborative art and a complex industry, and there are many more stories to tell. We'll be announcing additional Falling for Publishing conversations featuring the people and professions that help books find their way into the world. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube to stay in the loop and check out over 150 other interviews with authors, publishing industry leaders, and library thinkers on EveryLibrary Live!