About Mary Kole

Since 2009, my website Kidlit.com has inspired thousands of aspiring writers with articles on the writing craft and getting published. The blog has been named one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers” by Writer’s Digest every year since its inception, and my success online led to a book of completely original content on the art of writing novels for teens: WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT, out now from Writer’s Digest Books. (Purchase it from Amazon or from the Writer’s Digest Shop.) My webinars for Writer’s Digest and various appearances at writer’s conferences and events (from Japan to South Dakota!) have reached thousands more writers in person.

I have six years of publishing experience to bring to our work together, and perspectives on several facets of the industry. After earning an English and Theatre BA at Santa Clara University, I began my career freelance writing for newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Times. During this period, I worked at an Internet start-up children’s virtual world app, which eventually sold to Google. This firsthand experience in Silicon Valley means that digital publishing is one of my special interest areas.

While pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco, I interned at my first literary agency. Upon completing my degree (and securing representation for my own writing), I interned in the children’s editorial department at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Then I went on to read for the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, one of the oldest and most prestigious children’s book literary agencies in America. Three and a half happy years there as an Associate Agent gave me a solid foundation in the business and cemented my love for all things children’s literature. I then became a Senior Literary Manager and founder of the children’s book department at Movable Type Management in New York City. I left after one year to concentrate on freelancing and pursuing my other great love, the food and beverage industry, with my chef fiancé.

I grew up in the Bay Area and spent many years in my adopted home city of beautiful San Francisco, CA. After three years in Brooklyn, NY, at the heart of the publishing industry, I now live in Minneapolis, MN.

Special thanks for my website design go to Courtney Lowe and Australian artist and illustrator Zoe Sadokierski.