Elizabeth Kulhanek

A Bestseller-Experienced Editor

‍Previously Grand Central Publishing

With over a decade of editorial experience, Elizabeth has had the pleasure of working on titles by some of Grand Central Publishing’s biggest authors, from bestselling thriller titans like David Baldacci, Scott Turow, Harlan Coben, and Sandra Brown to literary icons like Octavia E. Butler and Min Jin Lee, to acclaimed authors of book club favorites like Leesa Cross-Smith, Melinda Taub, and Kira Jane Buxton.

Elizabeth had many highlights during her eight-year tenure at Grand Central Publishing, from spearheading Octavia Butler’s reissue program, resulting in Butler’s first New York Times bestseller, to editing Scott Turow’s New York Times bestselling thrillers The Last Trial and Suspect. Her acquisitions include the national bestseller Nala’s World by Dean Nicholson; Melinda Taub’s The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, which was a New York Times Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Pick for 2023; and Leesa Cross-Smith’s This Close to Okay, which was a Book of the Month early release, and her Amazon and B&N book club pick Half-Blown Rose.

‘The extra mile…’

No matter the story or genre, Elizabeth loves working closely with authors to understand their creative vision and help bring it to life through detailed, rigorous, and—above all else—enthusiastic editorial feedback. She knows the publishing world can be intimidating, and she’s passionate about demystifying it for up-and-coming authors. With her experience as an acquiring editor, she’s adept at not only elevating and polishing a narrative but also singling out the selling points that make it commercially viable. Whether your story is a poignant coming-of-age tale, twisting thriller, or genre-defying speculative fiction, she’ll work with you to make sure that it not only fits in on the shelf—but also stands out from the crowd.

‘Working closely with Elizabeth on four books was truly one of the highlights of my career. What a gift she was to me and my work! She has such a keen eye for small details and is a sensitive, observant reader and listener. Elizabeth is a kind, intelligent, fun editor and my books were undoubtedly made better with her on my team.’—Leesa Cross-Smith

‘Elizabeth is the dream editor. She is the most voracious reader and an empathic ear. She has scythe-sharp senses when it comes to story and shaping a manuscript, and she has elevated my novels immeasurably with both big picture and sentence-level suggestions. She has even given me hope by waving her wand over a novel that I felt close to abandoning. Elizabeth is not only a fierce champion of writers, but she also understands the demands of the publishing world, as well as how to celebrate and advocate for the singularity of a writer’s voice and unique concept. I enjoy every moment of working with her. I trust every one of my characters with her. I simply cannot recommend Elizabeth more highly.”—Kira Jane Buxton

‘Elizabeth gave this book that rarity in today’s publishing world, a patient line editing.’ —Scott Turow

 ‘It was wonderful working with Elizabeth on my last novel. She is responsive, collaborative, and always went the extra mile to make the book what it needed to be. Whoever gets to work with her next is a lucky writer!’—Melinda Taub

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