Nina Ryan is an agent and independent editor. She is interested in the written word in all its forms – journalism, literature, poetry, storytelling of all kinds, and information. "I've always been a reader, and for those of us who are readers, writers translate the world. One of the great things about working in publishing is the thrilling sense of discovery when you read a new manuscript or book proposal that you connect with. When a book or idea speaks to you, you naturally want to share the experience. This is what working with writers is all about for me."

Publishing is a business that is driven by taste and by connection to an author's work. Most good fiction and serious non-fiction is really going to sell because of the quality of the writing and the ideas. "My background is editorial, and I find it's a strength I bring to authors. Thinking like an editor; anticipating all the challenges that will face an editor in bringing your book into a competitive market tremendously increases the likelihood that the right editor will not only fall in love with a book, but be able to publish it well."

In working with non-fiction, Nina brings substantial editorial and publishing experience to bear in transforming an author's specific expertise or experience into a strong book 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 she worked very hard on the proposal. Eventually, we sold the book to Doubleday, and to a number of foreign publishers as well."

Nina began her career at Random House as a publicist. She went on to become an editor working on major non-fiction titles by authors like Tip O'Neill, Donald Trump, Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter, and Russian novelist Vassily Aksyonov. In 1990 she joined the Palmer & Dodge Agency (now Kneerim & Williams) where she helped develop a non-fiction list drawn from Boston's rich academic, medical and literary communities. She also started the agency's foreign rights program. Subsequent years in New York and Berlin took her to the Frankfurt book Fair and put her in touch with many foreign publishers. During these years she represented her own list of literary fiction and general non-fiction as an independent agent, eventually joining forces with Katherine Cowles. Authors she has represented include Jim Paul, Aryeh Stollman, Baron Wormser, Rachel Smolker, and Claudia Shear.

Nina is particularly interested in natural history, writing that explores a "sense of place," as well as anything about the ocean. She is also interested in art, photography, writing and literature, spirituality, gardening, and building and design. She enjoys working with institutions to create books and book programs as she did with Boston's Museum of science, with whom she developed two children's books, and is interested in young adult literature. Nina lives in Western Massachusetts. In addition to her work as an editor and agent, she teaches writing workshops and writes poetry.

For more information about editorial services offered by Nina Ryan and Michelle Gillett, please check their website at www.gillettandryan.com