Julie Strauss-Gabel: A Fiction Focus

Julie Strauss-Gabel's workshop, A Fiction Focus, was fantastic! Julie is the Vice President and Publisher of Dutton Children’s Books. Her authors include: Ally Condie (Matched), Gayle Forman (If I Stay), John Green (Looking for Alaska), Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls), and Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss).

Julie's looking for writing with exceptional quality and commercial appeal. She talked about some of the changes at Dutton, a focus shift.

One of the highlights was hearing about the authors she works with, including John Green. He's a great example of genuine social media interaction, and as an author who grew over time.

Julie is not looking for what's popular--she's looking for what's next. Her key interests are books with an exceptional voice, originality, and a twist. Highly recommend seeing her speak if you get the chance!