Mary Austin Speaker Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Us

In my role as Creative Director I design or oversee the design of all book covers and interiors; manage a roster of freelance creatives supplying illustration, photography, and type design; manage and oversee in-house design work on all outward-facing communication, from books to social media images to broadsides to invitations to development events to support our advancement program. I create or commission original art for our book covers and am always happy to connect with other creative folks who love books. I also spearhead Milkweed's Fellowship program and am always happy to connect with people who are interested in fomenting long-overdue change in the publishing industry in ways that are sustainable and meaningful.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Us

In my capacity as Art Director, I oversee design and production for all titles at Milkweed Editions. I create original illustrations and photographs as needed for covers and interiors, and, when time is tight or my vision is beyond my skill level, I hire freelance designers, illustrators and photographers. My experience as an author guides my communication with authors, and I love working closely with authors to help them execute a brilliant vision, as well as offering them enough options so they emerge confident that the right choice has been made for their book. I enjoy mentoring budding designers and offering critiques and opportunities for them to learn through galley design and special marketing materials. I analyze print bids for all of our books and offer recommendations for paper choice, special treatments for covers, and layout solutions so that each book hits the mark for look and feel. I also consult on poetry acquisitions and strategize with our marketing and publicity team to help position each title for its best chance at success, with an eye toward expanding its audience and helping each book find purchase with a wide readership.

As a writer, my specialties are poetry, book reviews and essays, but I'm available for manuscript consultation and editing, as well as brief teaching stints. I have taught at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, the Iowa Young Writers Institute, and I was a Bartos Fellow at the United World College. I will be teaching at the Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing in July 2018. As a designer, I specialize in printed matter. My strengths include book covers and interiors, restaurant menus, museum literature and wedding invitations. I'm happy to consult with you from your initial idea to the final product, and can provide consultation for startup presses about workflow, print production, file adjustment, communicating with your printer, advertisement and web presence. I can also help out in a pinch when you're overloaded with your giant project and need an extra set of hands & eyes. I enjoy working on all types of projects, and have significant experience in typographically challenging projects like poetry collections & anthologies, and design- and organization-heavy projects like cookbooks and reference books. I have strong four-color, two-color and one-color design experience. I'm also proud to work with authors on self-publishing their books. References available upon request.Clients include: Graywolf PressCoffee House PressThe Song CaveNightboat BooksHarperCollins PublishersW.W. NortonBloomsburyMilkweed EditionsAlice James BooksSimon and SchusterOxford University PressOhio University PressFuturepoem BooksDzanc BooksUniversity of Iowa PressJubilat

Cedar Rapids, Ia, Us

Teaching writing, developing syllabae, assigning course materials, leading discussion, meeting with students.

New York, New York, Us

Managing interior design for two imprints of b/w and 4/c trade books from manuscript to bound book. Designing half the list myself and assigning the other half to in-house designers and freelancers and overseeing their work. Managing a small staff and assisting department head with corporate initiatives. Attending weekly meetings with production and consulting regularly with editors and authors.

Coordinating monthly poetry readings that pair emerging and established writers and providing an intimate space for readers and their audiences in New York City. Recent readers have included Pulitzer Prize winners and National Book Award Winners, alongside emerging writers who have not yet published a book. www.triptychreadings.com

New York, New York, Us

Design and interior layout for b/w and 4/c books for Pocket, Touchstone and Fireside imprints of Simon & Schuster. Special projects included cookbooks, exercise and diet books, wrestling trivia (!) and large-trim books illustrated by Shel Silverstein and Romare Bearden.

Selected poems for inclusion in issues, solicited authors for submissions, vetted enormous five-foot-tall slush pile, coordinated editorial meetings, weighed in on cover designs, proofread issues, read blind manuscripts for two annual contests.

Bloomington, Indiana, Us

Taught creative writing and composition

New York, New York, Us

Designed book interiors— cookbooks, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reference— for William Morrow Cookbooks, HarperResource, HarperBusiness, Cliff Street, Ecco, Smithsonian and Harper.

Worked closely with authors and editors to produce finely printed four-color art books for major publishers like Princeton University Press and small presses like Down East Press. Duties included correspondence, copyediting, art ordering and selection, proofreading.

Mfa, Creative Writing

Bfa, Writing, Literature & Publishing

Education record

Bachelor Of Fine Arts (Bfa), Writing, Literature & Publishing

Bachelor Of Fine Arts - Bfa, Writing, Literature And Publishing