Big Small Town Books acquisitions editor Aimee Renee Robinson has been tapped to lead the publishing house's children's and young adult imprint, Wise Valley Press, according to BSTB publisher Dustin Street.
"We had some very unexpected, but welcome growing pains at Big Small Town that ultimately culminated in the need for a separate brand capable of housing our children's division," Street said. "That's where Wise Valley Press comes in, and it's also why Aimee's leadership is going to be crucial in the days and months ahead."
Street said Robinson will be crucial in the day-to-day operations at Wise Valley Press, with duties ranging from acquisitions and contract approvals to team management and budgeting. Robinson has served as acquisitions editor for Wise Valley's parent company, Big Small Town Books, since 2019.
"Aimee has been around this company almost since I started it," Street said, recalling earlier pre-BSTB days, when he and Aimee were members of a close-knit writing community in East Tennessee. "We met through a mutual friend, Rachel, who had assembled a writing group in our area, and I immediately recognized Aimee's talent and a penchant for storytelling that I knew I wanted to associate myself with."
Street said Robinson was his first hire at Big Small Town Books. Since then, she has helped edit several authors in anthology collections, and acquired her first major client in the young adult world—Hannah B. Olsen, whose fantasy-fairy tale retelling A KNIGHT FOR A QUEEN released on Tuesday.
"Aimee has worked tirelessly for us and has proven herself a top asset to Big Small Town Books," Street said. "Even amidst a global pandemic and a move to the other side of the world, she dug in and pushed a huge project forward to its release. I couldn't be prouder of her, and I'm so happy she agreed to take on the responsibility of managing our young adult division."
Street said he is excited to watch Wise Valley Press grow under Robinson leadership, and looks forward to further expanding the press's roster of clients, as well as its repertoire of children's and young adult books.
Robinson, who will still serve as an acquisitions editor for both Big Small Town Books and Wise Valley Press, has composed a letter welcoming readers to Wise Valley Press here.