One of us
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Was raised in a sleepy Hudson Valley town, attending classic Dutch Reformed Church
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Sold Girl Scout cookies (favorite: Thin Mints) like nobody's business
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Experimented with city life, getting an advertising design degree at NYC’s School of Visual Arts; discovered that, contrary to fears, she was not that naive after all
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Lives in a pastoral setting, savors the occasional long walk, appreciates joys of small-town life
The other one
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Was raised outside Boston listening to grandparents gossip in Yiddish
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Wondered what this mysterious Girl Scouts thing was anyway
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Experimented with country life, and an English degree, at Cornell; discovered that, contrary to myth, you can’t actually tip a sleeping cow​
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Refers to Manhattan’s Lower East Side as "my ancestral home” and has strong opinions about the Second Avenue subway
Two partners. With over 60 years of combined publishing experience.
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And (almost) nothing in common.
But, somehow, both of us knew—within an hour of meeting—that we were almost scarily similar.
First, we both survived wearing terrible, terrible eyeglasses as children. The shared sense of triumph over adversity really drew us together. Here’s what we had to contend with:
(Yes, that happened. It was the '80s.)
Second, and lucky for you, dear reader, is that we are both passionate about books, and we love making them beautiful, readable, and meaningful.
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But love is not enough. Great books require great experience. And we've got that experience—times two.
Of the 500 books I've designed, about 60 have been memoirs. I pride myself on responsiveness to my clients' unique needs.
—Susan
SUSAN HOOD
CO-FOUNDER
THE YOUNG ART ASSISTANT IN HER LAIR, 1981
If it's nonfiction, I've probably edited it. But memoirs are my hands-down favorite. What a privilege it is to help clients shape the stories of their lives!
—Samantha
SAMANTHA SHUBERT
CO-FOUNDER
AN EDITORIAL CAREER TAKES FLEXIBILITY (& STRENGTH!)
WHERE IT STARTED: THE CORNELL DAILY SUN, 1986
EACH LIFE STORY DESIGNED WITH A DISCERNING EYE