Ryan Smernoff
Ryan Smernoff Literary Services Editor & Writer
Pasadena, CA
I'm a freelance editor and writer based in Los Angeles, California. I hold degrees in philosophy and English literature, and I have a MFA in fiction writing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.
Formerly an Assistant Editor at Henry Holt and Company, I have worked with authors like Elizabeth Kolbert, Sheila Heti, Russell Brand, Jaron Lanier, and Roger Daltrey. Before joining Henry Holt, I worked in editorial at Alfred A. Knopf with authors including Lorrie Moore, William H. Gass, Art Garfunkel, Anne Rice, Toni Morrison, and Ben Marcus.
I am interested in fiction—literary, surrealist, genre-bending—and nonfiction with a strong narrative backbone, particularly on subjects about social/cultural issues, civil rights and social justice, new approaches to science, and fresh perspectives and interpretations of the arts and artists.