After more than two decades with Candlewick Press and its parent company Walker Books, Karen Lotz is joining W.W. Norton & Company as director, children’s books and strategic development. This is a new role at the company combining both editorial and executive functions; Lotz will work both with the company’s children’s imprint, Norton Young Readers, launched in 2018 by Simon Boughton as the company’s first children’s imprint, and Norton’s distribution clients, which include Thames & Hudson, Tilbury House, The Experiment, Abbeville Press, Fantagraphics Books, and Akashic Books. Lotz will report to trade group director Brendan Curry and will oversee Boughton’s imprint.
Lotz was Candlewick’s first-ever publisher and president, serving in those roles for nearly 25 years. Under her leadership, the publisher developed a reputation for outstanding books that included bestsellers and award winners, including the top honors in children’s books: the Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, and National Book Award. During her tenure at Candlewick, authors including M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, and Jon Klassen got their start, and series including Where’s Waldo?, Judy Moody, and Emily Windsnap launched. She also started several imprints including Picture Press, Candlewick Entertainment, Candlewick Studio, Nosy Crow, Templar Books, and in a partnership with MIT Press, MIT Kids and MITeen. Concurrent with her role at Candlewick, starting in 2011, Lotz served as group managing director of Walker Books, which involved overseeing the company’s divisions in the U.K. and Australia in addition to Candlewick. In 2023, Lotz’s role changed to editor-at-large.
At Norton, Lotz will focus both on broadening the offering of children’s books created in-house as well as widening market opportunities for Norton’s client publishers. “We look forward to expanding our distribution program in the children’s market as we continue to realize our shared vision with our client publishers that their books and Norton’s books are strongest when sold together,” Lotz told PW, adding that she’ll be seeking to connect with “other like-minded publishers” for Norton to work with on the distribution side. “It’s a great time to be an independent publisher,” she said, noting indie publishers’ advantages of speed and flexibility, and uniqueness.
Given Norton’s long history on both the adult and academic sides of publishing, Lotz said the new role will give her the opportunity to explore “synergy between the trade and academic” sectors of publishing. She is not giving up on editing, though, and plans to develop her own list of children’s titles and acquire select adult titles for Norton Trade, seeking books that are “complementary to what Norton is already doing.” She said, “I’m so impressed by the accomplishments of Simon, his authors and artists, and the entire NYR team. They’ve blazed a new trail for young people’s literature at an eminent and widely esteemed house known previously for the caliber of its publishing for college-age and adult audiences.”
Norton’s chair and president Julia Reidhead said that Lotz’s addition to the team reflects the publisher’s mission to “build readers for life, from the earliest years through high school, college, and on into adulthood,” adding, “We are thrilled to have her join and strengthen our efforts.” Throughout her career, Lotz said, she’s worked with readers on the younger end of the scale and is looking forward to the opportunity to work with readers “all the way up.”
