Stephen S. Power - Editor
Top editor for 30 years, novelist, sf/f story writer, poet. Specializes in nonfiction and SF/F. I'll help you write a book you're proud of.
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Overview
I've been a New York City book editor for nearly 30 years, most recently at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. I've had 5 Times bestsellers in the last three years and worked with top political figures on both sides of the aisle: Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, John Boehner, Terry McAuliffe, Jane Harman, and Stu Eizenstat, to name a few.
My list there, as it always has been, is a balance of serious nonfiction and more fun commercial nonfiction often focused on pop culture, such as a behind-the-scenes look at the MCU and an oral history of Star Wars. I also handled upmarket fiction, thrillers and crime fiction.
I'm also an author. S&S published my fantasy novel "The Dragon Round" in July 2016, and I've published 40 speculative fiction stories.
Prior to writing fiction, I wrote poetry, publishing more than 70 and earning a Pushcart Prize nomination.
I received a B.A. in English from Wesleyan, then an M.A. in English from the University of Florida, where I published a paper in the WVU Philological Papers and taught writing for two years.
My list there, as it always has been, is a balance of serious nonfiction and more fun commercial nonfiction often focused on pop culture, such as a behind-the-scenes look at the MCU and an oral history of Star Wars. I also handled upmarket fiction, thrillers and crime fiction.
Previously I was at Amacom, where I had three books win or longlisted for CEO-READS Best Business Book awards; Wiley, started a sports list and had 3 Times bestsellers and 1 Edgar Award winner; and Avon, where I started a history imprint, helped start a heath imprint, and did books in every genre except romance.
I'm also an author. S&S published my fantasy novel "The Dragon Round" in July 2016, and I've published 40 speculative fiction stories.
Prior to writing fiction, I wrote poetry, publishing more than 70 and earning a Pushcart Prize nomination.
I received a B.A. in English from Wesleyan, then an M.A. in English from the University of Florida, where I published a paper in the WVU Philological Papers and taught writing for two years.
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
Earth & Space & Environmental Sciences
History
Sports & Outdoors
Fiction
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Science Fiction
Short Story
Certifications
- M.A. in English, University of Florida
Awards
- Commissioned and edited "The Science of Sherlock Holmes" by E. J. Wagner, 2007 Edgar Award Winner
- Commissioned and edited "We Are Market Basket" by Daniel Korschun and Grant Welker, 2015 CEO-READ General Business Book of the Year
- NY Times bestsellers at Thomas Dunne Books: "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" by Bandy Lee, "Team of Vipers" by Cliff Sims, "Ladies Who Punch" by Ramin Setoodeh, "Two Paths" by John Kasich, and "Beyond Charlottesville" by Terry McAuliffe
- NY Times bestsellers at Wiley: "Never Give Up" by Tedy Bruschi, "Heaven and Hell" by Don Felder, and "The Worst Person in the World" by Keith Olbermann
Work experience
Executive Editor
Thomas Dunne Books
December, 2016
–
June, 2020
(over 3 years)
Handled serious and commercial nonfiction along with upmarket fiction, thrillers and crime novels.
Senior Editor
Amacom
September, 2013
–
Present
(about 7 years)
I handle "books for bosses": leadership, management, general business and HR titles.
My top titles include: "We Are Market Basket" by Daniel Korschun and Grant Welker, the CEO-READ General Business Book of the Year and an Amazon Best Business Book of the Month; "Winning Well" by Karin Hurt and David M. Dye, longlisted for the 2016 CEO-READ Business Book of the Year in the category Management and Workplace Culture; "The Hidden Leader" by Scott Edinger and Laurie Sain, twice a Washington Post bestseller; "Lead with Humility" by Jeffrey Krames; "The 10 Laws of Trust " by Jet Blue chairman Joel Peterson; and "Smart Mom, Rich Mom" by Kimberly Palmer.
Senior Editor
Wiley
February, 2000
–
April, 2013
(about 13 years)
Created the sports list, including Tedy Bruschi’s NY Times bestseller "Never Give Up," as well as books by Hank Haney, Jim McLean, Yogi Berra, and NPR’s Scott Simon
Helped build the pop culture list with Eagle guitarist Don Felder’s NY Times bestseller "Heaven and Hell" and Ian Christe’s "Everybody Wants Some."
Contributed to the current affairs list with Keith Olbermann’s NY Times bestseller "The Worst Person in the World," then his book "Pitchforks and Torches."
Commissioned half of the above titles, as well as many in science and history, including EJ Wagner’s Edgar Award-winning "The Science of Sherlock Holmes."
Created many tie-in properties, such as official ones with CBS’s “Criminal Minds” and PBS’s “History Detectives” and unofficial ones such as Jim Brady’s Hero of the Pacific (published alongside HBO’s “The Pacific”).
Editorial Assistant to Senior Editor
Avon Books
February, 1993
–
September, 1999
(over 6 years)
Directed Brandon Tartikoff’s fiction imprint until his passing.
Created Post Road Press, a history imprint.
Captained “Team Nonfiction,” a five-member editorial group that commissioned more than 30 titles in all genres and formats.
Also captained “Team Health,” a similar group that built the foundation for the imprint WholeCare.
Coordinated all tie-in publications, repackaging existing titles and commissioning novelizations.
Handled books in every format and every genre except romance.
Portfolio (48 selected works)
The Dragon Round
Stephen S. Power
For fans of Scott Lynch and Naomi Novik comes a high fantasy epic that blends swashbuckling adventure with a dark tale of vengeance--when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a rare dragon egg that just might be the key to his salvation and his revenge.He only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge. Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for over a ... read more
Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View"
Setoodeh, Ramin
The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President - Updated and Expanded with New Essays
Lee, Bandy X., Lifton, Robert Jay, Sheehy, Gail, Doherty, William J., Chomsky, Noam, Herman, M.D., Judith Lewis, Zimbardo, Ph.D., Philip, Sword, Rosemary, Malkin, Ph.D., Craig, Schwartz, Tony, Dodes, M.D., Lance, Gartner, Ph.D., John D., Tansey, Ph.D., Michael J., Reiss, M.D., David M., Herb, M.A., Esq., James A., Glass, M.D., M.P.H., Leonard L., Friedman, M.D., Henry J., Gilligan, M.D., James, Jhueck, L.M.H.C., D.M.H.P., Diane, Covitz, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., Howard H., Teng, M.F.A., L.M.S.W., Betty P., Panning, Psy.D., Jennifer Contarino, West, M.A., L.L.P., Harper, Kessler, M.D., Luba, Wruble, M.D., Steve, Singer, M.D., Thomas, Mika, M.A., L.C.P.C., Elizabeth, Fisher, Ph.D., Edwin B., Gartrell, M.D., Nanette, Mosbacher, M.D., Ph.D., Dee, Soldz, Stephen
Two Paths: America Divided or United
Kasich, John
Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism
McAuliffe, Terry, Lewis, John
Where We Go from Here
Sanders, Bernie
President Carter: The White House Years
Eizenstat, Stuart E., Albright, Madeleine
The Eagles are the bestselling, and arguably the tightest-lipped, American group ever. Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. He shares every part of the band’s wild ride, from the pressure-packed recording studios and trashed hotel rooms to the tension-filled courtrooms, and from the joy of writing powerful n... read more
The Worst Person in the World: And 202 Strong Contenders
Keith Olbermann
All of the failings and missteps of celebrities, politicians, and a few just-plain-dumb folks, as seen on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith OlbermannKeith Olbermann is more popular than ever, and ratings for Countdown are up 85 percent over the last year. A key feature of the program is his daily award for ""The Worst Person in the World."" From Ann Coulter and Barbara Bush to Bill O’Reilly and mor... read more
Tedy gives you something to believe in. Whether we're winning or losing, he holds his head high, and he knows himself and handles himself so well, others can't help but follow him. The way he practices and plays forces you to become a better teammate; the way he demands hustle and toughness forces you to become a better leader; and the way he carries himself inspires you to become a better per... read more
We Are Market Basket: The Story of the Unlikely Grassroots Movement That Saved a Beloved Business
Daniel Korschun, Grant Welker
What if a company were so treasured and trusted that people literally took to the streets - by the thousands - to save it? That company is Market Basket, a popular New England supermarket chain. After long-time, CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted by his cousin Arthur S. Demoulas, the company's managers and rank-and-file workers struck back.Risking their own livelihoods to restore the job of the... read more
Because you can't afford to lose it... Trust is the glue that holds an organization together. It turns deflection into transparency, suspicion into empowerment, and conflict into creativity. With it, a tiny company like John Deere grew into a worldwide leader. Without it, a giant corporation like Enron toppled. In The 10 Laws of Trust, JetBlue chairman Joel Peterson explores how a culture of t... read more
Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes""Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics.... Utterly compelling."... read more
A unique and splendidly researched story, following the trials and triumphs of Julius Caesar's Legio X-arguably the most famous legion of its day-from its activation to the slogging battle of Munda and from Thapsus, Caesar's tactical masterpiece, to the grim siege of the Jewish fortress of Masada. More than a mere unit account, it incorporates the history of Rome and the Roman army at the heig... read more
Gambler's Star: Six Fami
Nancy Holder
Moonbase Vegas has become a mecca for wheelers and dealers--and a bagman named Deuce McNamara. Working for one of the six controlling families, the Borgiolis, Deuce enacts the dual roles of both dealer and agent, until he realizes that this cutthroat game is about to explode into an all-out mob war for control of the Moon.
""Hank knows more about ball flight and what controls it than anyone in the game."" —Masters and British Open champion Mark O'MearaGet back to basics and build your best possible golf swingLots of golf instructors can show you tricks to correct a hook or to stop hitting the ball fat, but these are just quick fixes that leave you with a swing built on mistakes. In Hank Haney's Essentials of the... read more
The Secret of Hogan's Swing
Tom Bertrand, Printer Bowler
Praise for The Secret of Hogan's Swing""The Secret of Hogan's Swing goes beyond pure instruction, offering insightful shot-making and strategy tips passed on to former tour pro John Schlee from Ben Hogan and interpreted wonderfully by Tom Bertrand and Printer Bowler.""--John Andrisani, author of Tiger's New Swing and Heaven Can Wait""Like finding the Rosetta stone of golf. . . . Tom Bertrand a... read more
Top golfing instructor Jim McLean shares the secret to a better swing and a better gameIt's what every great golfer knows and every struggling player wants to know: how to find ""the slot,"" the perfect channel through which the shaft and club head can meet the ball on the downswing for a more powerful, accurate, and consistent swing.Great ball-strikers like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Jack Nick... read more
The most valuable team player in sports shows you what ""teamwork"" really meansWhat does it take to be a real team player, especially in a society that glorifies selfishness and a corporate culture that often uses ""team player"" as a buzzword but rewards only the showboaters and prima donnas? Well, You Can Observe a Lot by Watching. In this happy and hilarious guide to teamwork, sportsmanshi... read more
An extraordinary book . . . invitingly written and brisk.--Chicago Tribune""Perhaps no one has ever told the tale [of Robinson's arrival in the major leagues] so well as [Simon] does in this extended essay.""--The Washington Post Book World""Scott Simon tells a compelling story of risk and sacrifice, profound ugliness and profound grace, defiance and almost unimaginable courage. This is a meti... read more
Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga
Ian Christe
The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock bandHow did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze ba... read more
Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album
Ken Caillat, Steve Stiefel
Inside the making of one of the biggest-selling albums of all time: Fleetwood Mac's RumoursFleetwood Mac's classic 1977 Rumours album topped the Billboard 200 for thirty-one weeks and won the Album of the Year Grammy. More recently, Rolling Stone named it the twenty-fifth greatest album of all time and the hit TV series Glee devoted an entire episode to songs from Rumours, introducing it to a ... read more
A Special Memoir for a Special Moment in Hollywood History . . .Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the "Funniest Film of All Time". It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to fil... read more
Dani's Story: A Journey from Neglect to Love
Diane Lierow, Bernie Lierow, Kay West
The story that captivated a nation?how a horribly neglected little girl was rescued by her loving adoptive parentsIn July 2005, a six-year-old girl named Danielle was removed from her Florida home after authorities found her living in bug-ridden squalor, subjected to horrific neglect and so damaged by her own mother that recovery seemed hopeless. But hope was waiting for Dani?and help. In Octo... read more
Rage Company: A Marine's Baptism By Fire
Thomas P. Daly
One Marine's gripping story of the bloody battles, the Surge, and the Awakening of Sunni tribes that changed the tide in Iraq's Anbar provinceSeven minutes into the first patrol a firefight erupts. Quickly, the Marines of Rage Company became acquainted with the nature of counterinsurgency. Every day, more IEDs were planted than the Marines could clear. They avoided taking the same route twice,... read more
LEGO: A Love Story
Jonathan Bender
An adult LEGO fan's dual quest: to build with bricks and build a familyThere are 62 LEGO bricks for every person in the world, and at age 30, Jonathan Bender realized that he didn't have a single one of them. While reconsidering his childhood dream of becoming a master model builder for The LEGO Group, he discovers the men and women who are skewing the averages with collections of hundreds of ... read more
Mysteries of My Father
Thomas Fleming
A son comes of age in a fiercely political world""Thomas Fleming gives us an unforgettable story about an immigrant family--his family--as it struggles to find a place in the American century. He shares with us the dreams and heartaches of his parents, and, in the end, he reminds us of the mysterious and forgiving power of love.""--Terry Golway, author of The Irish in America""A truly moving s... read more
Amped: A Soldier's Race for Gold in the Shadow of War
Kortney Clemons, Bill Briggs
When above-the-knee amputeeswalk, we generate seven to nine times the force of our body weight right into the point where the prosthesis meets our residual leg. For me, that's almost 1,500 pounds slamming into that socket.For any amputee, learning to walk with a prosthetic leg is a painful, grueling ordeal. Soon after army medic Kortney Clemons, who lost his right leg to a roadside bomb in Bag... read more
An extraordinary new series intended to capture extraordinary moments in history.-Chicago TribuneTURNING POINTS features preeminent writers offering fresh, personal perspectives on the defining events of our time.Available NowEleanor Clift, Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth AmendmentAlan Dershowitz, America Declares IndependenceThomas Fleming, The Louisiana PurchaseWilliam Least Heat-Moon, C... read more
The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Hollywood film, The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. In this vibrant new biography, Mark Ravina, professor of history a... read more
Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate
Angus Konstam
A thorough, exciting examination of 18th-century pirate life,with wonderful details.--Publishers Weekly""Interesting and exciting . . . a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of an interesting life and interesting era.""--BooklistThe definitive biography of history'smost fearsome and famous pirateOf all the colorful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy... read more
How an oddly attributed $19,000 picture proved to be a $100 million work by Leonardo da Vinci—a true art-world detective storyIn late 2010, art collector Peter Silverman revealed that a ""German, early 19th century"" portrait he had bought for $19,000 was, in fact, a previously unknown drawing by Leonardo da Vinci—an exquisite depiction of Bianca Sforza, rendered 500 years ago. In Leonardo's L... read more
Praise for The Court of the Last Tsar""Any book by Greg King is a book to be kept and savored. He has not only given us a fresh, clear-eyed, and often startling new look at the life of the last Romanovs, but also lived up to the promise of his title. He has shown us how the whole enterprise worked, from Tsar Nicholas to his lowest cook and chambermaid. This book is a great work of scholarship-... read more
For the bestselling miscellany market, an NPR librarian's compendium of fascinating facts on history, science, and the artsHow much water do the Great Lakes contain? Who were the first and last men killed in the Civil War? How long is a New York minute? What are the lost plays of Shakespeare? What building did Elvis leave last? Get the answers to these and countless other vexing questions in a... read more
The Dawn of Human Culture
Richard G. Klein
A bold new theory on what sparked the ""big bang"" of human cultureThe abrupt emergence of human culture over a stunningly short period continues to be one of the great enigmas of human evolution. This compelling book introduces a bold new theory on this unsolved mystery. Author Richard Klein reexamines the archaeological evidence and brings in new discoveries in the study of the human brain. ... read more
Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year
David Ewing Duncan
The adventure spans the world from Stonehenge to astronomically aligned pyramids at Giza, from Mayan observatories at Chichen Itza to the atomic clock in Washington, the world's official timekeeper since the 1960s. We visit cultures from Vedic India and Cleopatra's Egypt to Byzantium and the Elizabethan court; and meet an impressive cast of historic personages from Julius Caesar to Omar Khayya... read more
America Afire: Jefferson, Adams, and the Revolutionary Election of 1800
Bernard A. Weisberger
"Bernard Weisberger has once again brought the past to life. If you want to experience the crossfire of intellectual and political ferment at the dawn of our Republic, open these pages and start ducking."--Bill MoyersAmerica Afire is the powerful story of the election of 1800, arguably the most important election in America's history and certainly one of the most hotly disputed. American self-... read more
Throughout the annals of history, the best of intentions—and sometimes the worst—have set in motion events with a vastly different outcome than originally intended. In this entertaining, fact-filled chronicle, William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett explore the watersheds of history that began as the best of ideas and ended as the worst of fiascoes.A Holy War—The Medieval Crusades for religious lib... read more
Wildwood Boys: A Novel
James Carlos Blake
American history is a complex weave of heroism and courage, conquest and carnage -- and no novelist today better understands the checkered character of our past than Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner James Carlos Blake. In prose as richly colored as an artist's palette, he again proves himself one of our most accomplished authors in this epic story set amid the Civil War's guerrilla conflict... read more
Red Grass River: A Legend
James Carlos Blake
James Carlos Blake is a masterful chronicler of the restless, outcast, the lawless, and the lonelyheart. His previous novel, In the Rogue Blood, was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. Now he has written a powerful and rousing historical saga of family loyalties, blood feuds, and betrayed friendships; of bank robberies and bootlegging; and of a passionate love as wild at hear... read more
The Guardship (The Brethren of the Coast #1) (Book 1)
James L. Nelson
Shortly after Thomas Marlowe's arrival in Williamsburg, Virginia, all in that newfound capital city are speaking his name. With the bounty from his years as a pirate--a life he intends to renounce and keep forever secret--he purchases a fine plantation from a striking young widow, and soon after kills the favorite son of one of Virginia's most powerful clans while defending her honor. But it i... read more
Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis
Jeffrey A. Krames
When Fortune announced its list of the World's Greatest Leaders, the top spot was awarded--not to a captain of industry--but to the new pontiff. In the year since his election, Pope Francis earned that accolade...and more. He has achieved the remarkable: breathed life into an aging institution, reinvigorated a global base, and created real hope for the future. How did a man who spent his life ... read more
The Hidden Leader: Discover and Develop Greatness Within Your Company
Scott K. Edinger, Laurie Sain
Think you can spot the leaders in your company? Don't assume that you can identify them by their positions. What about those employees who consistently step up: the field agent who solves a previously intractable problem; the service rep who thinks outside the box and creates unshakeable customer loyalty. These are more than "good employees." . . these are "hidden leaders." . . and they are cr... read more
Smart Mom, Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family
Kimberly Palmer
Become your family's Chief Financial Officer. Of all life's financial shocks, few compare to bringing home an infant. Just one tiny person costs $250,000 to raise-- not including college! How will you pay for it? That agonizing question fuels mothers' choices about their careers, budgets, and families. Some lean in, some scale back or seek new opportunities--there are no easy answers . . . but... read more
Crimson Tide
Richard P. Henrick
Prepare yourself for the action-packed thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. The plot mixes The Hunt for Red October and Fail Safe to tell the story of a mutiny aboard the U.S.S. Alabama, a nuclear submarine, which has been ordered to fire its missiles and destroy Moscow. Includes drawings of the U.S.S. Alabama. Original.
Hannah Holmes A mesmerizing expedition around our dusty worldSome see dust as dull and useless stuff. But in the hands of author Hannah Holmes, it becomes a dazzling and mysterious force; Dust, we discover, built the planet we walk upon. And it tinkers with the weather and spices the air we breathe. Billions of tons of it rise annually into the air--the dust of deserts and forgotten kings mixi... read more
The Quantum Brain: The Search for Freedom and the Next Generation of Man
Jeffrey Satinover
An enthralling look at the convergence of brain science, biological computation and quantum physics, and what it implies about our minds, our selves, our future, even God Do we really have free will or do we just imagine we do? Do we create our own destinies, or are we merely machines? Will the machines we are now making themselves have free will? These are the fundamental questions of The Qua... read more
Stephen has 5 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
My project was an Editorial Assessment. Stephen delivered Edit Notes—both an editorial assessment and and a developmental letter. But we discussed his comments. I could not say he met my expectations.
Gene Alex, July 2020
Reply from Stephen S. Power
Stephen was insightful and helpful.
Sean Sun, May 2017
Stephen provided good feedback that has been very helpful in developing my book
Mark Boxall, April 2017
Stephen provided exactly the advice I needed and was super fast and
Simon, David, January 2017
Stephen provided great value. He reviewed my draft and provided suggestions around fundamental structure and market value. He did not pull punches. The feedback was direct and not sugar-coated, which made it useful.
Louis Lamoureux, November 2016
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