NEW YORK, February 28, 2024 – Today, Atria/Simon and Schuster announced the launch of a new imprint called Primero Sueño Press, led by long-time bilingual editor and advocate, Michelle Herrera Mulligan, who has been promoted to vice president and associate publisher at Atria. The imprint’s mission will be to publish Latinx/Latine/Hispanic authors in English and Spanish.

Named after iconic feminist Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s landmark poem celebrating the soul’s search for absolute knowledge, Primero Sueño Press will serve English and Spanish speakers seeking identity, culture, inspiration, entertainment, wellness, and personal development. The imprint will publish fiction and nonfiction with universal appeal that honors and plays with genre.

“Government research shows that only 7% of authors and editors who publish books in the United States identify as Latino, in a country where 18% of the population—some 61 million people—consider themselves Hispanic,” Herrera Mulligan said, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to showcase these vibrant communities and bring new voices to light.” 

The imprint will publish authors from the United States and in translation from around the world, with an aim of elevating their voices in the English and Spanish language media and beyond. 

“From the day Michelle joined Atria close to six years ago, we have been talking about how to expand our publishing program to serve this market and meet the demand for content that reflects, honors, and celebrates the population and the audiences. I’m eager and excited to launch Primero Sueño Press and make this a reality now,” said Atria’s Senior Vice President and Publisher, Libby McGuire.

Editor Yezanira Venecia, most recently an agent at JABberwocky, and Associate editor Norma Perez-Hernandez, who came from Kensington Press, have joined Primero Sueño as acquiring editors. The new imprint’s exciting, high-profile inaugural list will include a new edition of Keila Delgado Shaheen’s red-hot, previously self-published bestseller (more than 1 million copies sold) The Shadow Work Journal, to be published in English in April of 2024 and Spanish in fall 2024; Roar, an English translation of wildly popular Mexican self-help influencer Daniel Habif’s Ruge, to be published in fall 2024; the debut novel The Witches of El Paso, to be published in fall 2024, by New School creative writing professor Luis Jaramillo, and award-winning author Reyna Grande’s new memoir in essays, Writing Home, to be published in Spring of 2025. 

“Embracing the shadows of our stories fuels the fire of resilience,” says Keila Delgado Shaheen. “As a Latinx writer, I am proud to contribute to this imprint that not only challenges traditional narratives but also illuminates the strength found in embracing our complexities.”

“Latine writers have been disrupting thought leadership behind the scenes for years. I’m beyond thrilled to showcase and project their voices in a major light and help bring them to new audiences,” said Herrera Mulligan.

Since joining Atria in 2018, Michelle Herrera Mulligan has published New York Times bestsellers and award winners, in English and Spanish, including Trejo by Danny Trejo; Forever Strong by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon; Unstoppable by Chiquis Rivera; Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa;  A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande; and Sex Talks by Vaness Marin with Xander Marin. Previously, she was the founding editor in chief of Cosmo For Latinas and a founding editor at Latina magazine. 

Yezanira Venencia, editor, has worked on a variety of genres, including romance, crime fiction, mystery/thrillers, general fiction and nonfiction. She was most recently at Soho Press, Melville House, and JABberwocky Literary Agency, where she acquired and worked with acclaimed and award-winning authors including Marcie R. Rendon, Camilla Trinchieri, Sujata Massey, Stephen Mack Jones, among others.  During her time at Soho Press, she helped spearhead the Mexico in Translation Project, which focused on acquiring Mexican literature for translation.

Norma Perez-Hernandez, associate editor, kicked off her editing career at Kensington Books, where she acquired The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes, a historical novel set in 1920s Ecuador that went on to sell over 100,000 copies in the United States, was sold in six additional territories including Spain, and to become a pick for Once Upon a Book Club. She has also edited New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Cole, Reese’s Book Club recipient Yamile Saied Méndez, and Barnes & Noble bookseller favorite Amy Spalding. 

###

About Atria Books: Atria Books (AY · tree · uh) is an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Atria fosters an open environment where ideas flourish, bestselling authors soar to new heights, and tomorrow’s finest voices are discovered and nurtured. Since its launch in 2002, Atria has published hundreds of bestsellers including commercial and literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers, narrative nonfiction, politics and popular culture, science, personal development, and spirituality. Atria is a place where great books come to light. For more information, visit our website at https://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/atria

About Simon & Schuster: Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com

CONTACT:
Lisa Sciambra, Vice President, Director of Publicity
Atria Books
Lisa.Sciambra@simonandschuster.com

For rights Information:
Nicole Bond, Vice President, Executive Director Subsidiary Rights
Simon & Schuster
Nicole.Bond@simonandschuster.com