Editor profile: Tyrell Johnson

Introducing Tyrell Johnson, Associate Editor

I received my MFA from the University of California, Riverside, where my thesis was entitled Speculative Fiction: The use of magic in modern day literature. I focused my studies on both fiction and poetry, working closely with professors such as New York Times bestselling author Jill Alexander Essbaum (Hasufrau, Random House, 2015) and Mark Haskell Smith (Blown, Grove Press, 2018).

Since receiving my MFA, I’ve had publications in literary magazines, including On Spec, Mirror Dance, and Autumn Sky Poetry. In 2017, my agent sold my debut novel to Scribner, Simon and Schuster Canada, HarperCollins UK, and HarperCollins Germany. It was an Indie Next Pick, an Entertainment Weekly Must Have novel, a BookNet Canada Loan Stars pick, and a Vogue.com winter reading selection. It was an instant national bestseller in Canada, holding spots on the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestsellers lists for ten weeks in a row.

I have several years of experience as an editor, working on a wide range of manuscripts. I’ve worked for companies such as Kirkus Reviews, Scribendi, and Standout Books. I have experience line editing, copy editing, and developmental editing. I love looking at the whole picture of a novel and helping authors create their best story with the most intriguing and believable characters possible. I have worked with a wide variety of literary fiction and commercial fiction, including crime fiction, thrillers, YA, science fiction, and fantasy.

I’m passionate about the craft of writing and being a part of a community that helps writers hone their skills and make their manuscripts ready for the market. When not writing and editing, I'm wrangling my three kids, hiking with my dog, or sipping some delicious scotch.