How did you get into genre fiction as a reader, and what were some of your faves when you were growing up?
Growing up mostly inside the local Barnes & Noble, I absolutely worshipped Tamora Pierce (shoutout to all the Circle of Magic fans out there). Other household favorites of mine were Diana Wynne Jones, Gail Carson Levine, and Scott Westerfeld. I’m old enough that YA was still fairly nascent, so I also grew up alongside Twilight and Harry Potter; it’s fascinating to see how these series have changed (for better and for worse) for the next generation.
In addition to speculative books, I used to absolutely binge mystery novels as a teen, and I’ve noticed that a lot of young genre readers across the board are able jump right to the adult side. So I was reading probably one too many Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes cases during car rides, and some meatier Tolkien and Le Guin when I could really sit down at home and focus.
What does genre fiction do that is special, unique, or different from fiction without speculative or fantastic elements?
Having worked in more grounded spaces, I love that you can really play with every single aspect of a world in SFF. Being able to take one characteristic, like the capabilities of AI or the power of the elements, and tune that all the way up or down so that the what-ifs become more about our own choices than real-world limitations, is totally unique and opens up a new way of thinking.
One novella that I read before joining Saga, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This Is How You Lose the Time War, as well as my very first acquisition here, Sascha Stronach’s debut The Dawnhounds, were mind-bending in different, amazing ways that really stuck with me.
How did reading lead to a career in publishing?
While I did always go the more reading-intensive routes in school, it was actually the editing side of things that drew me to the industry! I genuinely enjoyed editing and proofreading whatever I could get my hands on—friends’ papers, articles for the school daily, short-form translations (I studied French for many years). In retrospect, I was probably quite annoying to the friends whose work I marked up, but I’m grateful for them, because that eventually led me here.
What have been some of the more difficult aspects of the publishing industry for you, as well as some of the biggest surprises? Do you have any advice for folks who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry, whether as editors, agents, or some other avenue?
One of the most difficult aspects of the industry is breaking in. Publishing is very opaque to an outsider, and especially if you’re starting out far away from New York without any industry contacts, it can take a lot of legwork to land that first internship. I think I finagled my first internship at my best friend’s coworker’s sister’s literary agency, so I definitely went in pulling on every connection I had.
I’m not going to skirt around it: the starting publishing salaries were brutal as a young person living in NYC. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s gradually getting better on an industry-wide scale, and my best advice is to always advocate for yourself and know when you’ve outgrown your position and it’s time to move on.
Most of my surprises have been in editorial. The job is about a hundred times more social than I would’ve expected; there is no hiding at your desk behind manuscripts. It’s all a delicate balance of networking, project management, and editorial taste and feedback. I encounter new problems to solve every day, and I’m going to count it as a blessing to be kept on my toes ☺
Early in 2021 the news came out that you had joined Simon & Schuster imprint Saga Press. What have been some of the best things about being a part of the Saga team?
Saga has been the best fit for me in so many ways. Not only are its mission and tastes exactly in line with what I want to be doing, but this team has some of the hardest-working, most collaborative folks in publishing. I’ve watched the imprint grow from three people to a dozen in my four years here, and every single member is a heavy-hitter in what they bring to the table. To say I love meetings might be an extreme, but I do love the discussions we have about the genre and new projects. I aways walk away with a new thought to chew on.
How would you describe a “Saga Press” title, and how would you describe an “Amara Hoshijo at Saga Press” title?
While we run the gamut across just about every subgenre (having a Stephen Graham Jones gory slasher alongside Peter Beagle’s fun dragon novel isn’t always on the bingo card at an imprint!), I’d classify a Saga Press book as a little left of center; while we’re aware of trends within SFF, we rarely follow them to a T. We’re a very editorially driven team, so strong writing and a fresh take on something, even a seemingly familiar legend or trope, is key. The imprint was founded on and continues to prioritize diversity—for Saga, that’s not just a buzzword, but an integral part of why we show up every day.
As for Amara as an editor(!), I’ve come to specialize in romantasy and cozy fantasy at Saga, simply because they make me the happiest to read, and we all need more of that right now. I will say that my romantasy tends to have a fairly strong fantasy and political backbone—Rebecca Robinson’s stunning debut, The Serpent & the Wolf, and Stacey McEwan’s fiery new first-in-series A Forbidden Alchemy are perfect examples of this. On the cozy side, I can’t get enough of found family self-discovery, and healing, as in Jaysea Lynn’s For Whom the Belle Tolls and Cecilia Edward’s forthcoming An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating, which both take turns between being laugh-out-loud and poignant.
The writers out there will want to know the secret to getting published. What is your advice for authors who would love to see their books land at Saga?
It’s always good to have a clear idea of where your book might sit on the shelf—its inspirations, its contemporaries, even its competition. I would say all of us at Saga appreciate an ambitious vision for a book or series, along with strong prose and freshness in concept. We’re always looking for a way in, the moment a manuscript really hooks us in and doesn’t let go.
Are there a few titles you’ve worked on – whether recent, upcoming, or just notable – that you’d like Fantasy Magazine readers to know about?
Wow, so many just popped into my head! Okay, I’m narrowing it down to 3 recent-ish books:
- If you like mind-jumping and a good battle royale: Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
- A lighter dragon novel with romance: The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan
- A gritty, addictive Mad Max motorcycle fantasy: Road to Ruin by Hana Lee
What are some of the things about the publishing industry, about books, or about writers that you feel more readers should know?
Just that we’re all real people with chaotic workloads who really love the books we work on! Please be nice, especially to our tireless social media folks.
Amara Hoshijo is a senior editor at Saga Press. She loves secondary-world scifi/fantasy with complex magic, political, or tech systems and a unique cultural lens. Originally from Honolulu, Amara lived in New York City for over a decade and is now based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Saga Press, she was a crime fiction editor at Soho Press. She also managed the company’s subrights initiative and is a former Frankfurt Fellow.