Meet Zoe Quinton | Editor-in-Chief, Fringe Press

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zoe Quinton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zoe, how do you think about risk?
I joke that when I die, my gravestone should say, “Sure! How hard can it be?” I have always been very risk averse physically, even as a child, but personally and professionally I think my curiosity and trust in my own capabilities (whether merited or not) have always outweighed my more cautious side. I am always game to try new things, and half of how I’ve built my business is to say, “Yes, I can do that!” and then figure it out as I go along. Sure, it’s gone astray a few times, but I’ve always learned something in the process and built on that to create bigger and better things in the long run. So I am a big fan of risk taking and pushing myself to try new things.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Thanks to my mom, I’ve been in or adjacent to the book publishing industry for 30 years––and, since I am only 44, that is saying something! Growing up in the industry I think is what really sets me apart from other editors, since I’ve seen the massive changes that have taken place in publishing over the last couple of decades.

During that time, I’ve worked in almost every possible aspect of publishing outside of the Big 5: publicity, marketing, agenting, editing, and now as an acquiring editor for an independent press. I’ve never actually bound a book with my own hands, but that’s about it.

Getting to where I am professionally certainly wasn’t easy, despite the huge boost I got from my mom. In fact differentiating myself and my brand from hers has presented its own unique set of challenges, as it was very important to me to be valued in my own right after I hung out my own shingle as a freelance editor in 2017.

When I started, freelance editing was mainly being done by former Big 5 editors who had several published books or even bestsellers to their name. The only way I could see how to set myself apart and build a business was to charge (a lot) less and rely on my network built over a lifetime in the mystery writing field for referrals. That’s exactly what I did, and I continued to say, “Yes! How hard could it be?” over and over again until I more or less figured out what my customers’ primary needs were and how I could meet them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a Santa Cruz native, so my ideal itinerary would take a lot longer than a week to get through! Day one would be obviously the Boardwalk and wharf, with a stop at the Jack O’Neill Lounge at the Dream Inn for a meal and/or snack and a walk on Cowell’s beach afterward. I would also drive people up and around the UCSC campus because it is unbelievably beautiful, then take them to downtown Santa Cruz for a trip to Bookshop Santa Cruz, where they can buy all the UCSC banana slug merch. We’d grab coffee or a drink at Abbot Square and wind up with a sunset walk on Westcliff. Some other must-sees would include: a day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium; the redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park; a lazy beach day with a book; and a walk along the bluffs in Wilder Ranch State Park–with coffee and a pastry afterward from Companion Bakery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be in the publishing industry at all if it weren’t for my mom, mystery author Laurie R. King. In 2007, she asked me, “Hey, do you want to help me create a page for my fans on this new thing called Facebook?” And the rest was history.

Website: https://www.zoequinton.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoequinton_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-quinton/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zquinton/

Image Credits
Final photo/headshot: Carolyn Lagattuta