I experience children’s book publishing as a beautifully messy, non-linear process — and I particularly enjoy bringing clarity and structure to it. Over the years, I’ve supported authors, illustrators, designers, and publishers in developing picture books from early concepts and character building through storytelling, editing, printing, and distribution.
A series of books about Gooma
Gooma and the Paper Moon, Gooma and the Hitch in Time
I worked on Gooma and the Paper Moon and Gooma and the Hitch in Time, part of a wider philosophical narrative about Gooma — the fruit of a nameless tree who travels the world and keeps a journal. The series was created by artist Sergey Safonov, and I collaborated closely with him on concept development and manuscript editing, accompanying the stories and characters as they evolved over several years.
As the Editor-in-Chief of a boutique publishing house, I created children’s books for different age groups that incorporated a child’s name and photographs in the text and illustrations, aiming to help the child process emotions and build new skills in a fun way. I worked on the projects from the ground up, building and managing international teams of authors, illustrators and designers.
Testimonial
I’ve done multiple collaborative projects with Marina in art and sustainability, publishing, events and social media over the years. I appreciate her ability to build projects from the core up, lead teams and have joy in the process. Marina’s been advocating for multiple stakeholders, predicting their expectations and leading the projects, mitigating risks.
Recently, we’ve done multiple picture books, from the concept to distribution and community building. Marina is great at creating and navigating imaginary worlds. It’s always a pleasure and an adventure to work together.