Helen Richard O'hare
About Helen Richard O'hare
Helen Richard O'Hare is an Associate Editor at Penguin Random House in the Greater New York City Area, with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry.
Title and Current Role
Helen Richard O'hare is an Associate Editor at Penguin Random House. She is based in the Greater New York City Area and focuses on building a list of beloved and bestselling authors. Her editorial interests include book club and literary fiction, psychological and domestic suspense, memoir, and feminist, historical, or cultural narrative nonfiction.
Previous Professional Experience
Before joining Penguin Random House, Helen worked at various roles in the publishing industry. She served as an Assistant Editor at Penguin Group USA from 2014 to 2018. Prior to that, she was a Marketing Manager at Other Press for seven months in 2013-2014. Helen also worked in retail book sales, holding multiple positions at Boulder Book Store, including Sidelines Buyer, Supervisor, Event Host, and Bookseller between 2010 and 2012. Additionally, she worked as a Bookseller at Tattered Cover Book Store from 2012 to 2013.
Education Background
Helen Richard O'hare holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied from 2007 to 2011. She furthered her specialization in publishing by participating in the University of Denver's Publishing Institute in 2013, obtaining a certificate in the field.
Notable Editorial Work
Helen has edited works by notable authors such as PEN Center USA Literary Award winner Siobhan Fallon and Australian National Biography Award winner Robert Hillman. She has also worked on New York Times bestsellers like Jill Santopolo's 'The Light We Lost' and Delia Owens' 'Where the Crawdads Sing' under the guidance of Executive Editor Tara Singh Carlson. Her editorial focus includes memoirists like Jacob Tobia and Sasha Sagan, contributing to diverse voices in contemporary literature.
Industry Contributions
Helen actively contributes to the literary community by hosting author events, enhancing community engagement and book sales. In her current role, she enjoys discovering new talent and helping readers fall in love with books. With a keen interest in literary page-turners with a rich sense of place, she focuses on narratives that explore unexpected characters or closed-off communities.