Beginning to End - Mercy House: Editor, Lucia Macro
Mercy House, Alena Dillon’s debut novel, centers on Sister Evelyn, a fierce, wise-cracking, and ultimately kind-hearted nun who helps run a small Brooklyn shelter for women fleeing from domestic violence. When Bishop Hawkins threatens to close the home, Evelyn fights to save Mercy House and protect its residents, a struggle which forces her to face abuse in her own past.
William Morrow released Mercy House on February 11. For this edition of Beginning to End, Spine follows Mercy House from author all the way through to publicity and marketing, stopping along the way to talk to Dillon’s agent and editor, as well as the book’s designer. If you missed our author and agent pieces, click accordingly. Next up: Editor Lucia Macro.
Lucia Macro, executive editor for William Morrow/Avon Books, knew she wanted Alena Dillon’s debut novel Mercy House “the moment it landed on my desk.” For her, the decision to take on a book is often about the voice. “I respond to strong voices in the books I love, both from the characters and the author, and Mercy House delivered.”
In the first piece in this series, Dillon described Macro as a “pro,” and said together, they worked to “reroute” the book’s middle. Macro explained that while she does play a strong role in getting a book into its final shape, that role is more about guiding an author to a spot where they can get the necessary revisions done. “My job is to work with the author to enable their vision and voice to shine through,” she said. “Alena and I worked on things like character motivation and development, and the end result is a group of female characters who are strong, dedicated and feminists in their own ways.”
Once Macro and her author are done with edits, publicity steps in. Macros admits she “gets a little jealous” when it’s time to hand the book over, but says that Morrow’s team approach to book promotion means she’s still involved in efforts such as HarperCollins’ Book Club Girls program, facilitating discussions between authors.
“Alena appeared on a panel with New York Times bestseller Susan Wiggs, author of The Oysterville Sewing Circle at our Book Club Girl’s Night Out series, where she spoke to more than 80 super-readers. And that was just the beginning. So much goes on the behind the scenes. Every single thing we do large or small adds up to the total, but it always begins with a wonderful book, which is what Mercy House is.”
Spine Authors Editor Susanna Baird grew up inhaling paperbacks in Central Massachusetts, and now lives and works in Salem. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Boston Magazine, BANG!, Failbetter, and Publishers Weekly. She's the founder of the Salem Longform Writers' Group, and serves on the Salem Literary Festival committee. When not wrangling words, she spends time with her family, mostly trying to pry the cat's head out of the dog's mouth, and helps lead The Clothing Connection, a small Salem-based nonprofit dedicated to getting clothes to kids who need them. Online, you can find her at susannabaird.com and on Twitter @SusannaBaird.