The University of Washington Press is thrilled to welcome Caitlin Tyler-Richards as our newest acquisitions editor.

Most recently, Caitlin was an acquiring editor for Michigan State University Press in African and African Diaspora studies, environmental justice, digital humanities and several other areas. Prior to her tenure at MSUP, she was the 2018–19 Mellon University Press Diversity Fellow here at UW Press.

A PhD candidate in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where her research focused on the history of publishing in Nigeria and Black digital humanities, Caitlin brings a wealth of experience to the press. She will acquire in the fields of anthropology; Native and Indigenous studies; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies; and Asian studies.

Read our Q&A with Caitlin to learn more about her work and areas of interest.

Can you tell us about your background and what led you to academic publishing?

I’m originally from Maryland and first became aware of academic publishing in high school when looking for literary jobs that didn’t require moving to New York City. I ended up interning with a small history magazine company, which helpfully confirmed I could get excited about any kind of editorial work if given the opportunity.

Much later, I applied to graduate school to study the history of Nigerian publishing. My plan was to turn this into a job publishing African fiction, but I realized when doing dissertation research such a career would in fact reinforce the global publishing inequities I was hoping to challenge. Fortunately, around the same time I happened to meet Duke editor Elizabeth Ault, who told me about the Mellon University Press Diversity Fellowship. I applied and spent over a year serving as an assistant editor at the University of Washington Press!

What were some of your biggest takeaways from your experience as a Mellon fellow?

One aspect of the Mellon fellowship I really appreciated was the program’s length, which allowed me to have “big takeaways”—and then keep learning. Or to put it another way, publishing is a learn-as-you-go profession, yet the industry’s slow-moving, cyclical nature makes it difficult to grasp in a single summer or academic year. Being able to work at UW Press for nearly fourteen months allowed me to see so many more projects through the publishing process, each of which expanded my understanding of scholarly publishing in a new way.

The fellowship also connected me with other people of color and allies working to make scholarly publishing a more just and equitable industry. This is something I care about on a personal, scholarly, and professional level, so I am forever grateful to the Mellon program for helping me find that community.

What excited you about coming back to UW Press?

The opportunity to work on UW Press’s phenomenal lists in Asian and Native and Indigenous studies, as well as to expand its list in anthropology. While I am new to these fields, I am familiar with the kind of projects UW Press attracts and could not be more excited at the prospect of handling them. I am looking forward to continuing the good work that has already been done and to contributing something of my own.

What types of projects do you look for? How should potential authors reach out to you?

One of the things that I think makes me a good editor is my readiness to consider all kinds of projects. Prospective authors should feel free to send me a query email or stop by the conference booth to see if their project is a good fit. Please don’t be shy! I am legitimately always happy to talk books.

That being said, I am particularly drawn to projects in which authors push the boundaries of their method, critical lens, or discipline, without losing sight of their evidence or readers. I also like projects with a clear argument, that foreground individual experiences, and can contribute to UW Press’s mission to publish transformative work with regional, national, and global impact.

Finally, we have to ask: what are you reading and enjoying right now?

But of course! I recently finished Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke, which I recommend if you’re looking to dip your toe (back) into experimental fiction, are in the mood for something silly, and/or work an office job and The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality by Anna-Lisa Cox, which I recommend if you are from the Midwest or have been looking for some good popular history writing.

I’m tenth on my library’s waitlist for R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface and passing the time by watching Fringe for the first time.

Caitlin Tyler-Richards can be reached at ctylerri@uw.edu.