RISE
BOOKSHOP
Each season of Rise Books is like its own constellation.
Each offering different elements of what it means to be human, and what it means to celebrate the deep magic within us all.
RISE AUTHORS
We believe an author shouldn’t be judged based on the size of their following, but on the quality of their stories.
With distribution from Simon & Schuster, we are committed to supporting emerging authors with stories powerful enough to build a platform, creating conversation, community, and inspired activism.
Rise Team
-
Kristen McGuiness
Founder + Publisher
Kristen is a best-selling author, editor, and long-standing publishing professional. After spending the first decade of her career working in editorial for Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins, as well as in film development at Warner Brothers, Kristen wrote the bestselling memoir, 51/50: The Magical Adventures of a Single Life. Her most recent book, Live Through This, is being a released in October 2023. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, Shondaland, and Marie Claire. Kristen lives in Ojai, CA with her husband, two children, and a dog named Lucy.
-
Jamie Lou
Director of Editorial + Production
Jamie Lou (she/her) is an award-winning essayist, content/copywriter, blogger, ghostwriter, book and film editor, and award-winning filmmaker/screenwriter and playwright. She is the recipient of the Kornbluth Memorial Writing Award for her essay on a Sylvia Plath poem. In 2021, her dramatic feature screenplay, Lady Lazarus, placed at the prestigious Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship and the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. As an author, her children’s books have reached children across the globe.
-
Lauren Schwarzfeld
Director of Publicity + Marketing
Lauren is the best-selling author of Unboxed: Essays on Learning to Trust Myself So I Could Stop Doing the Things I Hate. Lauren has spent the past 25 years working in sales, fundraising, and marketing through various industries, realizing that the most powerful part of a storied work history is the wide variety of human connection. She is endlessly curious, a lover of books, travel, and new adventures. Lauren lives in Mt. Kisco, NY with her husband, three children and two dogs.
-
Raya Whittington
Publishing Manager
Raya is a publishing manager with an unwavering love for literature and the written word. Outside of her professional pursuits, Raya enjoys exploring new bookstores, penning her own stories, and working as a lyricist for indie musicians. She believes in the power of literature to foster community, provoke thought, and provide much-needed escapism. She aspires to continue contributing to the literary world for years to come.