Canelo
Emily Bedford, Editorial Director, Canelo
I am looking to acquire more contemporary romance and romcom, whether sports, workplace, holiday or paranormal, as well as romantasy. I also commission saga/historical women’s fiction, with an eye on WWI narratives.
I joined Canelo in 2019, making the move from business and management non-fiction at Bloomsbury Publishing to the world of romance and saga fiction. An avid romance reader since my early teens, I still have to pinch myself that I am in my dream job, acquiring and editing the type of novels that inspired me to be a publisher in the first place.
A book I’m proud of…
I’m proud to have published Summer of Love, the first MM romance on Canelo’s list and the perfect read for anyone who’s tired of the heteronormativity of reality shows like Love Island. The novel is joyfully and unabashedly angst-free, a pure celebration of queer romance with a cast of hilarious and supportive characters ensuring Oliver and Declan, the protagonists, find their much-deserved happy ever after.
A book I wish I’d published…
A book I would have loved to publish is The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston. A love story to publishing and literature itself, The Dead Romantics is written with the kind of whimsy that opens your eyes to the magic in everyday life and the dozens of tiny, but meaningful, human connections we make along the way. Even knowing the novel would deliver a happy-ever-after, Ashley keeps readers on the edge of their seat until the very end, before delivering a 90s romcom-worthy climax.