“Be a good literary citizen!” —Kate McMullen, Hub City Press
Every other year, the Writers’ League of Texas brings notable literary agents and book editors to Austin for its Agents & Editors Conference. As we look ahead to the 31st A&E Conference, taking place June 26–28, 2026, we’re happy to share Q&As with some of our visiting agents and editors here.
An Interview with Kate McMullen
Kate McMullen is the Associate Director of Hub City Writers Project and Associate Publisher of Hub City Press. Born and raised in Piedmont North Carolina, she received her MFA in Fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her spouse.
How would you describe your personal approach to working with an author?
Kate McMullen: It’s important to me to stay true to the author’s intention and voice. Either in an editorial letter or over a phone call, I’ll work one-on-one with the author on what the manuscript needs to really become the best version of itself. Then we’ll lay out an editorial schedule based on those goals and the scale of the edit. Often for longer books, I’ll work up a chapter-by-chapter outline to see how pacing is working, and this really helps me see what needs to be expanded on or cut to help the overall flow of the book. As an editor, I try to see myself as the first reader of the final product and flag anything a reader might question. I want to trust my writers to solve those issues in ways that feel true to them, so they can reserve the right to say no to edits and can go about adjustments in a way that feels true to their style and intention for the project.
What do you look for in a debut author?
KM: Openness, patience, and trust. Publishing is an opaque business, and it’s likely that all this is very new to a debut writer. I’m lucky that due to the small size of our catalog, I get to take a really hands-on approach in general with each author we publish and really shepherd them through each phase of the publication process. While I welcome questions, I want authors I work with to trust that we are doing our jobs, to be patient as the process unfolds, and to be open to try things, ready to help with promotion, and aware of the realities of what we’re able to offer as a publisher.
What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving time and time again?
KM: Be a good literary citizen! Celebrate other writers’ successes and when it comes time for yours, you’ll have a great list of folks who will do the same for you. I ask every author to take an active role in promoting preorders for their book and later their events, and if you have that base of support already, you’re doing yourself a huge favor.
What excites you the most about the publishing industry today?
KM: Something I love about working at a smaller independent press is that houses our size can really take risks on books that much bigger publishers don’t have the latitude to, and I think this is making for some really exciting energy in the small press space. I’m also so excited about the number of presses working on reprinting older works that have fallen out of print but really deserve to stay in the conversation. We’re doing some of that work at Hub City now, and it’s been a really exciting part of the job.
Tell us about a recent book/project that you worked on that excited you and you want everyone to know about?
KM: In August, we’re publishing a novel called DAYTONA TEDDY RIGGS from Texas native Drew Buxton. This is his second book and his first novel, and it’s a real riot. Set in Corpus Christi and Houston, it follows the titular Daytona Teddy Riggs as he follows his (deluded) dream to be come the World’s Strongest Man by seeking the help of a self-help guru. It’s both an absurdist comedy and a serious look at mental health, crisis of male identity, and a satire of the self-help industry. I found Drew’s book during our open call for submissions, and I’m so excited about it.
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Thanks, Kate!
Click here for more information on the 2026 Agents & Editors Conference, a weekend-long event in Austin, TX (June 26-28) that focuses on the craft of writing, the business of publishing, and building a literary community.
