Dropped Candy - Edition 9, Remembering Editor Katie
Remember Editor Katie Cunningham
It was February 2019, winter. I arrived at the front door of Candlewick Press on a side street in Somerville, MA, bringing with me a whole lotta hope.
Some months prior, I’d met a pretty brown lady standing behind a publisher’s display table at LadiesCon, a local convention now called CaziCon. Ally Russell said the words that any author-to-be most desires to hear: send me your query letter, I’ll pass it along. I emailed her the pitch for my middle grade novel, with hope but not too much hope, y’know? One thing led to another, I received a full manuscript request, and next —something I would not guess to expect— an invitation to visit the publishing house and meet an editor!
There I entered, clutching a hastily updated writing resume, arriving with few expectations and a whole lotta hope. There arrived editor Katie Cunningham, with assistant Alex Robertson, to greet me. Katie held a very loved-looking, marked up printout of my manuscript, and I felt a zing of delighted shock.
This was the path to Katie Cunningham becoming, for me, “Editor Katie.” We spent an hour introducing ourselves, discussing my manuscript and desires for the novel. They took me on a tour of the press, which was a huge treat as I’d been a fan of this publisher since getting to know their catalog via my high school library job. Katie led us to a nook filled with tall shelves and selected books that she thought my character Jonas would want to read, piling them in Alex’s waiting arms, and then later express mailing me a big box of (FREE!) books.
I thanked Katie and Alex before departing, not knowing whether Candlewick would choose to buy my book. Either way, I felt lucky. The connection was strong. (I snail-mailed thank you cards as though I’d gone on a traditional job interview!) Several weeks later, I received an offer from Katie for my novel. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life, something I’d hoped for, and worked towards, since childhood.
Confessions of a Candy Snatcher (yep, we kept the original title) sold in 2019, received skillful, thoughtful, and encouraging edits from Katie. Later, when Katie announced an ovarian cancer diagnosis, assistant Alex and another Candlewick editor helped out. In 2023, my novel, championed by Editor Katie, illustrated incredibly by Theodore Taylor III, was ready to launch, supported by numerous Candlewick team members and folks in my broader creative community.
Katie Cunningham, a charismatic wordsmith and editorial talent who rose to Senior Vice President, Editorial, and Associate Publisher at Candlewick before moving into a role at a new children’s publisher, as well as a mom, wife, daughter, and friend, passed away on my birthday —July 4, 2025. Her trust in my storytelling was a gift, and her keen attention and questions helped me craft a book I’ll always be proud of. From that first meeting, I could tell she understood intuitively what I could offer as a writer/author. I had so many more stories to share with her.
Open to the dedication page of Confessions of a Candy Snatcher, and you’ll find it celebrating “the naughty ones.” From what I knew of Editor Katie, it’s likely she was that. In the acknowledgments, I confess Big Gratitude to people who supported CoaCS’s creation. Unnamed but there belongs Katie: the light of new suns, new stars, the wide sky, and the galaxy.