Inside the 2026 Lucinda Literary Mastermind: JillEllyn Riley on Voice, Vulnerability, and the Power of Craft

As we look ahead to the launch of our exciting new Lucinda Literary Mastermind, we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome longtime Lucinda Literary collaborator JillEllyn Riley as this year’s instructor. A #1 New York Times bestselling writer and editor, JillEllyn brings a rare blend of industry insight and creative depth to every author she works with.

Known for her kaleidoscopic publishing experience—from indie presses to major houses—JillEllyn has helped shape stories across a diverse range of settings. Her sharp editorial eye and deep respect for the creative process make her a powerful guide for authors at every stage.

We sat down with JillEllyn to talk about the path that led her here, what excites her most about leading the 2026 Lucinda Literary Mastermind, and what every writer needs to hear, especially when the road gets messy.

1. Tell us a little about your path into publishing
I wound up publishing accidentally, never intended to be here. I’ve always been a reader, a bookworm. So I was originally a writer, stumbling into a small publisher because I loved their books, then graduating to a bigger house from there, before becoming an independent after a while—always drawn by the urge to shape books, work with visionary thinkers, and be in the company of people who also love books.

2. You’ve worn many hats in the industry—editor, writer, coach. How does that range of experience shape the way you support authors now?
My experience has given me a kind of kaleidoscopic lens, and, as I say ALL THE TIME, every story is about the lens! Mine encompasses a collection of colorful slivers of publishing—from scrappy indies to Miramax Books to start-ups to becoming an author myself, as well as all the roles of author ally (collaborator/coach/editor), which provides a sometimes dizzying but really useful and illuminating view on the publishing experience from so many different angles.

I know what it’s like to sit on the acquiring side of the desk, as well as what it’s like to be out here; what it’s like to read and assess the queries and proposals for a publisher as well as painstakingly draft them as, and for, an author. I’ve also been both a small/mid-list author and bestselling one, so I have a sense of navigating that world as the creator (which doesn’t always make me popular, because I ask pointed questions that can annoy my in-house colleagues, but I do believe it makes me a powerful advocate for authors in thinking about their projects. That’s another story!).

But it’s the RANGE of voices and authors and experiences that I treasure from all the work that I get to do and have done—in all the roles that I inhabit. There are a myriad of ways to midwife books into the world, and each author, each project, each book requires something slightly different, slightly tailored to it. But that’s the magic of birth—the magic of books—which is always and forever a profound process.

3. What kinds of authors or stories are you most drawn to?
Voice defines everything. Sharp, authentic, and as distinctive as a fingerprint. Of course, that’s hand-in-hand with mission—intertwined with the message being shared, the universal truth, the sacred or profane distilled by that voice. The content itself can be melodramatic or mundane, honestly—what matters is that the voice sharing whatever the story—a murder in Iceland or a coming-of-age or a CIA deep op or a delectable rom-com—whatever the subject, that voice needs to pull us in and take us there, to wherever & whatever awaits.

Storytelling is what makes us human; storytelling is how we learn empathy and humanity. This is well known, well studied, and well documented—but I find it so powerful that I come back to it time & time again: it is literally how we learn and communicate. So, I’m also drawn to commanding storytelling with that strong voice, pulling the reader out of our heads and pulling us into those pages. We are our stories—and authors are our guides.

4. You’ve been collaborating with Lucinda Literary for years. How did that partnership begin, and what’s made it such a good fit?

Lucinda and I met through her lovely husband David Halpern, to whom I am eternally grateful. He thought we had similar energies to innovate and challenge the status quo—and he was right. Lucinda does not look at the way things are and leave them there; she looks at the way things are and thinks: how can I make it better? How can we reach people who feel excluded by all the gatekeepers? Who are understandably puzzled by the slightly Byzantine structure of the publishing landscape?

I’ve long felt the same way. I began working with Lucinda Literary in a variety of ways, but among the most rewarding has been as instructor. I was drawn to the small “d” democratizing element to her incredibly valuable and empowering book Get Signed and the curriculum developed for that, so I began teaching those courses with a dynamic agent-partner and joined anything and everything possible to be a part of this initiative.

5. This will be your first time leading the Mastermind—what are you most excited to bring to the group?
I’m thrilled to dive in. I’m a nerd, so I’m eager to focus on some essential elements of craft: structure; message/mission; POV; worldbuilding; characters; dialogue—all that great stuff. To me, that’s really exciting. Basics: looking at the foundations, poking at the seams, testing the floorboards.

We will tackle exercises together in class, workshop style, and I hope it gets messy and sometimes terrible. Someone will read a sentence or two, and we will all shake our heads or groan or simply not get it, which is the nature of collaboration.

Then we will take home another prompt, read another quote, rethink the way we did the last one, dust ourselves off, and come back the next session to begin again. True workshop style. I’m all about flexing the failure muscle—one we all need to stretch constantly—so we aren’t afraid to take risks. We will be learning to assess edits and feedback without getting overwhelmed.

Then there’s the amazing Symposium in early May, which I know will be eye-opening for everyone. After that, we will shift gears a bit and start to focus on the outward-facing stage of the process: query and pitch. As you can see, I’m just excited about the whole thing. Full stop.

6. For someone unsure if they’re “ready” for a program like this, what would you say?
Everyone is ready. Ready means willing to come with an open mind, ready to think about your ideas and your way of expressing yourself and your point of view, and ready to hone the lens you might have on all of the above.

Ready just means—are you serious and interested?? Ready to tackle this with a group of colleagues and care about their ideas alongside your own?

I would describe this program for any writer “in-progress” because we are starting with these basic Elements of Craft. There’s room for someone beginning a project to learn from the ground up; there’s room for someone with a really nascent (read: crappy!) draft to apply it to that sketchy piece; there’s room for someone with something at a much later stage of completion to do a substantial revision with the valuable tools and concepts we will be learning.

The requirement is willingness to think flexibly, adaptively, collaboratively, and critically.

7. What is something you wish every writer and aspiring author would know, but doesn’t?
The ONLY thing you can control in this publishing minefield is the quality of your own work. So be bold and be brave: create the work YOU want to create.

Make sure it is the very best it can be—it is the truest expression of your voice, mission, story. That’s what matters.

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress on the page—this is your moment. The 2026 Lucinda Literary Mastermind offers the structure, expert guidance, and creative community you need to elevate your project and grow as a writer.

Whether you’re just getting started or knee-deep in revision, this program will help you sharpen your voice, strengthen your manuscript, and prepare your work for the eyes of agents and publishers.

Join our free Open House event on January 27th and 28th to meet JillEllyn and Lucinda and learn more.