Penguin Young Readers
Overview
The Penguin Publishing Group is the proud publisher of great writers and gifted storytellers, beloved books and eminent works. At Penguin, we believe that literature can fuel the imagination and guide the soul. There’s a book on our shelves for every reader, and we relish the opportunity to publish across every category and interest with the utmost care and enthusiasm.
The Penguin Publishing Group is one of the leading trade book publishers in the United States, comprised of imprints with a long and rich history dating back to the nineteenth century. Penguin Books was originally founded in the UK in 1935 by Allen Lane, who envisioned a collection of quality, attractive books affordable enough to be “bought as easily and casually as a packet of cigarettes.” A United States office opened in 1939, called Penguin Books Ltd. In 1996, the group merged with Putnam Berkley to become Penguin Putnam, Inc., Penguin Group (USA) in 2003, and Penguin Publishing Group in 2014. Today, Penguin Publishing Group is the largest division of Penguin Random House, Inc.
The imprints making up Penguin Publishing Group include: Avery, Berkley, Blue Rider Press, Dutton, Penguin Books, Penguin Classics, The Penguin Press, Plume, Portfolio, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Riverhead, Sentinel, TarcherPerigee, and Viking Books.
Penguin Young Readers Bestsellers
Penguin Young Readers New Releases
Meet the Team
Jennifer Loja, President
PLEASE NOTE: We have found recent incidents of scammers impersonating Jen Loja. Please be cautious. These scams often target self-published writers and freelancers, with the goal of stealing money and valuable personal information. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a communication or agreement claiming a connection to Jen or to PRH, please contact fraud@penguinrandomhouse.com or visit https://www.prh.com/prh-fraud/ for resources and more information on publishing scams.
Jen Loja is currently the president of Penguin Young Readers (a division of Penguin Random House) where she oversees the division.
Jen began her career in books as a buyer for Joseph-Beth Booksellers. She then moved into the publishing world at Candlewick Press as a National Account Manager. There she called on a variety of national accounts both retail and wholesale. Jen then moved to a sales position at Houghton Mifflin where she was responsible for the wholesale channel as well as Canadian sales. She joined Harcourt in September of 2004 as VP of Sales, Children’s Books and was named VP of Sales & Marketing, Children’s Books in 2007. At the merger of Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt she became the Associate Publisher of the HMH children’s list.
She joined Penguin Young Readers in 2009 as the Associate Publisher of the group.
Jocelyn Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher
Jocelyn Schmidt is Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher Penguin Young Readers. She currently oversees the development of the PYR list, working with ten publishers to bring the perfect book to every reader at the perfect time.
Jocelyn joined PYR in 2005 as brand director, managing picture book and author brands as mini-businesses within PYR. Prior to her time at PYR, she was in the Random House adult mass merchandise sales division for 12 years, taking on many roles. She sold to airport retailers then moved to a liaison position, partnering with the publishers under the Random House umbrella and setting positioning and goals for their books in the mass channel. Along the way, she oversaw the sales team for Target, Walmart and the airports, and in her last role managed the mass merch field sales force. Jocelyn started her career in books as a Barnes and Noble bookseller, with training in both in-store operations and merchandising.
Stephanie Sabol Vice President, Executive Director, Brand & Content Development Strategy
Stephanie Sabol is the Vice President, Executive Director, of Brand & Content Development Strategy at Penguin Young Readers. In her current role, she works on the business strategy for PYR’s key brands, working closely with the publishing, marketing and sales teams. She is the business contact for authors, agents and estates for these brands. Stephanie also manages the licensing rights for non-book products on a selection of PYR brands.
Prior to working in the Penguin Young Readers publishing office, Stephanie worked in the sales department of Penguin Young Readers and Random House for ten years, selling to Barnes & Noble, the warehouse clubs, and digital accounts. She originally joined Random House in 2004.
