Chris Roerden is a book editor whose clients are published by St. Martin’s Press, Berkley Prime Crime, Viking, Rodale, Midnight Ink, Walker & Co., Intrigue, and many other presses. Her work has helped their books win more than 20 awards.

    Roerden is also an award-winning author of 11 books, 4 of them ghostwritten. In 2007 her 10th book, DON’T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY, won the Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction and became a finalist for the Anthony Award for Best Critical Nonfiction, the Macavity Award for Best Nonfiction (from Mystery Readers International, the largest organization of its kind in the world), and ForeWord Magazine’s Reference Book of the Year.

   DON’T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION is the expanded, all-genre version of that same award-winning book, available now.

   Chris's 44-year career in publishing began in New York City at age 16 upon graduation as an art major from the competitive-entry Music & Art High School. The publication of her first book in 1965, Collections from Cape Elizabeth, motivated her to enroll at the University of Maine in Portland, where she was graduated with a BA in English summa cum laude and went on to earn an MA in English, become president of the graduate student body, and teach writing there 1969-71.

   She later mentored the writing of independent study students for Empire State College of the State University of New York, and for 9 years taught writing-for-publication classes evenings and summers for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

   Roerden is past president of MidAmerica Publishers Association, a 10-state trade association of 250 independent publishers and university presses founded in 1987 by John Kremer. A member of Publishers Marketing Association since 1995, she has presented at many of its annual PMA Universities. She’s spoken before more than 200 audiences, primarily writers and publishers, including the National Speakers Association's 2006 NSA University.

   Active in Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, Roerden served 6 years on MWA’s Southeast Regional board and received its highest accolade, the Magnolia Award. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, North Carolina Writer’s Network, Wisconsin Regional Writers Association, and Mensa.