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Speaking Engagements

If you’d like to book one of our staff, please email bookriot@bookriot.com with details. Please note that when representing RNMG in the media, on a panel, as a speaker, as a jurist, or as a presenter in any capacity that isn’t a one-on-one interview, the company requires that the other panelists, speakers, jurists or presenters include both women and people of color.

Jeff O’Neal

Jeff O’Neal is the CEO and co-founder of Riot New Media Group, Inc (the parent company of BookRiot.com)

Areas of expertise include: startups (esp media and book-related); content strategy; business models for media websites; blogging; social media strategy and implementation; community relations; business management; managing a remote workforce; current events in books and publishing; podcasting


Jenn Northington

Jenn Northington worked as a bookseller and events director from 2004 to 2014, created and curated Book Riot Live in 2015 and 2016, and is now Director of Editorial Operations at Riot New Media. She also helped co-found the Bookrageous Podcast, is a regular cohost of Book Riot’s SFF Yeah! podcast, and has appeared on the Today Show Book Club Chat, Minnesota Public Radio, and others to discuss books and publishing. Her public speaking appearances include Book Riot Live, BookExpo America, BookCon, O’Reilly Tools of Change, the American Bookseller Association’s Winter Institute, Granger Leadership Academy, LeakyCon, GeekyCon, Housing Works Bookstore’s Geek Week, and Avon Live.

Areas of expertise include: genre fiction; literary events and programming; book clubs; podcasting; bookstore operations; media company operations


Kelly Jensen

Kelly Jensen is an Editor for Book Riot and cohost on the All The Books podcast after leaving the world of public librarianship. In 2022, she was named one of Publishers Weekly’s “People of the Year” and one of Chicago Tribune’s “Chicagoans of the Year”; she was named a “Free Speech Hero” in 2015 by the National Coalition Against Censorship. She’s an expert in all things book censorship and young adult literature, with special interest in YA horror, YA nonfiction, and realistic fiction. Kelly is comfortable speaking about censorship, intellectual freedom, public libraries, mental health, feminism, and the evolution of the book blog world. She’s presented in venues across the country, from classrooms to national stages and as a keynote speaker at the Chippewa Valley Book Festival. In her free time, she writes and edits her own award-winning and critically-acclaimed YA books.

Areas of expertise: young adult books; young adult nonfiction; feminism; book cover trends; trends in teen literature; mental health; editing content for publication online and in print; crafting voice; developing creative content ideas; fresh topical news writing; censorship; prison censorship


Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the chief of staff for Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts the Book Riot Podcast and was a co-founder of Bookrageous. Rebecca has worked on the literary internet since 2008. She has spoken about books, publishing, and the evolution of book-related media and communities at Digital Book World, Minnesota Public Radio, the annual NAIBA conference, the Decatur Book Festival, BEA Blogger Con, Book Riot Live, the James River Writers Conference, and more.

Areas of expertise: developing policy and culture to support diverse, values-driven organizations; product development for niche audiences; project and interpersonal management strategies; building and managing a diverse editorial staff; current events in books and publishing; feminism/feminist lit


S. Zainab Williams

S. Zainab Williams is Book Riot’s executive director of content and a co-host of the SFF Yeah! podcast. She reads widely, but her expertise is in science fiction, fantasy, horror, occult literature, general fiction, and memoir. She is a member of PEN America’s Literary Awards Committee and has moderated and hosted panels and events, including the Portland Book Festival and World Book Night at the Last Bookstore. She has presented on genre fiction, social media, and editorial work for libraries, college classrooms, and various book and publishing podcasts.

Areas of expertise include: inclusivity in publishing; science fiction; fantasy; horror; occult literature; memoir; social media; community management and moderation; content strategy; contributor management


Vanessa Diaz

Vanessa Diaz is Managing Editor at Book Riot, the largest independent editorial book site in North America, and co-host of the All the Books! podcast. She is a former bookseller who reads widely but is especially interested in mystery, fantasy, gothic fiction, mythology and folklore.

Areas of expertise include: genre fiction, trends in Latinx literature, diversity and representation in publishing and literature; book clubs; audiobooks; social media; community management and moderation; content strategy; editing content for online publication; bookstore operations