There Are Adults in the Room: Macmillan Editor Ivan Taurisano on Writing Through Book Bans

Across conferences, workshops, and writing groups, the same worries keep coming up: Is my story too risky? Are publishers backing away from hard topics? Ivan Taurisano, Associate Editor at Macmillan’s First Second Books, edits graphic novels for young readers and middle grade, and he has a clear answer: no. In this episode, Ivan talks about: ****Why publishing runs on deadlines, not headlines, and why editors are always thinking years ahead ****How challenged books are often the ones that matter most (and why you’d only ban something that has real value) ****Clearing up the myth that publishers are backing away from challenging stories ****What editors are doing differently now: thinking harder about how books are positioned, not whether they get published ****Why editors, agents, librarians, and booksellers are the front line, not authors ****Why trying to dodge every possible criticism would keep you from writing anything at all ****His 2026 wish list: a magical contemporary friendship story in the spirit of Winx Club If the news has you second-guessing your manuscript, this is the reassurance you’ve been looking for. Find more at podcast.manuscriptacademy.com.