New York, New York, United States
I'm Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Harper Influence at HarperCollins Publishers. I advocate for transformational and inspirational storytelling as a passionate teacher, mentor and friend. After a distinguished career as an Emmy, Peabody, and Dupont Award-winning journalist at ABC News and other news organizations, I transitioned into book publishing to champion impactful non-fiction stories that start and shift conversations, inspire meaningful change and spark interest in people who make a difference and ideas that matter. As the founding publisher of Harper Influence, I specialize in acquiring and nurturing high-profile primarily non-fiction books that resonate across memoir, science, contemporary culture, and leadership. I work closely with our authors to shape their ideas into narratives that make a lasting impact on readers worldwide. In addition to my publishing work, I teach undergraduate students at Washington University in St. Louis, introducing them to the world of publishing through the life cycle of books from acquisition to publication and beyond. I also mentor emerging writers and publishers worldwide through initiatives like PublisHer, international writers' conferences, helping storytellers refine their author brands to enhance and grow their platforms. Whether guiding a bestselling memoir into the world, teaching a new generation of students and authors about the joys of publishing along with the skills necessary for success, or advocating for voices that deserve to be read, I am dedicated to amplifying the stories that shape who we are and raise up the narratives that define who we can become if we tap into our greatest potential.
Lead as publisher of Harper Influence, a HarperCollins imprint dedicated to publishing high-impact primarily non-fiction that drives cultural conversations. Of the nine books published by our imprint since September, six have become New York Times bestsellers. I oversee editorial strategy, author and book acquisition, brand building, financial planning and execution and maintain author relationships.
Oversaw Creative Development team across all HarperCollins imprints to acquire books from the world of pop culture, newsmakers, celebrity, medicine, finance, sexuality, and trends. Helped grow company in terms of partnerships and visibility. Worked with publicity departments in all imprints to raise profiles of authors and their books. Among the dozens of New York Times Bestselling titles my team brought in are Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hagar, The EveryGirl's Guide to Life by Maria Menounos, All My Life by Susan Lucci, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World by HM King Charles, Between a Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar ; The Best Kind of Different by Shonda Schilling , Messages: Signs, Visits and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9.11 by Bonnie McEneaney, the LA Candy series by Lauren Conrad, Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall, Out of Captivity, by Keith Stansell, Tom Howes and Marc Gonsolves, and memoirs by Gregg Allman, Tony Bennett, Maurice Benard, Regina Calcaterra, Tony LaRussa, Bud Selig, Jorge Posada, Gabby Douglas, Lindsey Vonn, Cissy Houston, Mitch Winehouse, Jamie Raskin, Elijah Cummings, Jim Acosta, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Jessie James Decker and Russ
Co-teach a course in the English department as part of the new publishing concentration, introducing undergraduate and graduate students to the lifecycle of of book and outlining various career paths within the book publishing industry. Helped develop curriculum to aid English majors and other students who have publishing industry interest understand the publishing process from acquisition to launch and beyond. Students read one of the book we have published each season. The class learns how the book came to be acquired, alongside the editorial, marketing, publicity, and cover design process. Meet with students individually to help them determine the best path forward to landing a job in the world of books.
The book Dreaming Green: Eco-Fabulous Homes Designed to Inspire is written by me and my husband Paul Gleicher, with photographs by Linda Bell Hall. It is a coffee table book with glorious photos of seventeen spectacular green homes across America and a large resource section to help you do it yourself. Be inspired, go green, and do it with style!
Managed Television development, sales and production of growing entertainment company owned by Al Roker. Executive Produced numerous Television shows for NBC, History Channel, Food Network, Court TV, E!. Executive Produced Profiles in Courage: A Kennedy Legacy, which celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Publication of the HarperCollins Pulitzer Prize winning book by JFK : Profiles in Courage, among other high profile TV shows.
Managed on camera talent and editorial production of Good Morning America, during the rise in the ratings of ABC's highly successful morning news program. Oversaw all stories falling under the categories of Medicine, Money, Consumer Investigation, Parenting, Home Design, Gardening, Hidden Camera Investigations, Wedding and Magazine Partnerships. Worked on big breaking news stories from 9/11 to SARS, Presidential Elections, the Tsunami. Helped to find and manage new on camera talent and raise their profiles across multiple platforms from the web to radio and helped to craft their brands.