Sara Nelson became editor in chief of Publishers Weekly in January 2005, straight from a stint as the Book Beat columnist for the New York Post. A journalist for twenty five years, Nelson had previously written a publishing column for the New York Observer and reviewed for publications from Glamour magazine to the Chicago Tribune. She was one of the founding editors of Inside.com. Her freelance pieces have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many national magazines.

A native of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, Nelson graduated from Yale, where she majored in Latin American Studies. She specialized in analyzing and translating the works of obscure, late Latin American poets, work she naively expected to continue when she arrived in New York after graduation. But while she did translate two novels ("Colombian Gold" and "The Imposters") and several poems for literary journals – and briefly considered a career as an agent, working with the Latin American literature specialist, Thomas Colchie – she was soon lured by the world of magazines. Her first staff job was as an editorial assistant at the Conde Nast startup, SELF magazine, her first published article was about running shoes.

Over the years, Nelson wrote and edited stories about everything from private schools to AIDS. She wrote celebrity profiles and book reviews and personal essays. In 2003, she published her memoir/reading guide, "So Many Books, So Little Time," which became a BookSense bestseller. 

In addition to her work as a journalist, Nelson has been a teacher at the Radcliffe Publishing Course, the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism; she has also worked in TV as a reporter/producer ("Top Cops" and "Women Aloud"). She has appeared regularly on radio and television networks and programs, including NPR, Air America, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, Today and Good Morning America.

Sara Nelson lives in New York City with her son, Charley.