Booksellers in the west know Scholastic regional sales manager Kristin Rasmussen from her assortment of industry roles. A former co-executive director of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Rasmussen joined Scholastic’s trade field sales team in 2024. “I feel like every job I’ve done—from being a library tech in public schools, to being an independent bookseller, to CALIBA—has informed my day-to-day work at Scholastic,” she said.
From her Central Coast home base in Santa Ynez, Calif., Rasmussen covers California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Though she conducts some meetings remotely, she prefers road trips to meet with booksellers. “To be in someone’s space, to see how our books look on their shelves, informs what I do,” Rasmussen said. She also seeks out feedback on ARCs from buyers, which can lead to creative programming.
“I think sometimes booksellers don't realize how much their reviews mean to all of us” in the Scholastic offices, Rasmussen said. She recalled coordinating with Holly Snyder Thompson, outreach and event manager at the Avid Reader Bookstore in Davis, Calif., to plan an off-site event with Brian Selznick and his editor, David Levithan; Thompson’s early review of Selznick’s YA novel, Run Away with Me, had caught Scholastic’s attention.
In his nomination of Rasmussen for sales rep of the year, Dan Moser, director of sales at Scholastic, described her as “a remarkable sales rep” after only a year in the role. “Kristin’s dedication, deep experience in publishing, and invaluable insights have an overwhelmingly positive influence on the team, our authors, and our booksellers,” Moser wrote.
This spring, Rasmussen is excited for Kenneth Oppel’s Best of All Worlds, Christy Mandin’s Millie Fleur Saves the Night, and promotional dinners with booksellers. She’s also thrilled with her position, once occupied by retired sales legend Roz Hilden. “I've said for the longest time that this would be my dream job,” Rasmussen said, “and to be sitting here talking about it is mind-blowing.”
