Leila Sales

Leila Sales is an accomplished Editorial Director at Large for Kar-Ben Publishing, overseeing the publication of 13-15 Jewish picture books annually since June 2025. As a Storytelling Advisor for Hidden Door and the Founder and Director of Book Development at The Book Engineer, Sales provides consultancy services in book development, drawing on 15+ years of publishing experience. An author of critically acclaimed novels for children and young adults, Sales has published works with major publishers such as Abrams, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster, receiving numerous accolades and international translations. As former Director of Publishing for TOGETHXR, Sales developed a book publishing program centering on women's voices in sports, with the first title, PLAY IT FORWARD, released by Chronicle Books. Sales's career includes previous roles at Penguin Random House and a part-time position as a children's bookseller at BookPeople. Education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Chicago and a study abroad program at the University of Bristol.