The Random House Worlds Team
Elizabeth Schaefer, Editorial Director, Fiction (she/her)
Elizabeth Schaefer has worked in the world of licensed fiction for over a decade, starting out at Disney Publishing where she helped launch Disney’s inaugural Star Wars book program and the bestselling Twisted Tales series. In her years at Penguin Random House, the team’s licensing partnerships have expanded from Star Wars and Minecraft to include Stranger Things, Marvel, Magic: The Gathering, Critical Role, Lore Olympus, Dungeons & Dragons, and more. She is proud to work with the best team in publishing.
Sarah Malarkey, Editorial Director, Illustrated Nonfiction (she/her)
Sarah Malarkey has over two decades of experience developing successful publishing lines with licensors like Disney, HBO, Netflix, and LEGO. Most recently, she was executive editor at Ten Speed Press, where she acquired pop culture and licensed books. Previously, she worked at Chronicle Books, where she founded the Entertainment Publishing Group, publishing bestselling titles like Darth Vader and Son and John Oliver Presents: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. She lives in San Francisco with her family and her plants.
Tom Hoeler, Senior Editor, Random House Worlds (he/him)
Tom Hoeler is a senior editor at Random House Worlds, where he’s worked with authors like Timothy Zahn, Rebecca Roanhorse, Delilah S. Dawson, Cavan Scott, Christie Golden, and Madeleine Roux. Licensed properties he works on include Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering, and World of Warcraft. He lives in New York, where he collects board games, hosts elaborate Lord of the Rings movie marathons, perfects recipes, and manages two senior interns who happen to be cats. He cannot ride a bicycle.
Sarah Peed, Senior Editor, Inklore and Random House Worlds (she/her)
Sarah Peed is a Hugo Award-nominated editor who has worked with authors including Max Brooks, Delilah S. Dawson, Alexis Hall, Danielle L. Jensen, Simon Jimenez, Micaiah Johnson, Emily Skrutskie, and D. L. Soria. Licensed properties she works on include Critical Role, Lore Olympus, and Minecraft. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Erum Khan, Senior Editor, Random House Worlds (she/her)
Erum Khan is a senior editor with experience across the world of licensing and IP, including fiction, nonfiction, and a wide array of novelty products. Previously, she acquired and developed branded children’s and crossover titles at Insight Editions and Abrams Books, where she worked with licensors like Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Netflix, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Mattel, Hasbro, and many more. Licensed properties she works on at Random House Worlds include Minecraft and Stranger Things. She lives in California, where the weather is almost always better than New York.
Alex Davis, Editor, Random House Worlds (he/him)
Alex Davis is an editor at Random House Worlds, where he’s worked with authors like Mike Chen, Delilah S. Dawson, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Nicky Drayden, and Django Wexler. Licensed properties he works on include Minecraft, Dungeons & Dragons, and Stranger Things. He lives in Brooklyn, where he enjoys singing karaoke, playing complicated board games, and eating falafel.
Gabriella Muñoz, Assistant Editor, Random House Worlds (she/her)
Gabriella Muñoz is an assistant editor at Random House Worlds. In a past life, she was a political reporter in Washington, D.C., before joining the RHW team in 2021 and diving into the fantastical world of publishing. She works on licensed fiction with brands such as Stranger Things and Marvel. She now lives in New York, which she can proudly prove with her special edition Spider-Man NYPL card.
Lydia Estrada, Assistant Editor, Random House Worlds (she/they)
Lydia Estrada is an assistant editor at Random House Worlds, where they are privileged to help develop the pop-culture brands they grew up on. Prior to joining RHW, they majored in English and American Studies at Saint Louis University. Their research emphasized the importance of practical and inclusive rhetoric, analytical media literacy, and understanding the way language has come to shape current pop media. They live in the Midwest, which has allowed them to cultivate a healthy fear of their neighbors’ altogether too many chickens.
Tomi Tunrarebi, Editorial Assistant, Random House Worlds (she/her)
Tomi (Toe-me) Tunrarebi is the editorial assistant to the wonderful team at Random House Worlds. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, she has experience in both entertainment and publishing, having been the Television Academy’s 2020 Fellow for Dramatic Scriptwriting as well as the 2023–2024 Entertainment Fellow at Chronicle Books. In her spare time, you can find her in Berkeley, California, crocheting, consuming all forms of media (anime, manga/manhwa, gaming, podcasts, etc.) both domestic and foreign, annoying her cat, and arguing with her siblings about why chaotic neutral characters are the best.