About Us
We are an innovative literary agency with a specialty in foreign rights.
Navigating the ever-changing publishing world is no small task, and we should know.
Our team of publishing professionals has been at the front lines of the publishing industry for the past two decades as agents, publishers, and authors.
When we formed DropCap in 2018, we combined our experience to start what we believe is a new chapter in the book publishing and marketing world:
A Focus on the Foreign Rights Market +
Custom-Created Rights Management Software =
A Smarter Way to Elevate Exceptional Books to the Global Market
To date, we have created more than 8000+ foreign rights contracts in 120 countries and over 180 languages.
And we’re just getting started.
—Allison Olson, CSO & Co-Founder of DropCap
“For us, DropCap is the result of many years of hard work, relationship building, and passion for all things books and creativity. As DropCap continues to grow and improve right along with all things in the publishing industry, we can’t help but feel lucky to have been able to dedicate our careers to exciting work that we truly love.”
Agenting Team
Allison Olson
CSO & Co-Founder
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Allison’s career in the rights industry spans over 25 years. Prior to founding DropCap, Allison owned Letter Soup, an independent rights agency that started with 1 small publishing client and grew to the translation of over 6,000 individual books into over 180 languages. Seeing the need for more efficient, tech-based solutions in the rights industry, Allison co-founded DropCap in 2018. She, along with our Rights Director, Monica, personally negotiate every rights deal we make on behalf of our clients.
Get to know Allison:
Q: Where is the best place you have ever read a book?
A: Shaanxi, China - reading an autographed book by one of the farmers that discovered the Terracotta Warriors with my 11 year old son.
Q: What is your favorite literary character of all time?
A: Jo March in Little Women because she was the first brave feminist I became aware of, aside from my Mother, of course, who is also an amazing feminist.
Q: If you weren’t in the publishing world what would you be pursuing?
A: International Business / Spanish Professor at a university
Q: What is your favorite hobby? Other than reading of course!
A: Skiing of any kind – downhill, cross country, water. Love the speed rush created of my own volition.
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: Living in Spain for two years was divine; I love everything about their culture and country, and I visit as often as I can. I’d very much like to visit Africa and enjoy a Safari.
Monica Meehan
VP of Business Development & Rights Director
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After her tenure as Rights Director at Hay House for 10 years, Monica brings her foreign rights expertise to DropCap as the V.P. of Business Development. She’s worked in Toronto, London, and New York, and has a broad range of contacts worldwide. She, along with our Co-Founder Allison Olson, personally negotiates every rights deal we make on behalf of our clients.
Get to know Monica:
Q: Where is the best place you have ever read a book?
A: On Lamu Island, Kenya, a mosquito net covering the bed, hearing the early morning call to prayer from one of the island’s 23 mosques as the ideal backdrop.
Q: What was the first book you remember reading yourself or favorite childhood book?
A: This would have to be a tie between Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables. I loved the strong independent voices of the leading characters, their adventures and loyal friendships.
Q: If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
A: Time travel. I’d love to spend a week in Paris during the Roaring Twenties, see New York of the 1960s, England of the 1660s. To see how far we’ve come and what history has or hasn’t taught us.
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: In Rights, we are lucky to explore so much of the world. Italy with Japan as a close second are favourites, with Argentina (close seconds New Zealand, Vietnam) as top of the list to discover.
Q: What is the book you most want to see written but no one has written yet?
A: 2020 - 20 Years Later
Operations Team
Brian Wiegand
CEO
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Brian Wiegand has spent his career as the co-founder and CEO of several tech companies, including Alice.com, Hopster Inc., and Spin Live (formerly Gravy Live). He has many years’ experience as a Board member and investor for multiple organizations and business endeavors. Brian has two decades of success in general management, strategy, M&A, business development, operations, sales, marketing, e-commerce and advertising. A former professional poker player, if you found him reading a book on a deserted island, it might be Thinking in Bets, by Annie Duke.
Get to know Brian:
Q: What is your favorite hobby? Other than reading of course!
A: Poker. I was on the professional poker tour for almost 2 years.
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: Papua New Guinea and Switzerland - want to visit Croatia.
Q: What was your first job ever?
A: Stock boy at Woolworth.
Lindsay Jones
COO & Co-Founder
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Lindsay has over 10 years of operations experience in publishing. Prior to DropCap, she was the COO of Hillcrest Media Group where she implemented the processes and workflow efficiencies that allowed the company to best serve its clients and publish thousands of high-quality books in both print and digital formats. At DropCap, she works behind the scenes in almost every aspect of the company to keep things running smoothly and to ensure an exceptional experience for both our clients and our rights buyers.
Get to know Lindsay:
Q: What was the first book you remember reading yourself or favorite childhood book?
A: I loved historical fiction as a kid and remember checking out all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books from the library and tearing through them.
Q: What is your favorite literary character of all time?
A: Lestat, the original prince of vampire fiction
Q: If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
A: I’d want time-turner powers à la Hermione Granger. I need more hours in each day!
Q: If you could have any view from your work desk what would it be?
A: A view of the Shawangunk Ridge in the Mid-Hudson Valley in NY at peak foliage in the Fall.
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: France is my favorite country in Europe; I love Paris, but Cassis is also close to my heart. I’d really like to visit Japan.
Mark Traynor
CTO & Co-Founder
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Mark has been architecting book publishing, printing, and distribution systems since 2008. Prior to DropCap, he was President of Hillcrest Media where he led a team of six developers in building a software platform to manage the publishing, printing, distribution, and royalties for thousands of titles. He is the architect and developer of DropCap’s one-of-a-kind rights licensing platform, which utilizes his many years of expertise in book publishing software development.
Get to know Mark:
Q: Where is the best place you have ever read a book?
A: As a child, my family owned a lake cabin in northern Minnesota. I would sit on the dock and read next to the water.
Q: Fiction or Non?
A: Generally Fiction. I have been known to read a good Science Fiction or Fantasy book.
Q: What was the first book you remember reading yourself or favorite childhood book?
A: Goodnight Moon
Q: If you weren’t in the publishing world what would you be pursuing?
A: Bitcoin!
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: Korea is my favorite country. I’d like to visit Egypt and see the great pyramids.
Aaron McMenamy
Director of Operations
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After five years as the head of Customer Service at Lerner Publishing Group in Minneapolis, Aaron joined the DropCap team as our Director of Operations. He has over eight years of experience in the publishing industry with a focus on client-side support and operations. He now brings his customer-focused expertise to the world of translation rights.
Get to know Aaron:
Q: Where is the best place you have ever read a book?
A: Curled up with my daughter in the hammock in our backyard.
Q: Fiction or Non?
A: As someone who enjoys music as much as the written word, I have always been a voracious reader of musician biographies. Most recently, I started reading “Waging Heavy Peace” by Neil Young. As a father, however, I really enjoy delving into the fiction world with my daughter.
Q: If you weren’t in the publishing world what would you be pursuing?
A: Something that involves problem-solving. I love finding a creative solution to a complex issue.
Q: What was your first job ever?
A: Starting at age 12, I used to spend my summers living and working with my older brothers building swimming pools all over the Chicagoland area. The skills I gleaned from my time working with them have carried on through every job that I have had since. Most prominently, I am proud of the value that I learned to place upon diligence, fairness, and honesty.
Q: Favorite food and least favorite?
A: Favorite: Filet and a lobster tail from The Wilmot Stage Stop in Wilmot, WI. Least Favorite: Kale. I once consumed so much Kale that I don’t think I can ever eat it again.
Sophia Chen
Operations Coordinator
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I am an extremely curious graduate of The City College of New York who studied biology, publishing, psychology, and philosophy (and almost a third minor in art). I enjoy learning interesting things, as well as long nature walks down new paths to see what new things I can discover. Influenced by my latest study abroad trip in Thailand, I am currently learning wildflower and insect identification.
Get to Know Sophia:
Q: Where is the best place you have ever read a book?
A: On the New York subway, where all the noise on the train just fades into the background when I get absorbed in the book. It feels like I’ve travelled through multiple dimensions through time and space as I finally look up and realize I missed my stop… again.
Q: What is your favorite literary character of all time?
A: The three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Q: If you weren’t in the publishing world what would you be pursuing?
A: Science! Specifically, ecology research.
Q: What is your favorite hobby? Other than reading of course!
A: Wildlife photography.
Q: Favorite country you’ve been to and one you most want to visit but haven’t yet?
A: I really enjoyed the intricacies of the temples in Thailand as well as the rich biodiversity found there (not to mention great food!). Mongolia is one of the countries on my travel bucket list.
Q: Fiction or Non?
A: Fiction!
Q: What was the first book you remember reading yourself or favorite childhood book?
A: I loved being whisked away with Jack and Annie in The Magic Tree House series on their adventures through time and space.
Valentina Morotti
Content Strategist
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Valentina is a book(aholic) professional with an international background. She has over a decade of experience in content management and digital publishing with a deep understanding of the book industry. Valentina is passionate about all facets of storytelling, and always tries to make the digital personal, with a touch of grace and elegance. The colorful baggage she received from her cross-cultural experience set the frame for her professional life: a natural-born relationship-builder and a prolific idea generator. Valentina loves cultural mixes, blurring edges and dabbling in adjacent fields.
Get to know Valentina:
Q: What was your favorite childhood book?
A: The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. My sister and I were absolutely in love with this book and we asked our mom to read it over and over again. I have reread it recently as an adult and I was a bit taken aback by how dislikable the protagonists seem at first. I am sure that my mom took some “poetic” licenses here and there while she was reading to us.
Q: If you could hang out with any author dead or alive for a single day who would it be?
A: I would love to share tea (or maybe a cocktail) at the Plaza Hotel with Francis Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. The conversation would be exquisite, I’m sure… I wouldn’t even ask questions, I would listen to them in awe.
Q: If you weren’t in the publishing world what would you be pursuing?
A: I have moved so frequently in the last few years (4 different cities and 15 apartments) that I can consider myself an expert on how to organize, plan and prepare for a household move. Without even realizing it, I have become a decluttering ninja and an incredible closet organizer so I would pursue a career in this area. Organizing bookshelves, of course, would be my favorite task of all!
Q: If you could have any view from your work desk what would it be?
A: Given the amount of time that I spend in front of my computer every day, I would love to see a green forest or any kind of natural landscape behind the screen. I cannot complain though, from my desk I can see a small private garden so I get my share of nature through the window.
Roseanne Cheng
Director of Business Development
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Roseanne is a former high school English teacher, an award-winning author, former book marketing director at an indie publishing house, and co-founder of Evergreen Authors, the first of its kind online school for writers. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she has lived all over the world and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Get to Know Roseanne:
Q: If you weren’t in the book publishing world, what would you be pursuing?
A: Books have always been my passion, so it’s hard to imagine working in any other industry! However, I have always thought I would make a good nurse.
Q: What is your most favorite country you’ve been to, and where have you always wanted to visit?
A: I absolutely love Australia and cried when I had to leave. I also highly recommend Vietnam and Thailand to anyone wanting to see some of the most beautiful parts of Asia. Next on the list: Spain!
Q: What is your favorite childhood book?
A: Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson. It remains one of my favorite books to this day!
Q: Who is your favorite literary character of all time?
A: Frannie Nolan, in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, will always have a special place in my heart, but my favorite character of all time would also be the main character in my favorite BOOK of all time: Oskar Schell in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.
A drop cap is often the first letter of a chapter and is derived from the Latin for “standing at the beginning.”
We believe we are at the beginning of a new chapter in how translation rights are sold. By combining our award-winning technology, personal relationships with foreign rights buyers, and deep industry knowledge—we can continue to share incredible stories with readers around the world, ensuring that no great book goes unread.