Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Playing with Matches
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://hannahorenstein.com/
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
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| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017060131 |
| HEADING: | Orenstein, Hannah |
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| 670 | __ |a Playing with matches, 2018: |b ECIP t.p. (Hannah Orenstein) |
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PERSONAL
Born in Boston, MA.
EDUCATION:New York University, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and editor. NYU Local, New York, NY, writer, 2013-15; Tawkify, New York, matchmaker, 2014; Seventeen, New York, assistant features editor, 2015—; Elite Daily website, New York, dating editor, 2017—.
WRITINGS
Contributor of articles to websites, including Cosmopolitan.com, Refinery29, and MarieClaire.com. Author of the newsletter, Playing with Matches.
SIDELIGHTS
Hannah Orenstein is a writer and editor based in New York City. Originally from Boston, she moved to New York for college and remained in the city, where she has worked at magazines, websites, and a matchmaking company. In an interview with Heather Taylor, contributor to the Ed 2010 website, Orenstein explained that having matchmaking experience caused her to stand out when applying for jobs in journalism. She stated: “I felt pretty confident in my resume when I was applying to jobs, but matchmaking was the secret sauce that made me stand out during interviews. Whenever I had interviews—even informational interviews—people would always do a double-take at that line on my resume and ask tons of questions about it. My background as a matchmaker doesn’t necessarily help me write about relationships, but it did help me build skills that are crucial for a writer to have: asking smart questions, listening well, thinking creatively, using your resources, and building a network.”
In 2018, Orenstein released her first novel, Playing with Matches, the plot of which draws on her personal experience as a matchmaker. The book’s protagonist is a recent college graduate named Sasha Goldberg, who has just landed a job as a matchmaker. Sasha works tirelessly to please her demanding and quirky clients.
In an interview with a contributor to the Query Tracker website, Orenstein commented on the writing process for Playing with Matches, stating: “I wrote a short story about a young matchmaker in February 2015. Right away, I knew I wanted to try expanding it into a novel, but I didn’t have time while I was finishing up college. I couldn’t let go of the idea, though, so I spent that spring obsessing over characters and plot twists and how I’d string the whole novel together. I began my first draft in May 2015, right after graduation.”
Reviewing the novel in Booklist, Stephanie Turza commented: “Orenstein mines her personal experience for a realistic yet romantic portrait of modern dating.” “Orenstein’s writing style is simple, but the plot is engaging enough that readers will find themselves flying through the pages,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews critic. The same critic described the book as “a fun, fast read about dating in the city.” Erin Holt, writer in Library Journal, suggested: “With an ending twist … this novel is one to pack in your beach bag.” A contributor to the Girly Book Club website remarked: “This book is a fun, easy read with a wonderful set of dynamic secondary characters.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2018, Stephanie Turza, review of Playing with Matches, p. 21.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2018, review of Playing with Matches.
Library Journal, June, 2018, Erin Holt, review of Playing with Matches, p. 91.
ONLINE
Ed 2010, http://ed2010.com/ (July 9, 2018), Heather Taylor, author interview.
Girly Book Club, https://girlybookclub.com/ (June 24, 2018), Marie Nguyen, review of Playing with Matches.
Hannah Orenstein website, http://hannahorenstein.com/ (July 9, 2018).
Jewish Exponent, http://jewishexponent.com/ (May 9, 2018), Marissa Stern, review of Playing with Matches.
Query Tracker, https://querytracker.net/ (July 18, 2017), author interview.
Hannah Orenstein is a dating editor at Elite Daily and the author of Playing with Matches (June 26, 2018).
Previously, she was the assistant features editor at Seventeen.com. At 21, she became the youngest matchmaker at a top dating service. She’s also written for Cosmopolitan.com, MarieClaire.com, Refinery29, and more.
Her newsletter, also called Playing with Matches, is a weekly digest of single New Yorkers ages 21 – 35 — the kind you actually want to date. Like someone you see in the newsletter? She’ll put you in touch. Sign up here.
Hannah was born and raised in Boston, studied journalism and history at NYU, and lives in Manhattan with her fat cat, Eloise.
Photography by Elyssa Goodman.
QUOTED: "I felt pretty confident in my resume when I was applying to jobs, but matchmaking was the secret sauce that made me stand out during interviews. Whenever I had interviews—even informational interviews—people would always do a double-take at that line on my resume and ask tons of questions about it. My background as a matchmaker doesn’t necessarily help me write about relationships, but it did help me build skills that are crucial for a writer to have: asking smart questions, listening well, thinking creatively, using your resources, and building a network."
Chatting With Hannah Orenstein at Seventeen.com
By Heather Taylor on in Uncategorized
By Heather Taylor
When Hannah Orenstein was 15, Gossip Girl offered her a path for her life. No, really—it did! The show inspired her to move to New York City, where she attended NYU, took on internships at glossy mags, and eventually wrote a viral essay on the series for Seventeen.com.
Now, Hannah is an assistant features editor at Seventeen.com and author of her first novel, Playing with Matches. Ed got the chance to chat about her career backstory, what it’s like to include “matchmaker” on a resume, and why you should embrace what sets you apart.
Before you got to college, you were already involved in editorial. Can you tell us about that journey?
I started reading J-14 and tabloids when I was 11 years old. I was instantly hooked—I remember scrawling my own edits and ideas into the margins in purple glittery gel pen. I hoarded magazines and started applying to internships at places like Vogue and Elle when I was in high school. A couple editors were kind enough to write back and encourage me to re-apply in a few years.
In the meantime, I launched my own fashion blog and wrote for my school’s newspaper, but I wanted more. I had heard of a site for college women called Her Campus that had just launched a few months earlier near my hometown in Massachusetts. I cold-emailed the editor-in-chief, Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, asking if I could intern for her. I became the site’s first editorial intern, which was the most amazing experience. Because the team was so tiny back then (just the three co-founders, a graphic design intern, and me!), I got to do a little bit of everything: pitching and writing my own stories, watching Stephanie put together the editorial calendar and manage a team of remote writers, listen to the CEO prep for meetings. I felt so energized, inspired, and at home at Her Campus. It confirmed my desire to work in editorial.
For the next three years, I stayed involved with Her Campus, growing from intern to writer to editor to founder/manager of the high school ambassador program. And during that time, the site grew exponentially! I lucked out.
After Her Campus, where did you go next?
I moved to New York in 2011 to study journalism and history at NYU. In college, I interned at Seventeen, the Huffington Post, Mashable, ELLE, and Cosmopolitan.com. I wanted to get experience at different kinds of publications so I could learn what I liked best. I tried to do everything: I became a master transcriber, learned to do crazy-thorough research, and pitched in to do more than what was asked of me. I was a great intern because I focused on making my bosses’ lives easier.
Right before I graduated, I saw a tweet from a Seventeen.com editor I knew from my internship. She said she looking for personal essays written by college students. I pitched one, she published it, and asked me for more. I wrote three more essays for her, and one, “I Based My Entire Life on Gossip Girl and I Don’t Regret It,” went viral. I was asked to apply for the weekend editor position, which didn’t sound ideal to me, because I hoped to land a full-time job. I did the edit test anyway, and did one trial weekend as the weekend editor. That Monday, half the staff called in sick, so the site director asked if I could fill in. Two days later, she offered me a position as a full-time freelance writer at Seventeen.com.
At Seventeen, you cover a little bit of everything, from teen life to pop culture. You also cover relationships, which is made even more interesting because you were once a full-time matchmaker! What was that experience like?
I spent the summer and fall after my junior year working as a matchmaker for a dating service. I landed there thanks to connections I made during my Elle internship (the matchmaking company’s founder, E. Jean Carroll, is also the magazine’s famed advice columnist). After a few months, I missed the editorial world, and left matchmaking to intern at Cosmo.com.
I felt pretty confident in my resume when I was applying to jobs, but matchmaking was the secret sauce that made me stand out during interviews. Whenever I had interviews—even informational interviews—people would always do a double-take at that line on my resume and ask tons of questions about it.
My background as a matchmaker doesn’t necessarily help me write about relationships, but it did help me build skills that are crucial for a writer to have: asking smart questions, listening well, thinking creatively, using your resources, and building a network.
When you first got to Seventeen, what was on your to-do list?
At first, I pitched and wrote around eight news stories a day. My beats included entertainment, real girls, sexual health, relationships, astrology, and viral news. Over the past two years, especially after I was promoted to assistant features editor, the job has evolved into writing features, working with freelancers, starring in videos, managing the site’s Facebook and Twitter, live-blogging award shows, dabbling in our prom coverage, and so much more. It’s not just that every day is different—literally no two hours back-to-back will be the same. I love that I’m never bored.
What’s a Seventeen published piece you’re most proud of right now and why?
Pretty Little Liars was a cornerstone of the Seventeen brand for the better part of a decade, so we knew the series finale last month was going to be a big deal for our readers. I spent the finale night holed up in the office with our social media editor and our editorial fellow watching the two-hour episode and live-blogging and live-tweeting the whole thing. I loved putting together this feature on Emison’s babies as the episode was actually happening. That night was such a rush. My heart didn’t stop pounding even after I got on the subway to go home. I loved sharing that moment with our readers and producing stories I knew they’d care about.
Can you tell us more about your novel, Playing With Matches?
Playing with Matches (Touchstone, 2018) is a workplace comedy about Sasha Goldberg, a 22-year-old professional matchmaker for an elite dating service in New York City. Sasha trolls for pedigreed catches on Tinder, coaches clients through rejection and heartbreak, and dishes out dating advice to people twice her age. At first, it’s fun—but balancing the demands of her quirky clients with her own messy personal life quickly gets tougher than she expected. My time as a matchmaker actually inspired my first novel!
What’s your best advice for anyone who wants to get into editorial?
Can I go with lots of small pieces of advice instead? Read EVERYTHING. Like, literally, everything. Figure out what sets you apart. Build a portfolio of clips—freelance stories, stories you pitched at your internship, pieces you wrote for school or your campus blog, pieces you publish on your own blog or TinyLetter. Follow writers you admire on Twitter. Buy your own domain name. Learn how publications monetize and profit. Read about what’s going on the industry (did you know that some reporters only report on media? You’ll learn so much from their work!). Cold-email that writer you love and ask her out for coffee. Learn how to budget, since entry-level editorial salaries tend to be very low. Learn about editorial-adjacent fields like social media, video, and PR, and consider interning in those fields. Don’t be afraid to email writers or editors with questions. Don’t be afraid to try something new and weird, even/especially if you’re not 100 percent sure you’ll be good at it.
You’re an editor extraordinaire, published author, and you also run an amazing Gossip Girl-inspired Twitter account—whew! What are your tips for figuring out how to handle your work/life balance?
I keep a very regular schedule and I multitask (ex: I write my newsletter every Monday night while watching The Bachelor). I schedule in time to hang out with friends and relax. When I feel drained, I turn off my phone, sit in a hot bathtub, drink a glass of wine, and read a book—it’s like the world disappears for an hour.
I’m working on eating green things and going to the gym and staying hydrated, because I’ve heard rumors that these things will make me feel more like a human and less like a zombie. The verdict is still out.
Follow Hannah on Twitter and Instagram.
Photo: Elyssa Goodman
Heather Taylor is a former entertainment writer turned brand mascot aficionado (and head writer) for Advertising Week’s Icon Blog. She shares her thoughts on pop culture at HelloGiggles and has been published in Brit + Co, The Drum, and BettyConfidential. Chat with her about anything from SNL to the Pillsbury Doughboy on Twitter @howveryheather. GIFs highly encouraged.
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Hannah Orenstein
3rd degree connection3rd
Writer, editor, author
Greater New York City Area
Elite Daily
New York University New York University
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See contact info
See connections (500+)
500+ connections
Hannah Orenstein is a writer and editor who lives in New York.
She is the Dating Editor at Elite Daily, where she oversees coverage of dating, relationships, breakups, sex, sexuality, and single life.
Her first novel, PLAYING WITH MATCHES, is out June 26, 2018 from Touchstone Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). She is represented by Allison Hunter at Janklow & Nesbit Associates.
Previously, she was a writer and editor at Seventeen.com. She’s also written for Cosmopolitan.com, MarieClaire.com, Refinery29, xoJane, and more.
Hannah is a magazine junkie, book hoarder, bagel snob, vintage lover, Twitter addict, and proud New Yorker. She owns two tiaras and one cat.
Highlights
Experience
Elite Daily
Dating Editor
Company Name Elite Daily
Dates Employed Oct 2017 – Present Employment Duration 9 mos
Location Greater New York City Area
Seventeen.com
Assistant Features Editor
Company Name Seventeen.com
Dates Employed Jul 2015 – Present Employment Duration 3 yrs
Location Greater New York City Area
Write a mix of reported features, news blogs, listicles, as-told-tos, and personal essays about teen entertainment, pop culture, dating, and lifestyle.
Cosmopolitan.com
Editorial intern
Company Name Cosmopolitan.com
Dates Employed Dec 2014 – May 2015 Employment Duration 6 mos
Location New York, NY
- Locate news stories before they break to pitch to the editors.
- Blog multiple times per week about entertainment, lifestyle, sex, and dating.
- Curate the site's weekly Throwback Thursday column and liase with multiple editors to do so.
- Assist the editors with in-office projects.
NYU Local
Writer
Company Name NYU Local
Dates Employed Jan 2013 – May 2015 Employment Duration 2 yrs 5 mos
Location New York City
- Cover the entertainment beat.
- Run a blind dating column in which I match students to go on blind dates and write about their experiences.
Tawkify
Matchmaker
Company Name Tawkify
Dates Employed May 2014 – Dec 2014 Employment Duration 8 mos
Location Greater New York City Area
- Develop close relationships with clients to better understand and serve their needs.
- Coordinate creative, out-of-the-box dates.
- Recruit matches.
Education
New York University
New York University
Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2015
Needham High School
Needham High School
Dates attended or expected graduation 2007 – 2011
Skills & Endorsements
Journalism
See 42 endorsements for Journalism 42
Endorsed by Kelsey Mulvey and 3 others who are highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 22 of Hannah’s colleagues at Her Campus Media
Blogging
See 34 endorsements for Blogging 34
Endorsed by Kelsey Mulvey and 12 others who are highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 18 of Hannah’s colleagues at Her Campus Media
Editing
See 15 endorsements for Editing 15
Endorsed by Kelsey Mulvey and 1 other who is highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 7 of Hannah’s colleagues at Her Campus Media
Industry Knowledge
Magazines
See 9 endorsements for Magazines 9
Publicity
See 7 endorsements for Publicity 7
Ap Style
See 6 endorsements for Ap Style 6
AP Style
See 6 endorsements for AP Style 6
Online Journalism
See 5 endorsements for Online Journalism 5
Fashion
See 5 endorsements for Fashion 5
Research
See 4 endorsements for Research 4
News Writing
See 4 endorsements for News Writing 4
Copy Editing
See 4 endorsements for Copy Editing 4
Social Media
See 4 endorsements for Social Media 4
Video
See 3 endorsements for Video 3
Newspapers
See 3 endorsements for Newspapers 3
Newsletters
See 2 endorsements for Newsletters 2
Web Content
See 1 endorsement for Web Content 1
Blog
See 1 endorsement for Blog 1
Press Releases
See 1 endorsement for Press Releases 1
Tools & Technologies
Facebook
See 7 endorsements for Facebook 7
iMovie
See 1 endorsement for iMovie 1
Interpersonal Skills
Storytelling
See 8 endorsements for Storytelling 8
Interviews
See 8 endorsements for Interviews 8
Other Skills
InCopy
See 4 endorsements for InCopy 4
Tumblr
See 2 endorsements for Tumblr 2
Fact-checking
See 2 endorsements for Fact-checking 2
Audacity
See 1 endorsement for Audacity 1
Editorial
See 14 endorsements for Editorial 14
Feature Articles
See 3 endorsements for Feature Articles 3
Creative Direction
See 2 endorsements for Creative Direction 2
Interests
Tawkify
Tawkify
662 followers
New York University
New York University
523,611 followers
Elite Daily
Elite Daily
28,418 followers
NYU Local
NYU Local
115 followers
Symplicity for JobSeekers
Symplicity for JobSeekers
16,500 members
Seventeen Magazine
Seventeen Magazine
5,935 followers
QUOTED: "I wrote a short story about a young matchmaker in February 2015. Right away, I knew I wanted to try expanding it into a novel, but I didn't have time while I was finishing up college. I couldn't let go of the idea, though, so I spent that spring obsessing over characters and plot twists and how I'd string the whole novel together. I began my first draft in May 2015, right after graduation."
Success Story Interview
An Interview with Hannah Orenstein upon receiving an offer of representation.
07/18/2017
Hannah Orenstein (stalkingagents on QT) has signed with agent Allison Hunter of Janklow & Nesbit Associates.
Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?
PLAYING WITH MATCHES (Touchstone, 2018) is a workplace comedy about Sasha Goldberg, a 22-year-old professional matchmaker for an elite dating service in New York City. Sasha trolls for pedigreed catches on Tinder, coaches her clients through rejection and heartbreak, and dishes out dating advice to people twice her age. She quickly learns that balancing the demands of her quirky clients with her own messy personal life is tougher than she expected.
Believe it or not, I actually worked as a matchmaker for an elite dating service in New York City when I was 21. I couldn't not write about it. How do you pass up an opportunity like that?!
How long have you been writing?
Since preschool? Kindergarten? Something like that.
How long have you been working on this book?
A little more than two years. I wrote a short story about a young matchmaker in February 2015. Right away, I knew I wanted to try expanding it into a novel, but I didn't have time while I was finishing up college. I couldn't let go of the idea, though, so I spent that spring obsessing over characters and plot twists and how I'd string the whole novel together.
I began my first draft in May 2015, right after graduation, and I felt ready to query agents by July 2016. I signed with my amazing agent, Allison Hunter from Janklow & Nesbit Associates, five weeks later. We did two revisions of the manuscript before going out on submission, and in February 2017, my brilliant editor Kaitlin Olson (at Touchstone, a Simon & Schuster imprint) offered me a deal. I just sent her my final draft two days ago (July 2017).
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?
Yes, totally! I finished my first draft right before Halloween and intended to put it away until the new year. I wanted to be able to see the manuscript with fresh eyes. I was confident the first draft was pretty killer. But when I picked it back up, I was totally horrified. I hated it. And that made it really tough to get back into the swing of editing, revising, and rewriting. I was very mopey about it. That March, my mom was like, "Oh my god, just edit the book already." And I did. Moms are wise. Listen to them.
Is this your first book?
Yes!
Do you have any formal writing training?
I have a B.A. in journalism and history from NYU. I also took two fiction workshops and two narrative non-fiction classes in college that helped enormously.
Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?
It took me two months after I graduated college to land a job, which wasn't amazing in terms of paying rent or my self-esteem, but happened to give me a lot of time to write my book. I liked to work out of coffee shops during weekday afternoons. Later, once I was employed, I preferred to write on weekends and during vacations. I'm a writer and editor at Seventeen.com, so it's tough to write and edit all day at the office and then come home to do more of the same thing.
How many times did you re-write/edit your book?
Three or four drafts before I queried, two with my agent, two with my editor.
Did you have beta readers for your book?
I sent every chapter to my little sister as I wrote them. She was 17 at the time and my biggest cheerleader. My parents both served as incredibly helpful beta readers, and a couple friends read occasional chapter here and there and offered feedback. But I didn't join an official critique group.
Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?
I'm a slave to outlines. Writing is SO TIME-CONSUMING. I'm terrified of spending months working on a plot arc or a character that doesn't pan out!
How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?
I was really lucky. It took me five weeks.
About how many query letters did you send out for this book?
I sent about 25 query letters and kept track of them all in a really intense, color-coded spreadsheet. I was so nervous and neurotic about it. I couldn't sleep. I found that fiddling with the spreadsheet gave me a certain amount of busy work to do that helped distract me from thinking, "Oh my god, the same agent that works with [author I'm obsessed with] could be reading my query RIGHT NOW." I also stalked every agent on Twitter and Instagram, read every Google result they had, and generally turned into a nut.
On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?
I used Manuscript Wishlist to find agents who represented women's fiction. Beyond that, I read agents' bios and social media platforms and tried to determine which agents felt like they might be a good fit for my work. I also looked up agents that represented my favorite books. I had heard the author-agent relationship described as almost like a marriage, so I knew I wanted to work with someone I clicked with.
I wound up with three offers for representation. I really liked each agent and I'm so thrilled to have signed with Allison. Her assistant passed along my query, then asked me for a partial manuscript, and then the full. Allison emailed me late on a Sunday night to offer me representation. (Full disclosure: Almost a year later, I can still recite that email by heart.) We're both in New York, so we met up that week for a drink to discuss her vision for the book. I was blown away that she came prepared with a list of ideas, suggestions, edits, and a dozen editors she wanted to pitch. Allison has worked with so many writers I admire and I immediately knew that she would be the perfect person to represent my writing!
Editing and submitting your book can be even more stressful than querying. Allison has always kept me in the loop, answered my zillions of questions, and calmed me down when I panicked. I love her.
Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?
I tailored most of my intro paragraphs. I figured if I could catch an agent's attention right away, they were more likely to read the rest of my query closely. If they worked with an author whose book I just read, I noted that. If they went to college in my hometown, I noted that. If they mentioned on Manuscript Wishlist that they had a specific interest I happened to share, I noted that. I tried to give each letter a personal touch.
What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?
I know it can be really tempting to query the minute you finish your first draft, but I'd suggest waiting until your manuscript is in the best shape possible. I had family and friends read it and give me feedback, overhauled the manuscript with revisions, and wound up querying about nine months after I finished my first draft. I'm glad I waited.
The query process can be stressful, but it will not kill you. I promise. If you're freaking out, just try to stay as busy as possible. Go outside! Hang out with friends! Work on a second book! Don't stare your inbox, willing an email to appear.
Would you be willing to share your query with us?
Sure! I decided to pitch Allison after I read and loved her client's book that revolves around an advice column. Advice columns happened to play a big role in my life and, in a roundabout way, led me to work as a matchmaker and ultimately write my book.
Hi Allison,
I just devoured Katie Heaney's Dear Emma and had to send you an email. My obsession with advice columns stretches back to high school, when I treated E. Jean Carroll's advice column in ELLE like a religion. It wasn't until I moved to New York that I learned about E. Jean's side business running a matchmaking service. I didn't think she'd hire me, since I was still just a college kid, but I was bowled over when she decided to bring me on board. I wasn't confident in my matchmaking skills, but I figured at least I'd get some writing material out of the job. And oh, boy, did I ever.
I have a completed 84,000-word commercial women's fiction manuscript titled Swipe Right for Bliss. It's inspired by my real-life experiences working as a matchmaker for the dating service Tawkify in 2014 (you can read more about my matchmaking adventures at Refinery29). The first 10 pages of my manuscript are below my signature.
Sasha Goldberg, the 22-year-old daughter of a Russian mail-order bride, embarks on a career as a matchmaker for New York City's elite at the dating service Bliss. She trolls for pedigreed catches on Tinder, coaches her clients through rejection and heartbreak, and dishes out dating advice to people twice her age. She hopes her clients find The One — like she did in college with her finance bro boyfriend Jonathan Colton — or else her dwindling income will force her back to her mom's place in New Jersey. But when Sasha discovers that Jonathan is cheating on her, she spirals out of control... and right into the arms of Adam Rubin, the writer with the sexy Southern drawl she had set up with a Bliss client. He's strictly off-limits, but she can't help but fall for him. How will she pursue what's in her heart without jeopardizing her job?
I have more than five years of professional writing experience, including my current position as a features and news writer at Seventeen.com. My work also frequently appears on Cosmopolitan.com, ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, Refinery29, Bustle, and more. I speak about writing at annual conferences including the Her Campus Conference, the Lady Project Summit, and the Smart Girls Conference. My platform includes 3,000 followers on my personal Twitter (@hannahorens) and 15,000 on my Gossip Girl-inspired parody Twitter (@modern_gg). I studied journalism and history at NYU.
The first 10 pages of my manuscript and a synopsis are below my signature. I can be reached at [redacted] or by phone at [redacted]. Thank you so much for your time!
Best,
Hannah Orenstein
QUOTED: "Orenstein mines her personal experience for a realistic yet romantic portrait of modern dating."
Playing with Matches
Stephanie Turza
Booklist.
114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p21. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Playing with Matches.
By Hannah Orenstein.
June 2018. 320p. Touchstone, paper, $16 (9781501178481).
Sasha Goldberg never thought she'd be a matchmaker, but in the weird, wild world of twenty- first-century dating, anyone with people skills and a Tinder profile could be on her way to a new career. After an internship fails to become a full-time job, Sasha applies to be a matchmaker at Bliss, Manhattan's most exclusive dating service. A strange family secret helps her land the job, and she's surprised to find how much she enjoys the online and offline coaching. Even though Sasha's happily coupled with her boyfriend, Jonathan, she remembers the ups and downs of dating all too well. When Sasha's own love life takes a turn for the worse, she realizes just how much she's learned at Bliss and how far she's willing to go to find the perfect match. Sasha, a likable heroine with a quick wit and a self-destructive streak, will appeal to fans of Marian Keyes, Helen Fielding, and Sloane Crosley. In her debut novel, real-life matchmaker Orenstein mines her personal experience for a realistic yet romantic portrait of modern dating.--Stephanie Turza
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Turza, Stephanie. "Playing with Matches." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 21. Book Review Index
Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268056/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=379215d8. Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537268056
QUOTED: "Orenstein's writing style is simple, but the plot is engaging enough that readers will find themselves flying through the pages."
"a fun, fast read about dating in the city."
1 of 5 6/23/18, 11:12 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Orenstein, Hannah: PLAYING WITH MATCHES
Kirkus Reviews.
(Apr. 15, 2018): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Orenstein, Hannah PLAYING WITH MATCHES Touchstone/Simon & Schuster (Adult Fiction) $16.00 6, 26 ISBN: 978-1-5011-7848-1
A young woman gets a job with an exclusive matchmaking service in Orenstein's debut.
Sasha Goldberg is a recent college graduate in New York City with a gorgeous finance-bro boyfriend and a roommate who's her best friend. The one thing she needs? A job. When she applies to work at Bliss, an elite matchmaking service that finds love for its superexclusive, rich, and successful clientele, it seems like fate. She knows what happens when a relationship is a bad match--her mother was a Russian mail-order bride, and her parents divorced when Sasha was a child. Sasha's certain she can help people find a better match than the one her parents had, and soon she's knee-deep in the world of the New York dating scene. She learns that finding dates for picky businesspeople is harder than she thought it would be--but then she discovers the unthinkable. Her boyfriend, whom she'd always assumed was just working late, has actually been on Tinder behind her back. She breaks up with him and, in her despair, breaks the one rule Bliss has--she asks out a client. She'd set Adam up with another Bliss client, but since the two of them didn't hit it off, what's the harm in going out with him herself? Soon, Sasha is juggling her secret new relationship and her clients' dating lives. But as her ex tries to win her back and her relationship with Adam gets more serious, things start to get complicated. Will Sasha stick with her old flame, or will she strike out on her own? Orenstein's writing style is simple, but the plot is engaging enough that readers will find themselves flying through the pages to find out what decisions Sasha will make. Refreshingly, the ending hits a note of realism and refuses to tie things up with a bow.
A fun, fast read about dating in the city.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Orenstein, Hannah: PLAYING WITH MATCHES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2018. Book Review
Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A534375232/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=4d94fa43. Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A534375232
QUOTED: "With an ending twist ... this novel is one to pack in your beach bag."
2 of 5 6/23/18, 11:12 PM
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Match Games
Erin Holt
Library Journal.
143.10 (June 2018): p91. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Full Text:
Dawson, Maddie. Matchmaking for Beginners. Lake Union: Amazon. Jun. 2018. 370p. ISBN 9781503900684. $24.95. F
If there's anything worse than being left at the altar, Marnie MacGraw experiences it firsthand after she talks her panicky groom into marrying her, only to have him leave her two weeks later. The only one who isn't surprised is Blix, her fiance's eccentric aunt, who feels a kinship with Marnie. They are both matchmakers with an otherworldly gift, but Blix is dying. Marnie moves on, gets engaged to her former high school boyfriend in Georgia, then gets the shocking news that Blix has died, leaving Marnie her Brooklyn brownstone and causing family grief on both sides. Off to Brooklyn she goes, where she meets Blix's friends and tenants, including the man with whom Blix thinks she belongs. Dawson (The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness) creates a lovely small-town Brooklyn feel, but it's the sweetness of the characters and the sprinkling of magical realism throughout that makes this a charming read. VERDICT For fans of Liane Moriarty's What Alice Forgot or Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.--Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst.
Orenstein, Hannah. Playing with Matches. Touchstone. Jun. 2018. 320p. ISBN 9781501178481. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781501178504. F
DEBUT Sasha Goldberg is fresh out of New York University with a degree in journalism, looking for a job to put her hard-earned schooling to use. While scouring Craiglist for jobs, she stumbles upon an ad for Bliss, a matchmaking service, and applies. At 22 and inexperienced,
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although she is dating an investment banker, Sasha lands the position. Thus begins her adventure on dating websites, apps, and in-person vetting, as Sasha seeks to find The One for her clients. Debut author Orenstein pens a laugh-out-loud work that singles, marrieds, suburbanites, and urbanites all will clamor for. Readers will love following her as she pounds the pavement with blistered heels searching for men who fit her clients' outlandish checklists. From clients with unrealistic expectations to those with no expectations, from date-sitting to shopping, no stone is left unturned as Sasha gains her footing in the matchmaking scene. VERDICT With an ending twist that will hit readers like a splash of vodka and tonic in the face of their blind date, this novel is one to pack in your beach bag.--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Holt, Erin. "Match Games." Library Journal, June 2018, p. 91. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540851137/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=9327ead2. Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540851137
5 of 5 6/23/18, 11:12 PM
QUOTED: "This book is a fun, easy read with a wonderful set of dynamic secondary characters."
Playing with Matches by Hannah Orenstein (Review by Marie Nguyen)
Rating: 3.7 / 5*
Playing with Matches has one of the catchiest titles I have seen in awhile. I also have to give props to the cute cover that drew me in. The book follows the main character, Sasha, as she navigates New York City life as a recent journalism graduate and new matchmaker for the elite. While coaching her clients, searching the latest dating apps for matches, and setting up the ideal first dates, Sasha barely holds it together after learning of her own boyfriend’s betrayal in one of the worst possible ways.
For a generation where dating apps are much more commonplace, this book has so many hilarious (and omg-has-that-really-happened?!) moments that made Sasha’s interactions with her clients the highlight. I also love Sasha’s relationship with her best friend and roommate, Caroline. I actually wish more time was spent on Sasha’s and Caroline’s interactions.
This book is a fun, easy read with a wonderful set of dynamic secondary characters, but I found it really hard to relate to Sasha herself. I found her extremely naive while making poor choices throughout the majority of the book. I hate to attribute her immaturity to her age, so I can admit that my judgment may be a bit unfair. Though I can say that this isn’t typically an issue for me as I expect any main character to undergo growth and change as the book progresses. But after spending 85% of the book making mistake after mistake, Sasha manages to mature in the last 5 pages and everything wraps up neatly in a brief epiphany. I would have liked to see her experience these moments over time as I could easily see Sasha reverting back to bad habits.
Pre-order your copy here.
Book Review: Burning Through ‘Playing with Matches’
By
Marissa Stern -
May 9, 2018
0
Playing with Matches
Hannah Orenstein
$16, June 26
Touchstone
As you start booking vacations for the summer, you’ll inevitably be starting to brainstorm what books you’ll bring to the beach that will be the perfect compliment to sunshine and warm weather.
Add Playing with Matches to that list.
The debut novel by Hannah Orenstein, the dating editor of site Elite Daily, follows Sasha Goldberg, a New Jersey native and recent NYU grad with a journalism degree who lives with her best friend Caroline and has a dreamboat boyfriend, Jonathan. As her dream career falls through, she needs a job, which she ends up finding as a matchmaker for Bliss, an elite dating service, by revealing her family’s secret: her mother was a Russian mail-order bride.
She helps clients set up dates by doing the heavy lifting — or swiping — most of us do on our own. She trolls through Tinder, Bumble, JSwipe and myriad other dating sites and apps to set up dates for clients like Mindy Kaplan, a 35-year-old TV executive whose deal breakers are “not being Jewish” and bad manners, and is noted to be wearing a Camp Ramah sweatshirt at one point; or Gretchen Phelps, who has an eight-page master guide for Sasha to help find her perfect match, including a list of potential hobbies they could enjoy together.
Sasha runs into trouble when her boyfriend betrays her — and she falls right into the arms of a match she was setting up for Mindy, and hooking up with clients’ matches is, of course, a no-no.
For the generation reading the book for whom scrolling and swiping through dating apps have become the norm, the story will entertain and certainly resonate. Orenstein was a former matchmaker, and she gives insight into the people behind the new crop of yentas and how they do their work. Some matches work, many don’t, but Orenstein keeps it entertaining along the way. It’s not hard to imagine this story being turned into a movie.
It’s a breezy story that will go perfectly with a margarita on the beach. Its storyline sucks you in, the writing is simple and voice-y, and Sasha is an engaging protagonist whose problems are relatable even if you aren’t a matchmaker. There are enough little twists in the story to keep you wanting to read on, so don’t be surprised if you end up finishing it in one sitting (I did).
Of note, the ending is satisfyingly realistic — no neat little bow tying up the loose ends and magically fixing any other problems; you’ll just wonder how things work out for the characters.
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