Rachel Kramer Bussel talks with Denise Roy, 10-year veteran of Simon & Schuster, who focuses on "Adventures in America" books.

Mediabistro: What grabs your attention in a manuscript right off the bat?

Roy: I'm really looking for narratives that uncover, explore, or illuminate some unexplored area of history. Published in April was Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food, which The Wall Street Journal called "a fine slice of Americana." The appeal to the Betty Crocker story is that it's filled with unknowns: Was she real? Cultural history is a particular favorite of mine. For October 2005 is First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, the authorized biography, which Clint Eastwood has optioned for film.

Mediabistro: Do you have any advice for agents and/or advice for writers?

Roy: I like agents and writers who've done their research. Nothing makes me more frustrated than receiving submissions like a medical guide or a genre mystery; those are not categories that I work in. If people have looked into what I've published and can present a good answer to the perennial question why this book, then I'm always willing to read it and talk about. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to sign it up, but that's definitely the way in the door.

More here.