Betsy Mitchell received a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska/Omaha and spent two years as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald before moving to New York City. She served as managing editor of Analog magazine, senior editor at Baen Books, associate publisher of Bantam Spectra, and founded the Aspect line at Warner Books before joining Ballantine as Editor-in-Chief of Del Rey in 2002.
She has edited such works as Virtual Light by William Gibson and Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (both New York Times bestsellers); the Hugo Award-winner Hyperion by Dan Simmons; and the Nebula Award-winner Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler; and received a World Fantasy Award for co-editing the anthology Full Spectrum 4. Her author discoveries include such names as Roger MacBride Allen, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, David Feintuch, Nalo Hopkinson, J.V. Jones, Elizabeth Moon, and Sarah Zettel. She and her family live in Brooklyn, NY.