Cole Hildebrand began his career as an assistant editor at YesYes Books, where he went on to become managing editor for the press, involved in manuscript acquisitions, event planning, website design and publicity for YesYes Books' list, which includes works by authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Justin Phillip Reed, Danez Smith, and many others.

He joined JVNLA in 2021, where he has worked with authors such as Carl Safina, Emily Ruth Verona, and Antonia Murphy, while assisting with international rights, film rights, and contracts, as well as handling the Australia/New Zealand market. He is actively building his list, seeking literary and upmarket fiction, graphic novels, and narrative non-fiction, particularly works by LGBTQ+ authors. He loves fostering the careers of debut authors, working closely with them to help develop and edit their projects, and guiding them through the full process from submission to publication and beyond.

Cole earned his BA in English from Lewis & Clark College and his MA in English and American Literature from New York University.