She became interested in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (as it was then titled) while in graduate school at Washington University. In 1982, Williams was hired at the magazine, and worked with Isaac Asimov for ten years. While working there, she co-founded the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (at one time called the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing).[3] In 2004, with the retirement of Gardner Dozois, she became the editor of the magazine.
Williams, Sheila & Cynthia Manson, eds. (1986). Tales from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Williams, Sheila, ed. (1990). Robots from Asimov's. Davis Publications.
Williams, Sheila & Charles Ardai, eds. (1990). Why I left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers and other stories from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. New York: Delacorte Press.
Dozois, Gardner & Sheila Williams, eds. (1991). Isaac Asimov's Robots. New York: Ace Books.
— & —, eds. (1992). Isaac Asimov's Earth. New York: Ace Books.
Williams, Sheila, ed. (1993). The Loch Moose Monster : more stories from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Delacorte Press.
Dozois, Gardner & Sheila Williams, eds. (1994). Isaac Asimov's cyberdreams. New York: Ace Books.
— & —, eds. (1995). Isaac Asimov's ghosts. New York: Ace Books.
— & —, eds. (1995). Isaac Asimov's skin deep. New York: Ace Books.
Williams, Sheila, ed. (1995). Hugo and Nebula award winners from Asimov's Science Fiction. New York: WingsBooks.