Aspire Magazine

MAY 2022

ISSUE 1

ASPIRE ASPIRING PUBLISHER MAGAZINE

BOOK REVIEWS Recent recommendations from our contributors showcasing authors of color and underrepresented narratives

INDUSTRY RUNDOWN & RESOURCES A simple overview of publishing and how you can get started

IN CONVERSATION WITH Hear directly from publishing professionals and SEU Writing majors just like you

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE PEOPLE Letter from the editor

03

Sydnee Monday: In Conversation

08

Shelly Romero: In Conversation

10

SEU WRIT Students: In Conversation

12

RESOURCES Summer Publishing Programs

17

Literary Magazines / Websites

20

Internships

The Industry

04

Intersectional Book Recommendations 16 Imprints to Highlight

06

21

SPRING MAY 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

03

From: Krysta Herrera Hello!

My name is Krysta, and like you I’m an aspiring publisher.

Upon writing this, I am a mere month away from graduation and am both intensely nervous and equally thrilled to enter the professional world.

I hadn’t always wanted to go into publishing. In fact it never even occurred to me that this was an option until my second semester of sophomore year, when a professor brought up the summer publishing courses in passing. But then the pandemic started and any opportunity to get internships or any editorial experiences had to be put on the back burner. But from that point on it was all I could dream about doing. But unlike other career paths, this was one that I’d never heard talked about.

I wanted this so badly and had no idea where to start.

And unfortunately the more I learned, the more impossible it seemed. From the outside, the publishing world seemed to exist within this very exclusive, daunting bubble. I didn’t know who I could reach out to that could answer my questions.

I would probably have to move to a new city with very little financial help and no personal connections. And to cap it all off, the industry is overwhelmingly white. As a Mexican woman, seeing only 6% of Latinx/Hispanic people make up the industry is not at all encouraging.

And I want to help you do the same. Ultimately the purpose of this resource is to help aspiring publishers (especially disabled, BIPOC and/or LGTBQ+ groups) earlier in their undergraduate experience, so that you may be confident, knowledgeable and equipped to set your plan in motion. I wish to give a general overview of what I had to teach myself about publishing while being as transparent as possible, so that you may make informed choices and begin preparing earlier and with less hesitation than I did.

For those of us who do not make up the majority, it’s tempting to compare our experiences with those of others who may have more advantages or just seem farther ahead in life, and I know this can be so discouraging.

It's so easy to try to mimic the paths that others take, but ultimately I emphasize that we will not all take the same path in life, even if we have similar destinations. All we can do is learn from our experiences, take chances, and after we’re armed ourselves with our skills, passion and community, chase after our dreams and embrace the detours.

I have no idea where I’ll be in five years, let alone next year.

But I can say for certain that the lessons I learn and the people I meet getting there, will help me in whatever I do and whichever direction I go.

How was I supposed to be successful with all of these obstacles? Would I even have a chance of getting my foot in the door?

It’s impossible to go at this alone so I implore you to make connections. There are hundreds of students here at St. Ed’s who you can embrace in your own growing community.

You all have unique voices and perspectives that deserve to be heard.

Even so I was determined to do so, and so I threw myself into research, charting my course so that I could reach my goal.

I believe in you.

Krysta

04

The Industry: A Rundown Departments, Lingo, and Where you might end up The "Big Five" represent the traditional trade book industry in the U.S. These major publishing houses include: Penguin/Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, & Macmillan

Types of Publishing Trade Book: What you most likely think of when you think of a book. Consist of general interest texts both fiction and non-fiction to be read for pleasure or receiving information.

Sold through general retail stores.

Textbook: Can also be referred to as "college publishing." Often produce course books that are used in a college class in order to address curricular needs.

Scholarly/academic: Can be a university press (ex. The University of Texas Press) Aims to distribute academic research and scholarship.

Reference: Produce manuals or guides (ex. dictionaries, encyclopedias etc.) While once traditionally printed, reference texts are now mostly produced digitally in the form of databases or websites.

Self-publishing: The publication of media or a text without the involvement of an established publisher. When a writer produces their own work independently at their own expense. Think personal blogs, websites or authors who sell their texts directly on Amazon.

Within these big publishing houses there may be multiple imprints, or trade names which will market specific types of works to different demographics.

Think of the imprint as the brand representing the book. For example let’s take the children’s book My Two Border Towns by David Bowles. The text was published by the imprint, Kokila which belongs to the larger publishing company Penguin Random House. Part of Kokila’s mission is to share “stories that have been historically marginalized and make space for storytellers to explore the full range of their experiences.”

By having imprints or subsidiaries, publishers can establish a brand identity for a specific kind of book and then advertise them to a specific audience in the market.

There are also Independent Presses, or small publishing companies not associated with major publishing houses. For example you might have heard of the Greenleaf Book Group here in Austin, TX.

05

Department Guide Art & Design: design book's cover, jacket or interior to represent the text's character and attract an audience Editorial: complete all jobs necessary to acquire, edit, and produce a text Managing Editorial: responsible for production schedules, overseeing freelancers, and proofreading manuscripts.

Marketing: develops creative marketing campaigns (advertising, social media, and bookstore displays) Publicity: Create the "buzz" for new texts. Pitch newspapers, TV/radio stations, and websites so the press can review .

Sales: Ensure books are available, displayed and promoted in bookstores or retailers everywhere.

Audio: Creates aural versions of books Contracts: manages the process of drafting a book contract and negotiating with the author Digital Development: responsible for producing websites for publishers Digital Production: responsible for the creation of all types of eBooks Finance: responsible for sales forecasting, cost of goods, production, inventory, and the balance sheet for a title, imprint, or division Production: oversees the pre-press and manufacturing process from manuscript to bound book

Imprints & Independent Presses to Highlight 1. Kokila Books (KO-ki-la) centers around stories that have been historically marginalized.

Kokila writes for children and young adults, and aims to makes space for storytellers to explore the full range of their experiences.

3. Heartdrum Heartdrum offers a wide range of innovative and heartfelt stories by Native creators, informed and inspired by lived experience, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes.

2. Tiny Reparations Books

Tiny Reparations is dedicated to publishing literary fiction, nonfiction and essay collections that highlight and amplify unique and diverse voices that both reflect the conversation and push it forward.

4. Surely Books Surely Books is a line of graphic novels curated by the bestselling Eisner Award-winning author Mariko Tamaki, dedicated to expanding the presence of LGBTQIA creators and content in the comics world.

5. The Feminist Press The Feminist Press publishes books that ignite movements and social transformation. They aim to lift up marginalized voices from around the world to build a more just future and create a world where everyone recognizes themselves in a book.

7. Greystone Books Greystone Books focuses on high-quality non-fiction books about nature, the environment, travel, adventure, sports, social issues, science, and health. Committed to protecting the environment, Greystone aims to use ancient-forest-friendly, chlorine-free, 100 percent post-consumer paper in the production of its books.

9. Shade Mountain Press Shade Mountain Press is a feminist press committed to publishing literature by women, especially women of color, disabled women, women from working-class backgrounds, and LGBTQ women. They publish work that’s politically engaged, challenges the status quo, and tells the stories that usually go unheard.

6. Flamingo Rampant Flamingo Rampant publishes feminist, raciallydiverse, LGBTQ positive children’s books, in an effort to bring visibility and positivity to the reading material of all children. They make books kids love that love them right back, and books that make kids say with pride: that kid’s just like me!

8. Salaam Reads Salaam Reads is an imprint for young readers (children to young adults) that celebrates joy, vibrancy, and variety in stories of Muslim life. They publish books that explore a diverse panoply of experiences, offering readers a way to see themselves reflected in the pages of their books.

10. Lil' Libros Lil' Libros publishes children's bilingual books and aims to encourage parents to read to their children in in two languages.

They celebrate Latin American culture, important historical figures, and wish to make the world a better place by providing authentic stories that promote inclusivity and love.

08

IN CONVERSATION WITH SYDNEE MONDAY Sydnee Monday is the Associate Editor for Kokila Books under Penguin Random House. Beginning as Editorial Assistant, after two years she advanced to Assistant Editor. Sydnee graduated from Howard University in 2016 with a Communications degree and concentration in Film, Media and Video studies. After completing a few media internships, Sydnee became News Assistant for National Public Radio (NPR) before transitioning over to publishing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

I know you have a media/film background.

I thought that publishing was just that people wrote

How did you become interested in

books and the company printed them.

publishing?

I hadn’t thought about there being a design team, a

I studied film at Howard, but I needed to pay my rent. I lived close to the NPR building so I applied to the Arts Internship three times. And on the third time, I got it only because I found someone and asked for an informational interview. I was like, "Can I come and chat with you for a few seconds?" And she ended up inviting me into the building and introducing me to the staff. I really think it was because of her that I got that internship and was able to get some face time. And so I got that internship and the entire summer I was basically sorting books. I thought it was really fun because all I had to do was organize books and not talk to anyone. And because of that I got a good sense of

marketing team and all these teams working together to get this book out. I started looking on LinkedIn, and the job that I initially got through Kokila just popped up. I didn’t know it was a Penguin Random House imprint, I just read this mission, “made for and by marginalized people.” I thought this kind of sounds perfect because this is exactly what I've been wanting to talk about with kids books. And so I applied and cold emailed my [current] boss… And I think it’s really because I reached out that I was flagged because I don’t think HR would have flagged me before that.

Was it hard to transition over to publishing

the market through what everyone was sending us

starting later than those who typically do so

for review, and I found myself moving towards kids

straight out of undergrad?

books and wanting to talk about them. But we weren’t doing much coverage of kids books back then.

I noticed it more so in my first year of publishing. It felt like everyone else had a leg up. They either had a couple of internships, or they went to a summer

How did you end up at Kokila Books?

publishing course or graduate program. And I was

I really needed insurance and healthcare and after

coming from very scrappy, any journalism jobs I

about a six-month contract at NPR, one day I was

could get.

like, ‘I should just start looking for jobs in kids books,' I had never known that was an option before.

09 Publishing is an interesting industry and it’s all about who you know. For someone who really didn't know anyone in publishing, it was definitely a challenging year and a half. But I’m really lucky to be working with the imprint that I am. It’s a small team of all women of color from different backgrounds.

It’s a lot different than every other publishing experience within the traditional five.

Do you have any general advice for aspiring publishers?

Definitely informational interviews. I did a few as I was applying for my job at Kokila, and they’re great if you’re not going to a course or you don’t already know some people in publishing. Just cold email and reach out to people. Get to know people, hear

A cold email is an unsolicited email that is sent to a receiver without prior contact. This does not mean it is spamming.

It's just a way of saying hello and introducing yourself.

different perspectives and experiences. This is an industry that can be very tricky to go at alone.

This is not the opportunity to ask for a job.

Sydnee Monday

@sydneemonday

@sydneemonday

Kokila Books

10

IN CONVERSATION WITH SHELLY ROMERO Shelly Romero is a children’s literature editor who is passionate about working with BIPOC creators and traditionally marginalized authors. She is currently the Lead Editor at Cake Creative. Shelly graduated from Stephens College with a bachelor’s degree in English and attended the 2017 NYU Summer Publishing Institute. Most recently, she was an associate editor at Scholastic where she acquired MG and YA titles and worked on Goosebumps. Born and raised in Miami by Honduran parents, she now resides in New York City. When not working, you can find her rewatching her favorite horror movies.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

You’re lead editor at Cake Creative. Can you

For me the focus has always been if it's going to be queer, my

describe a typical day in the life for you?

priority is queer authors of color. I want to show that

Sure! Cake is a book packager. We're not a publisher. We create our own IP (intellectual property). We find authors, go out on submission, and then sell them to the publisher. Book packaging is very different than traditional publishing. At Scholastic I used to do quite a bit of IP work too, but their process is completely different and honestly they don’t pay authors as much as they should. But now my role at Cake is to manage the titles; mostly kid lit, but also some adult titles. I’m also developing, concepting, creating outlines, meeting with authors and seeing which ones are a right fit for the projects. Basically a lot of project managing. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Our focus is publishing traditionally marginalized authors and so a lot of our projects are centered around BIPOC, queer, disabled characters and authors.

representation because publishing does not always like that.

I’m familiar with the large conversation happening right now about representation in publishing, especially on different forms of social media. Can you discuss your shift away from Scholastic/publishing?

Was this a part of it?

There’s a lot of reasons why I left Scholastic, and not necessarily because of my list. I got to acquire some really amazing titles that were predominantly BIPOC authors, queer authors. But there were other reasons. Not being supported enough, and even though I had really good bosses, not being advocated for in the way I thought I should be advocated for. Not being paid what I thought I deserved.

No, not what I thought I deserved. What I deserved. The industry tends to be overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly cis and straight, and this tends to leech out into all the

Was this mission something you always wanted

different areas of publishing and how that impacts your work

to pursue when beginning your publishing

and yourself. Before I wanted to leave, I thought about

journey?

staying longer but, I’m glad I didn’t because I probably would

From the get go I was very adamant about what I wanted my editorial list to look like. I started meeting with agents about 6 months in, (publishing career) and I didn’t acquire until I was about a year and a half in.

have burnt out and left publishing. (Cake) fits more in what I want to do. This is a company that wants to take care of authors of color and support them in ways they might not have been had they gone out on submission by themselves.

11 I’ve read your Bustle interview and Publisher’s

Right before I left Scholastic I actually co-aquired Roy G

Weekly article (from about 2-3 years ago), and

Guzmán’s YA memoir. And to me that was a very emotional

the focus of those conversations were very

moment, to sit in acquisitions, to have David who wanted

optimistic about diversity in publishing getting

me to come in with him on this project, who knew how

better. Since then have you seen a lot of changes or is it still very much of the same?

much this meant to and give me the floor. Roy’s book was the first time I saw myself represented on the page, the first time I saw my mother’s Spanish spoken on a page. There are

Yes and no. There have been a lot of changes to certain

references in there that are so amazing and there are so

companies and imprints. At Scholastic, David Levithan

many layers as to why I wanted that book. I left that meeting

really took it upon himself with his team that I was a part of

and started to cry, and that to me is part of what makes it

(27 of us) to really start looking at how to change the way

worth it. I’m going to edit these books that teen readers are

we go about things. And for a while that was going great;

going to pick up and think, “I have never seen myself

we were having really tough conversations that I did not

represented.” Every imprint comes with its own levels of

think we were going to have ever. We changed a lot of the

crap, and you have to find a community outside of your

ways we looked at submissions and how we responded to

work that will keep you sane. It’s not easy to be in this

them; to try to check our own unconscious biases. But what

industry.

ended up happening, which is what unfortunately tends to happen a lot, is that we got a lot of red tape which slowed down our momentum. Then we ended up getting what I

I saw that you went to the NYU publishing

felt was a repetition of events. We ended up feeling like we

Institute, how was that experience for you and

were just back to square one. We got the industry talking a

do you recommended it to undergraduates

lot more, but talking has only gotten us so far. And while it's

pursuing publishing?

been able to break down some of the opaqueness, especially with social media/Twitter, it's been a way for things to spread more quickly within our bubble. The actions that we have wanted to see have not been followed through. So yes and no, but mostly no. And that’s why you’ve seen a lot of editors leave, especially people of color.

The publishing course was good in that I got to meet a lot of interesting people. Both my classmates and publishing people. I ended up making really good connections with them. It's important to do informationals to figure out what you want to do in publishing. However I found, specifically at NYU, that some of the lecturers gave advice that was kind of outdated. One lady said something like, "If you don't send

With all of this being said, would you even

a thank you card, written by mail after your interview, you

recommend BIPOC or LGBTQ+ aspiring

are so disrespectful and I don't want to hire you." I've gotten

publishers or graduates to even pursue it? What

both, email and cards, and you know what's better for me?

advice do you have for them?

Email. Why? Because I actually save those, put them in a folder, and if I see your name pop up in the future it might

That’s a really hard question because its very much a you

be because I gave you an informational. I'm always happy to

decision. You really have to decide what it is you’re looking

see this and I might reach out again. Unfortunately I

for, and what are the things you’re willing to sacrifice, and

remember the HR reps also said things like, “If we see

what are the things you’re willing to fight for. What are the

someone who has NYU, Columbia or Denver (publishing

battles you want to fight and what are the ones you don't

courses) on their resume we know they’re very serious

want to fight. All I can do is give you my experience and my

about publishing. We know they’re going to really want

advice. I never saw myself represented in books. And so for

this.” That’s BS because a lot of people from my program

me coming into publishing, that’s been my goal, my

ended up leaving. It’s also very expensive. I had to take a

priority. I want BIPOC books, I want queer books. I want

$9000 loan. I got a $2500 scholarship from NYU, but they

Central American books.

don’t offer that any more. My year was the first and last year they offered it. I just want to emphasize that you don’t need

Shelly Romero

to do these programs to be successful in publishing. It’s basically networking on silver platter, but you can still reach out to people without doing that program. Get internships,

@brujashelly

@_smromero

complete informationals and make connections.

In Conversation with WRIT Students at St. Edward's I sit down with Phylicia Walker, Taheera Washington, and Jillian Norton. As senior Writing majors at SEU, they describe their aspirations, plans after graduation and their thoughts on the publishing industry.

What is your dream job? How do you plan to get there?

Phylicia: I want to be a literary agent…of course I want to write books, but I also need to eat. So ideally I would be a literary agent and edit while writing on the side. That’s what I really want to do because I actually enjoy the revision process and reading other people’s work.

Taheera: Ideally I’d like to do something in advertising, but realistically social media. I’m open to anything; I have a lot of interests. I’m interested in publishing, I’m interested in advertising, but realistically I could see myself working right out of college in social media because that’s what my internship is in right now.

Jillian: I have a big dream and a little dream. My big dream is to write YA novels in my own publishing house where accessibility is highlighted, disability is highlighted. I’m planning to go to publishing school in two years becasue I need money for that, so until I get to that point I’m planning to go into accessibility editing. Since I’ve spent so much of my life knowing what’s inaccessible, I’m going to use that to my advantage. I’d also like to go into narrative creation for video games. I am a creative writer at heart.

Do you have any jobs lined up? What are your plans immediately after graduation?

P: I did get into the Columbia Publishing Course. Thank God. So after graduation I’ll be doing that from August to September. And afterwards I’ll probably focus in on job hunting so that I can afford to live.

T: So I live in Dallas, and I’m probably going to move back home to Dallas because it is expensive to live in Austin, I’ll tell you that. I do want to start job hunting in April maybe, so I can have a job in May or June.

J: The thing is accessibility editor as a title doesn’t really exist. There are people that want just editors in general and then when you get to the interview you can expand on how you have a speciality in accessibility editing. Everybody needs and editor, but what they mean by editor really varies. I’ve been scrolling through Indeed when I get bored, and just being like “That sounds fun.” Even things I’m not qualified for.

You can sit there and make it sound like your qualified and then you just figure it out. That’s kind of the goal.

When did you know this is something you wanted to do?

P: I have friends who want to be novelists and they’re always saying how difficult it is to get into the industry because it's kind of like a big nepotism thing; like if you don't know someone, it's extremely difficult to be published. And plus there's not a lot of people of color within the publishing industry, so I feel as if hey, if I can get my way in there I could be the voice to boost these books. I know people who write really amazing stories but don't have the footing to get published because they often get overlooked by, quite frankly, mediocre stories by white authors. I feel like I could do some actual good with that.

J: I’ve wanted to be an author since the fifth grade. And I think it’s because when I when I was ten I started realizing I was not in books.

I’m autistic; I didn’t know at that point, but I knew I was different. And there was nobody like me in anything I was reading. And my mom used to say, “If what you want doesn’t exist then you get to make it." Editing didn’t occur to me until the start of college. Having leadership positions on campus made me realize that I’m good at figuring out how sentences make sense for people, because I spent my entire life being baffled by how things are structured because they weren’t accessible inherently. So I was like, “It takes a really long time to write a book, and your bills don’t wait until the book is finished.

So if this is something I’m knowledgeable of and can do, then I should go into it.”

Have you completed any internships or been a part of any extracurriculars?

P: I have done internships, but I don’t feel as if they're actually centered around what I want to do. I did try to find internships at publishing places, but they just never got back to me. So the internship I got was a marketing one that was literally the last thing that I wanted to do.

But it was something, so I took it. I’m still hoping that eventually I can get a position in the field that I want to go into.

T: I was the Outreach Intern for the Texas Book Festival. I would talk to publicists, I would organize author schedules, and I also helped organize the TBF Gala. At St. Ed's I tested all of the clubs, all of the organizations, just to see 01. whether or not it was something that I liked. I’m in Hilltop Views, I’ve submitted stuff to Sorin Oak and New Literati, and it’s just nice to have those options and see how you can take those skills and apply them.

05.

J: At the start of college I realized I could get my stuff published if I submitted to Sorin and New Lit, and then I realized I would get to hear feedback about my work and learn about the publication process. I thought it would be a good idea to get more insight on the larger scope of how things work. So I ended up applying for positions within Sorin. I went from a Review Board Member to Lead Editor to Editor-in-Chief. And this made me think about how I’m good at editing; I’m good at project management.

Do you have any concerns about going into publishing or your chosen field?

P: It ties back to [big publishers] being really accepting of mediocre white authors and I have to work three times as hard to even get my foot in the door. I've often talked to my friends (who are writers of color) about that and how they feel as if it's like pushing against a brick wall at times.

Meanwhile for others it's so easy to get in. So that’s my main concern is actually just getting to a starting point. Once I do that it’ll be a lot easier, but just getting there is the hard part.

T: A big hesitation for me, especially for publishing, is that I don’t have any connections in that field. And from my knowledge, or at least the people who have talked about publishing, have all been white people. If I don't see someone like me in my field that kind of limits the idea of me being in that field by a long shot. You have to see people who at least think like you, or look like you, bottom line look like you. Give me that. But in that field there’s little to none. It’s such a big question mark, like where to start. Its so niche, nobody talks about it. Everybody says, “Oh I want to do publishing,” but how are you going to do that, can you expand?

J: My biggest hurdle is that I want to go to the Denver Publishing Institute, but I have an autoimmune disease and dry air makes it worse.

Denver is a dry place. Another hurdle is that you don’t know anybody. The faculty at St. Ed’s have have had training in accessibility, and all the kind of stuff that made me comfortable applying here.

But going into anything outside of St. Ed’s - I have no clue what people’s expectations of me are going to be. Are they going to expect me to behave like I’m not neurodivergent? When you get into higher level English, a lot of times higher literature just means not written for neurodivergent people. When something is not written in the active voice, there is no concise language, and it’s written to be intentionally confusing, you run into 01. problems. And I think that might get to be a superiority thing in more publishing focused industries because the expectation is that you use flowery language. Well you can be both flowery and accessible. But people don't realize that because they haven't been taught 05. it, because accessibility is taught as an add on instead of a base level. On top of that I have accommodations for flexibility in the classroom because of other disabilities I have - I don’t know if I’d be able to do that at a place like DPI. And if I have to step out for my health, are people going to look at me and think, “Hm do they really want to be here?” I’m worried about the people. I’m worried about the place. I’m worried about the hierarchy.

There is always something that establishes hierarchy in any group setting and that is so stressful. Growing up knowing everyone is going to underestimate you is so exhausting.

Looking back, what is something you wish you would have known earlier? Is there an area would you would've really liked to have seen support?

T: The kind of keynote speakers highlighted or the guest lectures brought to class could be more people of color, and POC in publishing or writing. Maybe starting those talks earlier in our education, like freshman or sophomore year, because freshman year I was lost. I was like, “I don’t know what I'm going to do with degree. I guess I’ll take a digital marketing minor because I just don’t know. No one is telling me otherwise.” Our writing degree is so broad. They’re just like “you can do this, or you can do that,” but it’s like, “how can I do that?”

Can you show me where to start?

J: You do not have to have any experience in anything to send in your work to be published.

Also for Sorin Oak specifically, you do not need to have any background to be a review board member. I think I would have felt a lot more comfortable in a lot of things earlier at St. Ed’s if I just sat down and got myself to just do things.

There's always this nagging question at the back of your head saying, “Am I qualified to do this?

And you're qualified until you're told you're not.

Everyone's going to spend your whole life telling you what you can't do, and you can either choose to sit there and listen to those voices, or you can say “whatever,” turn around, look forward, and just say “I’m gonna try and do this.” You'll get so many more valuable experiences if you just over shoot. You'll find so many things that people who have been there for longer already think you're qualified for that 01. could do. When you're a you didn’t think you minority you always have something to bring to the table, because you always have your unique perspective.

Do you have any last pieces of advice for future 05.

SEU WRIT/ENGL students?

P: The biggest thing that I've learned is that if you feel like you don’t have the necessary experience you probably do. Because again my internship was in marketing which was not applicable at all, and yet I still managed to get into the [Columbia Publishing Course]. If you know how to spin your resume and your skills into something that sounds adjacent to it then you’ll probably be good. Internships are hard to get so don’t feel bad if you don’t get the one that you want.

T: One of the things that really helped me was to do something completely outside of my major.

They say, “Oh you can do tech writing or professional writing,” but until you see how it’s applied outside of the writing major you’re kind of limited on your view of that. But seeing it in my marketing minor, like it actually being applicable, made me see that it was actually useful. Also do a wide range of things on campus, even if you think you won't like it. And some just general advice is to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

J: Do things early. Do more than what you think you can do especially when you've been told your whole life that you can’t do XYZ.

Book Recommendations from our 16 Debut middle grade. Highly illustrated.

Lizzie McGuire. Maggie is a Cuban contributors Latina American girl who feels like everyone is

"Black authors talking about their experiences in the field... breaking down boundaries that are unknowingly set on us. There’s just so many limitations and when you really think about it… If you don't see yourself represented in a field you think that you can't do it."

elly!

finding their passion and leaving her behind. So during the new school year she decides to try all the clubs she can.

Woodworking, track, cinephile club. And it doesn’t go according to plan. “A really cute story, really wonderful.”

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"Heavily rooted in Mexican culture.

“It’s about a trans boy and his family of ‘ghost hunters’ who help put people to rest. He ends up meeting the ghost of a boy who is recently murdered and they're trying to figure out who killed him.

Is he really dead? A really sweet YA book."

ra

ahee Rec by T

Rec b

by P

y Syd

nee

6 POV’s. 4 witches. And 2 human boys who go to a private school. The witches are trying to break a curse plaguing their town where every year wolves rise out of a swamp and eat people. There's a long history embedded into the town and its bloody legacy. They all have their own specialties, arcs and motivations. A really impressive debut book.

hylicia

A first person account of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. “My people are from Tulsa, and we own the Black newspaper there."

Rec by P

"These two black students who are the only POC at their fancy prep school end up being targeted and have to find out who is trying to deliberately ruin their lives... It’s kind of like Pretty Little Liars but good.”

Summer Publishing Programs

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Summer publishing courses are programs offered to graduates who are interested in the publishing industry. Students learn from publishers, editors, design directors, advertising experts, publicists, and writers through workshops and seminars. The three most notable are: 1. Columbia Publishing Course 2. NYU Publishing Institute 3. Denver Publishing Institute

Columbia Publishing Course

Location

1.

2.

NYC, NY Oxford, UK

Focus

1. Magazine/Digital 2.

Books

Length

1.

2.

6 Weeks 4 Weeks

NYU Publishing Institute

Denver Publishing Institute

NYC, NY

Denver, CO

Books & Magazine

Books

4 weeks

4 weeks

Course Fee

≈ $5300

≈$4000

≈$4830

Housing Fee

≈ $2788

≈$304 per week ≈$1216

≈$1688

Meal Fee

*Total Fee Estimate

≈ $1195

≈ $9283

≈?

≈$430

≈ $6028

≈ $6948

*as of 2022

What you'll need

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Transcripts Resume Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose Short Answers 2-3 Letters of Recommendations $50/55 Application Fees

A few tips and what you can do to prepare The sooner you turn it in the better. Some programs accept on a rolling basis, so receive your top choice while you can!

Most summer programs require your transcript include your graduation date and your majors/minors. However your transcript will not state this before you have actually graduated. Ask the Office of Registrar for a Graduation Certification and Official Enrollment Verification document. These documents will allow you to submit your application earlier if possible.

Have multiple people review your resume and personal statements!

It's so tempting to just go ahead and do it on your own, but ask your family, friends, academic advisors, or professors if they can give you feedback. Not only might they spot grammar mistakes, but they will let you know if there are coherence or cohesion issues.

Network, Network, Network I know it might be nerve wracking, but it was so enlightening talking one on one with someone in a position you hope to be in a few years. Most people are very willing to talk with students because they remember being exactly like you.

Follow publishing professionals' socials! I learned so much following Shelly Romero's Twitter account - she had all the tea on publishing and different houses - it was a big eye opener.

Personal Statement / Application Questions

Why are you considering a career in publishing?

These are the kind questions you'll have to answer when applying to publishing programs.

Start thinking ahead about books you can discuss, and what sectors you're most interested in.

What personal characteristics, interests, or aspirations have led you to this choice?

If you had the power to persuade a large number of people to read one book, what would it be and why?

As a member of the publishing community you will often be asked for recommendations. Tell us about a book, magazine, or website that you love.

Tell us something that does not appear on your transcript or resume/CV that will give us a more complete picture of who you are.

What have you read recently for fun?

Literary Magazines & Websites

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Become familiar with the literary market. What's trending? What new titles are popular? Explore different creative or news publications. Some applications will ask you about the kinds of magazines you've read so it's good to have some titles you are familiar with and can discuss when needed.

If you are interested in digital or magazine publishing, spend some time browsing at Barnes & Noble.

Look at the cover pages, spreads and design choices.

Familiarize yourself with new texts from every genre. For the longest time I myself never read newly published books, but it's important to be aware of and able to speak about new authors and bestselling texts.

1. Lit Hub A literary website that focuses on literary culture, news and all things book.

Lit Hub also showcases editorial features from publishers, journals, bookstores, and non-profits.

2. Publisher's Weekly A weekly trade news magazine that is targeted to publishers, librarians, booksellers, literary agents. Publisher's Weekly features articles and news on the book business, bestsellers lists, industry statistics, and book reviews

3. BookPage BookPage is a discovery tool for readers, highlighting the best new books across all genres. They present book reviews, author interviews and other informative and accessible special features.

4. Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine that confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' literature.

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Internships One thing that I wish I would have done earlier in my undergraduate studies was apply for an internship. While only one is required for a WRIT degree, it doesn't hurt to have more. Not only can they give you skills and experiences to put on your resume, they allow you to explore and identify what you truly want to do in the future.

Searching for an internship?

Here are a few places to look!

SEU WRIT Facebook page Handshake LinkedIn SEU Career Planning Office Indeed.com Internships.com WRIT Department Document for Internship Requirement

While any internship experience is beneficial to have, don't worry about needing to have an abundance in order to get accepted to a summer course. I've spoken with alumni from these programs who claim that they had 0 internships when applying.

The important thing is to be able to identify your passions and sell what you do have.

How have your courses, clubs or interests aided in your skills or publishing interests?

Support Independent Booksellers

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Indie bookstores are more likely to host texts from diverse voices that larger publishing companies might overlook. Shop locally when you can!

Lark & Owl is an independent bookstore, bistro, and retail experience, founded by women, in Georgetown, Texas. Their mission is to meet the needs of their customers by creating an inviting space for community, conversation, and books.

Resistencia Books is an Austin bookseller specializing in Native, Chicana/o/x, Mexicana/o/x, Latina/o/x, African-American, feminist, queer and children's bilingual literature. It also serves as a meeting space for community organizations and cultural and literary events.

Black Pearl Books is an Austin based independent bookstore that aims to serve a multi-cultural, multi-generational and multisocio-economic community. They are built to promote diversity, inclusion, equality and cultural awareness.

Book Woman is a feminist bookstore in Austin with a large selection of texts written by and about women.

Fabulosa Books is located in the Castro District in San Francisco. They specialize in LGBTQ literature, but also have texts about poetry, progressive politics, ethnic studies, history, cookbooks and sci-fi.

ASPIRING PUBLISHER MAGAZINE

ASPIRE

Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time.

- E.P. WHIPPLE

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