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I've been thinking a lot abt how literally every single interview I've ever gotten in publishing has come abt from a connection I’ve made (whether that's a friend, previous/current supervisor, or someone I met in an informational interview). Thread from an intern: (1/16)
I’m so low on the ladder in publishing, like I'm basically irrelevant, but I wanted to compile a bit of what I’ve learned just in case it's helpful. I know for me, a lot of this information wasn’t intuitive or handed to me. I had no connection to the industry until 2020. (2/16)
Since then I’ve had 2 internships (previously at an agency and currently at a publisher) and one reader position at a scouting agency. All paid. Btw you should be paid for your work. Don't feel like you need to accept an unpaid internship. (3/16)
The biggest advice I have for people trying to get their foot in the door is cold emailing agencies to ask for informational interviews. Their offices are smaller and they are more likely to engage with u than a publisher. Don't be afraid to send emails to a lot of places. (4/16)
This article is pretty helpful I think in terms of understanding both what to expect in an informational interview and also what it’s okay to ask. (5/16) https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-steps-to-a-perfect-informational-interview
Be ready to talk about books you’ve read and where your interests lie in the industry. In the long run it’s better to be truthful and specific here, even if your interests are in an entirely different genre than the ones the professional you’re talking to works in. (6/16)
This advice is also true of interviews for jobs: always have lists on hand of both your favorite books and books you’ve read recently. I recommend 5 of each, but you can always prep more. (7/16)
I can't stress enough how important it is for you to list current books, as in published in the last few years, when you tell them what you’ve been reading recently or about your favorites. There’s a great opportunity here to name a book they’ve worked on that you liked. (8/16)
In actual interviews: they legit want to get to know YOU. This took me months to figure out. My responses were so robotic and formulaic for forever, which makes sense because I was nervous and had no way to know differently. (9/16)
Of course, it’s important to still be professional and know how to talk about your skills and work experience, but don’t be shy about your personality or your interests. An example of this is that I have a lot of experience in comedy... (10/16)
..& whenever I was asked about it I assumed the interviewer was doubting my commitment to publishing, so I'd scramble to tie back comedy to books. But without fail every time they were asking bc they had an interest in comedy and genuinely wanted to chat about it w/ me.(11/16)
Oof this got much longer than I'd planned, but the last thing I’ll say is if you’re stressing because u feel like u don’t have any of the skills or know-how to do well in a publishing position, that’s normal. It’s an apprentice industry so u’ll learn all of it on the job. (12/16)
Imo all u need to do well in publishing as an intern is have a sharp eye for stories & be well read. The rest is either common sense or something u'll be taught. Any types of questions about the industry, including lingo, are amazing to take to an informational interview.(13/16)
I really care about bringing other people of color into publishing with me, and have a lot of ideas for how I want to structurally do that once I get into a position with any kind of power in this industry, but for now... (14/16)
...maybe it would be helpful for me to make some kind of doc that I can continue to update with tips about gaining entry level employment as I acquire more experience and, hopefully, an actual full-time position? This doc will be a goal for me! (15/16)
For more information about the industry itself I EXTREMELY recommend @_smromero‘s publishing resources doc ( http://bit.ly/PubResDoc )!! there’s a lot amazing information here about newsletters, job boards, and so much more (16/16)
