March Madness

March has been mercifully slow at work. February had been a disaster, so I was ready for a break. The problem with work being slow is that I have time and reason to question the validity of my job: Does what I do really matter?

"No one reads anymore," I bemoaned to the BF one night after a particularly grueling do-nothing day. "Unless your last name is Patterson, or you go on Oprah, no one buys your book. What I do doesn't matter!"

True to form, the BF had some clear-headed wisdom. "Look," he said, "your job is much more exciting than most." I had to--grudgingly--agree. The BF and most of the other young people I know have jobs I can't really explain, jobs that vaguely have to do with numbers. On Thursday, his point was proved further.

On that day we had three different authors come to the office. One of them has written a book I absolutely love, that's slated to come out in October. The other two are geniuses in their own right. One, in his early thirties, has already published four highly-regarded books. The other, in addition to being a prolific author, is also a scientist. It was very surprising that all three of them were very easy to talk to.

Amidst all this, a crisis arose. The design for one of our books changed at the last minute. Either the author or the jacket designer (or both) decided they wanted to use fan artwork on the book flaps. The problem was, they needed the artists' permission first, and all they knew were screen names. It was up to me to track down these people and obtain their permission. (Our lawyer drew up a statement which I then sent. I was very impressed that we have a lawyer!) The best part was receiving the fans' responses. They were so thrilled to be included in a book, especially a book by one of their favorite writers.

The experience made me smile; it was just the boost I needed to get through the week. Our authors may not all be bestsellers--even though they deserve to be--but it does not make their work any less important. I am a bit ashamed to have lost sight of that.

...but is it too much to ask to have just one of our authors on Oprah?

I Love NY in the Springtime

Spring has begun--though it doesn't quite feel like it yet. Spring and fall are the best seasons here because, to be very honest, millions of bodies and extreme temperatures don't mix. I don't think I have to go into summer, but winter can be just as bad. Everyone crammed into a subway car with their parkas and gloves on--it's very uncomfortable. And then there's the slush. Snow doesn't stay snow for long on NY city streets. It becomes grayish-brown muck that sticks to your shoes and coats the sidewalks, stairs, and subways.

Anyway, I'm very excited for spring to be here, and it's good to have something to look forward to. Sometimes this city can get you down. February was bleak, work was busy, and I never got home until after dark. (Thank goodness for the early time change!) NY is a tough town, as I'm sure you've heard, and there's a lot to consider before you move here.

Are you careful with money?

I know $$ comes up a lot in my blog, but it's for good reason. It's expensive to live here and entry-level salaries don't always reflect that (in "creative" jobs in particular, like publishing.) I made the choice to live in an outer borough, away from the BF and the fun of Manhattan, because it was cheaper. Despite the great nightlife, I hardly ever go out because the drinks, cover charge, and cab fare add up quickly. Even a movie costs almost $12! It's important to be able to have fun on the cheap; I walk a lot. Today, for example, the BF and I spent the day in Brooklyn, walking around, going to Prospect Park, people watching. In the summer there's free concerts, outdoor movies...NY can be a great place to live when you have shallow pockets, IF you're creative.

Can you deal with crowds?

There's something like 6 million people here. If you are easily annoyed, get nervous in large groups, and/or insist on your 3-foot radius of personal space, you'll have to get over that quickly.

Are you OK being a small fish in a big pond?

Tired analogy, I know, but it fits. One of the best things, in my opinion (OK, BF's opinion too) is that in NY you are surrounded by some of the smartest people in the world, the best in their field. Not to mention you're also surrounded by the most talented performers, the most beautiful actresses and models... It can make you feel small if you're not careful. It can be wonderful once you appreciate you are learning from the best.

Are you independent?

Moving to NY often means leaving family and friends behind. It's tough sometimes when I'm sitting alone in my apartment with my cat, and I hear what everyone is doing back in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Chicago. But I can get through it because I have my job, my hobbies, my routines--I'm building a life here. It can never replace what I left behind, but it's good because I am growing.

...And maybe that's the best reason to move to New York: it forces you to grow up.

Procrastination

I'm writing a post tonight while I should be writing something else. I have a press release that's due Monday and it's still in the very rough stages. I write press releases occasionally for another publishing company, on a freelance basis. I get paid a modest sum, but I do need the money, and it's great for honing my writing skills. The problem is--this time I didn't like the book. I wasn't engaged and had to force myself to read it, which is bad because I normally devour fiction. (I just finished a great novel this week, but more on that later.) So here I am. I just need to remind myself that it's only my opinion; it isn't a bad book. In fact, the writer is pretty good (or so said the Times) and can write circles around me. So who am I to decide whether or not it's a worthy read? Oh wait, I am getting paid to convince people it's a worthy read. Hmmm...

A lot of people work as freelancers in New York, especially in publishing. Money has a lot to do with it, since salaries aren't particularly large, but it's also a very connected business. What I mean by connected is that everyone knows several people at other houses. We don't necessarily see them as competition, sometimes we even work together. (For example, I am trying to organize an event with my author and an author from a different publisher. That way, we can hopefully attract twice the audience, and sell more books.) This interconnected environment makes it easy to find out about freelance jobs, whether they are for writing, copy editing, or design. It's also great if you're ever looking to change jobs because you have great networking opportunities. (There's those connections again, BF)

Publishing is a very interesting business. Not least of all because of the free books! I had one land on my desk the other day called Then We Came to the End*. It's a funny read about a group of people working in an ad agency, one that's having to conduct major layoffs. The staff gets paranoid, hilarious antics ensue. OK, this is probably the worst book review ever written, but it is a great book. I mention it here not only because I like it, but because it's a book about work, and what a crazy environment it can be. Saying it will help prepare you for the workforce may be a bit of a stretch, but it will give you a laugh. Until next time!

*I feel compelled to mention that this is not a book published by my company. I have no ulterior motive in talking about it.