Little Wolverine, Big City

The Final Chapter

2007-05-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

After a glitch in my blog (you may have noticed the page showing up blank) I'm back! And I'm here to say: good bye.

Yes, my run as alum blogger is over. It's been fun, and I'm grateful to all five of you who have been reading. I hope you've learned something.

And what did I learn? It just so happens that the end of this blog coincides with my one-year anniversary on the job--so you'd think I'd have learned a lot. And I have. I'm more knowledgeable about the media, I can book a (somewhat) successful tour, I've learned when to speak up and when to keep my mouth shut.

But I'm also closing my freshman year in the real world with more questions than answers in regards to my career. I still wonder how I can give my books and authors that extra boost, if I'm making a difference, and if, in fact, this is the right job for me.

All this doubt can be daunting; sometimes I want to pack up and head back to Ann Arbor and re-enroll. Yet the doubt can also be invigorating. Your life does not have to become predictable unless you let it be so. Armed with an education, experience, and good sense you can do pretty much anything. Except, of course, get people to read your blog ;)

Good bye and Go Blue!

-SW

Wherever You Go...Go Blue

2007-04-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

It's been nearly a year since my commencement at the Big House. Chances are, some of you are getting ready to graduate as well. If you're planning on moving to a new city (New York especially) make sure you sign up for your regional alumni association.

Before you shrug off my "endorsement", you should know that I am not much of a joiner. I belonged to maybe 2 clubs at UofM, but never saw either club's project to completion. I never belonged to a sorority. I played intramurals, but that didn't count since it was with friends, not strangers. So if I say, "Sign up!" you should take my word for it.

Since moving to NY I have participated in three alumni events. The first was volunteering at an animal shelter in Brooklyn. We walked the shelter dogs, then went out for drinks afterwards. It was very low-key and a lot of fun.

A few months ago the alumni association procured discount tickets to "My Fair Lady". Kelsey Grammer was playing Henry Higgins, and the extremely talented Kelly O'Hara was playing Eliza Dolittle. I dragged the BF to it and it was fantastic! It was a limited engagement (only 4 performances) and I probably could not have afforded tickets otherwise.

The latest event I went to, I was dragged to by the BF. Tim McCormick, former Michigan and NBA player, was giving a talk. Having seen him on ESPN numerous times, the BF was really excited. I was excited for the open bar. Tim ended up being a very enthusiastic and entertaining speaker. He had played with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Byrd, all the greats--and had learned a lot from sharing the court with them. Maybe his motivation had rubbed off on me a little--the next day I was an hour earlier for work as usual.

So in closing: stay active with your alumni association! It's a great way to meet people, and to get to know your new city. At the very least, at least you'll have a group to watch Michigan games with. Go Blue!

April Showers

2007-04-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

As I am writing tonight, New York is being deluged with rain. It's miserable. I apologize for not posting last week, but it was the holiday, and TAXES--blech! The bad part about moving is having to file two state returns, which is annoying and time-consuming.

So, this week I realized: work is work. OK, this sounds really obvious, but it's true in several respects. It's work some days to just get up and motivate yourself to get there. It's work once you're there, to get everything you need to done, and to keep your co-worker relationships professional. And no matter how much you like your job, or how well-suited you are for your position--your dream job will will sometimes just feel like WORK.

That's all I have to say for now (blame it on the rain) but I am aiming to write again very soon (tomorrow perhaps?!) about PROFESSIONALISM...

March Madness

2007-03-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

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.

Visitor

2007-02-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting in a while, but this past week/week and a half has been crazy. My sister came to visit, which was a lot of fun. But it also meant it was time to play tour guide, so I didn't have time for much else. That's one thing about moving to New York--everyone wants to come visit! Which is good, for obvious reasons, but it's also stressful, given the tiny size of NY apartments.

I have to admit, I am a pretty good tour guide. Maybe I should go into it full-time. I've also considered opening my own Pilates studio, or going back to school. Yes, these are the things I think to myself when I'm having a particularly tough week at work.

I took two days off when my sister came to visit and when I got back to work, I felt like the world was crashing down around me. Apparently, we were changing the format of our meetings and the meeting agendas (something I am responsible for), using this new program that half of us don't have installed on our computers. It sounds silly, but it was chaos. Everyone was hitting "reply all" to this chain of emails, saying things like, "Wait, what's going on?" Welcome back...

In the end, everything turned out fine.. By Friday, things had calmed down and I could breathe again. I went out for happy hour with a colleague and over margaritas, life seemed a bit rosier. Big surprise! Not that I'm advocating drinking, but it is nice to talk things out with co-workers close to your own age. Chances are, they get just as stressed out, and have similar problems. We both agreed that we are subconsciously seeking approval from our bosses and (maybe it's a girl thing) we just want to be liked and appreciated.

All in all, the talk was a good start to my weekend. Plus, the margaritas were only $5! With free chips! Have I mentioned how expensive it is here? Until next time...

Working Weekend

2007-02-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

**Disclaimer: I am NOT in this photo**

Hello loyal readers,

I spent this weekend working at the New York Comic Con. For those of you who are blissfully unaware of this event, it is an enormous convention for comics and all things comics-related. Since my employer publishes a few graphic novels per year, they rent a booth at Comic Con to display our novels, and have some of our authors sign books for fans, etc. This summer we have a superhero novel coming out, so we were plugging that as well. The author took part in a panel, and we were handing out the first two chapters of the book to try and hook some readers.

Though I could probably think of some more fun ways to spend a Saturday and Sunday, it wasn't all that bad. I met some industry people as well as a few authors. Also, that girl from Heroes was there signing autographs. I don't actually watch the show, but I know a lot of people do. There were some strange people walking around, but some pretty normal ones too. I was also surprised there were so many women there. I have to admit that I never read a graphic novel until I started my job, but now I really enjoy them. They don't just appeal to men; quite a few are even written by women! So I guess I have learned my lesson: comics are for women and men of all ages--write to me and I'll even recommend some! Though I can't say I condone dressing up in costume for someone over the age of twelve...

...but who knows, maybe next year you'll see me there dressed as Wonder Woman.

A Day in the Life

2007-02-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

Here is what a typical day would be like if you had my job:

9 - 10:00 AM -- Come in, read through the morning papers. Clip out anything about your books or authors, and any relevant media news. Go through the general publicity email inbox, delete all spam, attempt to answer all questions and grant requests (e.g. Media wanting an author interview, reviewers asking for copies of books, people sending in their unsolicited manuscripts).

10:00 - Noon -- Do a publicity mailing. This consists of sending 100-200 books to important media people in TV, radio, and print. The mailing may take a while because: You need to have a list made of all the contacts and have them put on labels. You also need to write a press release to include with the book. Depending on the book, you may also need to include a tour schedule, reviews, or author information. Then, of course, you have the job of physically stuffing all the books in envelopes and getting them in the mail.

Noon - 1:00 -- Work on an author's tour. After scheduling events at bookstores, etc. you will need to make sure your author's plane and hotel reservations are in order. My company has a travel department who will make these reservations; I have to provide them with dates, times, and author preferences. This may sound easy--but often it's not, especially with authors who go on multi-city tours, or if you're working with someone who is very particular. I usually have to make and unmake plans at least twice before coming up with a schedule that pleases everyone. Oh, and you also need to be careful to stay within your budget.

1:00 - 2:00 -- Take lunch. Often this will be done at your desk because there will be more emails to answer, and reviews to read. Also, the reviews that you clipped from the papers this morning need to be entered into the computer, copied, circulated, then filed in the appropriate author file. You will also be pulling reviews from the internet (such as nexis.com) since you will not be subscribing to every paper, but you need to know what publicity your books are getting and where.

2:00 - 3:00 -- Work on bills. These need to be coded and approved. They also must be copied and filed. Each publicist must keep track of his/her own author's bills. (Hotel bills, bills for author photographs, etc.) This will probably be kept on an Excel sheet, where you can track your budgets. As an assistant, you will be responsible for your author's bills as well as your boss's.

3:00 - 4:00 -- Administrative work. There is a lot of stuff to be done in the office as well. Your boss will most likely have his/her AmEx card, and it will be your job to make sure that gets paid on time. Boxes of books will be arriving every day. It will be your job to shelve them, and keep the bookroom neat. You also need to keep an eye on supplies, such as the envelopes needed for mailings. It will also be your job to keep an eye on the supply of books and order more as needed. There will also always be copying and filing.

4:00 - 5:00 -- Send review copy requests. Although you are always sending mass mailings of books, people are bound to get left off your list. Also, many people "misplace" the books you send them, and they will need to see another. So they will write/email/fax you asking for copies. Thirty percent of the time, these requests are "urgent" and require that you send something overnight. I am always rushing to get things out the door last minute, since the mail pick-ups stop at 5:00.

So this is a "typical" 9:00 - 5:00 schedule. My job is technically a 9-5 position, though I can't remember the last time I left at 5:00--usually it's more like 6 or 7 and sometimes even later, depending how busy I am. The reason I put "typical" in quotes is because in publicity, this doesn't exist. Every day is different, which keeps you from being bored, but that also makes the job a challenge. Your main responsibility is to deal with people--and people are unpredictable. I allotted one hour here for planning travel, but sometimes this takes days. There is one author I'm working with now who is touring for about 8 weeks. She is not going to traditional bookstores; as a minister, she is taking her tour to churches across the country. I have spent hours and hours talking with her, her lecture agent, and the travel agent trying to get things straightened out.

Weather has also played a role in my job recently. When ice and snow pelted New York this week, we had one VIP author whose plane was grounded. I had to drop whatever I was doing to try and get him back home as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Of course, there are also meetings, which can cut into your day. Preparing for these meetings is also time-consuming. It's my job to type up the minutes, and if one of my books is on the agenda, I have to prepare what to say. These meetings can be very political, so it's crucial to say the right things.

It is also part of the job description to take around your authors when they come to the city. This is something I did last week with a VIP author (the same one who missed his plane). You need to keep on top of everything: staying on schedule, knowing where you are going next, keeping the author happy. This can be a nerve-wracking experience at times, especially when you have to contend with NY traffic. On this particular day, our car was rear-ended and we were nearly late to an appointment.

One thing I can say for sure--my days are full and rarely boring.

A Comment on Connections

2007-02-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

So my last post received a bit of criticism from the BF. He thought that I was de-emphasizing the effect of connections on a person's career. I have to admit it did come off that way in my last post, when I was talking about my internship. I guess the point I was trying to make was that even a girl from the 'burbs can get her foot in the door if she tries really really hard.

BUT that's all an internship really is--a way of getting in. The rest is about making a good impression, and making good connections. It's tough getting your first job without a connection. I made some great connections at my internship, and followed up with them throughout my senior year. A little goes a long way; write thank you notes to people who mentored you, or, if you see them or their company (or in my case, their book) getting positive mentions in the press, write a quick e-mail saying, "Hey I saw that great write-up in the Times. Congrats!" That way they know you are interested.

I also followed up on my connections from the publishing workshop. I attended again in my senior year and felt more confident in talking with all the publishing professionals. I was planning on taking a trip to New York in the spring for some informational interviews (more on those later), and made that known to everyone I talked to. Some invited me to their offices, others gave me names of people I should meet. One woman even invited me out to drinks with her and two of her friends when I was in the city. I thought that was unusual but went anyway, just for the heck of it. Her friends were very nice; we talked books, people we had in common, and their own first jobs. They were both directors of their own departments but since we met in such a relaxed atmosphere, I wasn't intimidated.

I would have been happy just writing it off as a fun experience (with free drinks!) but a few months later, one of the women came to me with a job offer--the one I ended up accepting. I never had to sit through an awkward formal interview, which is one of the many reasons I am thankful for my connections.

How I Got Here

2007-02-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

I had lived in the suburbs of Michigan all my life, so graduating and coming to New York was not a natural progression. I have no relatives here, and really no connections to speak of. I had only visited New York once, for a weekend in 2002.

My junior year I started to think more seriously about what I wanted to do. I declared my majors--English and Spanish. Whenever I would tell people this (mainly relatives and family friends) their response was almost ALWAYS, "Oh. So are you going to be a teacher?" This drove me absolutely nuts. Not that I have anything against teachers--there are four in my family!--it was just frustrating that no one thought there were any other options for English majors. And the worst part was that I was starting to believe them.

I think it was February of that year that I attended a Careers in Publishing workshop*. It was being held at U of M for three days, hosted by an alum who had made a very successful career for herself in the business. There were speakers, group projects, a tour--I learned a lot. I was excited; this was something I could really picture myself doing for living.

After that I applied to no less than 35 internship programs. The jobs were all over the country, but mostly in New York. I checked the job boards at bookjobs.com, on individual publishing websites, and mediabistro.com. I made sure to tweak my resume to include the workshop and anything else I did that was relevant to publishing (e.g. working on a literary journal). In the end, I only got two callbacks and one phone interview. But most importantly, that phone interview turned into a summer internship for a well-respected publisher in New York. I was thrilled--ecstatic!--knowing that I had gotten in on my own merits.

I was so happy, I was able to overlook one small snag: this internship was an unpaid position in one of the most expensive cities in America.

(* I think the workshop will be held again this year. Contact the Michigan Communcation Studies department for information)

Introductions

2007-01-25T23:47:00.000-05:00

I graduated from UMich nine months ago. Just two short weeks after commencement, I started a job in New York City. It was all very quick, but I couldn't pass up the offer. Some people say it's good to wait, take a break, maybe travel a bit between school and working. That is definitely a good idea, but for me, I was financially unable to travel (I had already gone abroad in 2004, so I didn't feel like I was missing out) and knowing myself, I would have been very bored just hanging out back home. So I took two suitcases, hopped a plane for New York, and that was it.

It sounds deceptively simple, but living in NY--and moving here--is tough! Luckily, I had a place to crash for a few months while I "got on my feet", saved up some money, etc. You probably already know this, but rent here is outrageous. There is not much to be had for under $900/month, especially not in Manhattan. I found that out the hard way the summer of 2005, when I interned in the city. For $900/month I rented a room I discovered on Craigslist: small, but with enough room for a desk and a bed. I saw pictures; it looked perfectly fine. But when I got there I discovered that the bed was not really a bed, but an air mattress. With a hole in it. But, everyone has a New York-apartment horror story, so I'll digress.

The position I accepted was Publicity Assistant for an adult trade book publisher. And by trade I mean books that you read for fun, the kind you find at a Barnes & Noble. This particular publisher--or imprint--puts out both fiction and non-fiction. They had published one of my favorite writers, a fact which helped seal the deal for me. I think it would have been tough for me to publicize a product I didn't like or relate to--such as romance novels or technical books for architects.

In publishing, as in many fields, you have to start out as an assistant. This may sound demeaning or unimportant, but it's not. It is essential to learning the business, and to getting your foot in the door. And being an assistant is not all photocopying and getting coffee either (although there is a fair share of that too); it is a lot of responsibility. In my case, I'm not only responsible for my own books and authors, but my boss's as well. In many ways, I am an assistant to our whole publicity department: handling bills, making sure books get to reviewers, answering an endless stream of emails and phone calls.

Whenever I'm having a particularly trying day--e.g. someone asks for a 4 PM plane reservation, I make one, and they turn around and say 5 PM would be better--I remember the words of a very wise professor of mine, "It is only through indignity that we rise to dignity." Or, as many would say: you've got to pay your dues.

Until next time...