So You Want to Be In Publishing

One of my former interns made this for me on her last day of the internship at the publishing house. Isn’t it so cute? I was really touched. I don’t know that I taught her everything about a career in book publishing, but hopefully I gave her a good foundation.

I thought I’d share a few tips on careers in book publishing and being a businessperson in a creative field:

• Take a wide variety of classes as an English major
• Set goals for your MFA in creative writing
• Get a writing mentor
• Maintain your alumni network
• Network — even if you feel awkward
• Attend writing festivals and expos — like the Brooklyn Book Festival and Book Expo America
• Attend publishing industry events — I’m a fan of MediaBistro’s book club
• Learn to love social media and make sure to post on Facebook and Twitter
• Get yourself on Goodreads — the social media page for those in the literary industry
• Blog
• Read other industry blogs and newsletters
• Read the classics and the latest bestsellers

What’s your favorite piece of advice?

Tags: blog, book, career, Classics, English major, Facebook, goals, Goodreads, internship, literary conference, literary festival, mentor, MFA, MFAism, networking, publishing, reading, social media, Twitter