The Gift Publishing Gave Me
We often talk about the pitfalls of book publishing, but how about the good stuff?
I’ve been in a writing mood for the past two weeks. Please don’t get used to it yet! I have a short respite from writing papers for grad school. I have a 20+ page one due on 2/18. I am ahead of the game with school…for once!
Today’s post is going to be easy to digest. I tend to write about things book publishing needs to improve, but I haven’t written about a valuable gift the industry has given me: long friendships.
Working in the book industry, you meet people from all walks of life. When I started my career in 1996, I had no idea what Fire Island (a strip of beach with different sections on Long Island) was or why people went there during the summer. My boss, whom I still keep in touch with, had a house share in Fire Island that summer and invited me to come along. Soon after I arrived, I had ten new friends and a sort of boyfriend (it was short-lived) who lived in NYC. Talk about fun!
After I started my position as a publicist at Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster), I found that a close friend had also started working at S&S. She forwarded me an email joke (remember those?). I responded to the person who sent it—he is now my spouse. Yes, my spouse and I had an email courtship. It’s a very “You’ve Got Mail” kind of story. When I worked at Dutton, Plume, and the now-defunct Gotham Books, I met a core group of girls, most of whom are still my friends. I experienced significant life events during my eight years there: engagement, marriage, losing my dad, and having my son (my boss at the time was very nervous about me giving birth in the office…we are still friends). We went through 9/11 together downtown, and I ensured they returned safely to their apartments before I stood in line for a boat back to New Jersey. I also met authors who would become close friends. I was devastated when Eric Jerome Dickey passed away a few years ago: he and I were super close, and we had a blast on every one of his book tours. I was lucky to have known him. The same goes for legendary author John Jakes (of North & South fame). He passed away in 2023, and I only have good memories of him. He and his wife lived in Hilton Head, SC, and we visited with my son when he was an infant. These are the bonds you will never forget.
Once I got the job as VP of Publicity at Atria Books (Simon & Schuster), I hired some people I counted as friends and others who became my confidantes. I credit Atria for the gift of one of my best friends in the world—my ride-or-die (I won’t name her here, but she knows who she is). Our publicity department at Atria was close-knit. An assistant from back then has risen through the ranks elsewhere, and others have done great things outside the industry.
Perseus Books was a fun place to work because, at the time, it was small, and we had great times at the sales conference. I cannot confirm or deny that I drove a rental car across a golf course in Tennessee to make it to my presentation on time. What I can tell you is that I found the closest Starbucks. BookExpo 2016 in Chicago was a blast, too.
Skyhorse Publishing catches a lot of flack for publishing controversial books, but the people who work there are lovely, and it is nice to keep in touch with them and see what everyone is doing.
Now, working independently, I have met amazing new people here, within Women’s Media Group (a non-profit I belong to), at conferences I attend, and in my daily interactions with readers and writers. You can learn more about Women’s Media Group here. If you are interested in joining, email me at kathleen@kmspr.com
Publishing has its faults, but it can also be fun. Sometimes, I forget to take a moment to appreciate the good parts. I think we all do.
SPECIAL END NOTES:
On January 30, I am doing a cool event. Register here. :
Coming up for paid subscribers in the coming weeks:
A series on self-publishing vs. hybrid
Advantages/disadvantages of small presses vs the big five
Interviews with people in the publishing industry or who are industry-adjacent.
Business inquiries: kathleen@kmspr.com
Newsletter q’s: publishingconfidential@gmail.com
It's so good to read about the gifts of working in publishing. I think it's equally true in the writing community; for all the problems and challenges on this path, I've made some wonderful friendships along the way (though I never had any driving adventures on golf courses in Tennessee!)
Allison mentioned the door is always open on Substack, so here I am gently knocking, slipping right in. I just wanted to thank you for spending part of your afternoon with me. It's so difficult to decide where to invest and how much to invest when it comes to publicity and book marketing. Listening/watching you on Writer's Bridge today has been valuable and most appreciated!