By: Elise Tecco, Blog Editor and PR Coordinator
While my “dream job” consists of many different things, right now I am most interested in book publishing (or honestly, any job that involves books!). This spring semester, I am interning with a New York literary agent. For those of you who are also interested in book publishing or would like to learn more, keep reading to find out exactly my tasks as an intern, the basics of book publishing, and important resources and information to help you learn more!
What is a literary agent?
A literary agent represents writers and their work, helping them find publishers to publish their book. Whereas in the past authors could go directly to a book publisher with their story, now it’s rare if an author doesn’t have a literary agent to represent them.
According to LiminalPages.com, literary agents are sent between three and ten thousand manuscripts a year.
For my role, the literary agent sends me full manuscripts of stories from authors. At the beginning of the internship, they asked me what type of books I typically read in order to see what type of manuscripts I would like to be sent. So far, I have read both middle grade and young adult stories. My job is to read through the full manuscript and fill out a reader report, usually within 10-12 days unless it is needed sooner.
What is a reader report?
A reader report is a document that I send back to the literary agent with my comments about the story. This includes a brief synopsis of the story, the overall strengths, weaknesses, details about the plot, voice, characters, setting, dialogue, and more. I also give it a letter grade and make a decision whether I would choose to decline, revise and resubmit, or represent. Obviously, my input is not the only source they are basing their decision on, but even just playing a small role in the process feels amazing.
My agent told me that it is rare for a book to be selected as a “revise and resubmit.” This is because when a literary agent chooses this option, they will help an author improve their story before sending it off to publishers. However, there is no guarantee that a publisher is going to buy it, meaning the literary agent, who is only paid on commission, could do all that work for no pay! Learning this has taught me that when you submit your manuscript to an agent, you want it to be as perfect as you can make it for the highest chances of getting an agent to represent you!
This internship has been incredibly beneficial because it has taught me a lot about what I like in a story. For example, one common thought I have had when reading manuscripts is that they need to have a great ending; when the plot’s resolution is rushed or the ending is confusing, it takes away from the whole story.
I am so grateful to have this spring internship. It has given me such valuable experience and has allowed me to explore the editorial side of book careers. I would also love to write a book of my own one day, so it’s been amazing to learn about the ‘behind the scenes’ of what it takes to publish a book!
Book Publishing 101
Beyond my role as a literary intern for a literary agency, there are SO many amazing roles within book publishing! As I mentioned before, a literary agent’s job is to help writers find a publisher. But who are the publishers?
There are publishers around the world, but the top five in the United States are:
These are the publishers that publish the most books in the country. You might have also heard of others like Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
If you check the books on your shelves, it’s likely that they are published by one of the top five. However, you also might see that your book has been published by a different name under one of these publishers. This is what is called an imprint. Each company has several imprints that publish different kinds of books. For example, “Harper Teen” is an imprint under HarperCollins that publishes books for young adults and teens. If you visit a publisher’s website, you will find a list of their different imprints, and you will be surprised to find out just how many there are!
Beyond the big NYC publishers, there are many indie and university presses that people, such as our own professors, use to publish literary writing. But just because these publishers are smaller doesn’t mean they aren’t important!
According to suecampbellgraphicdesign.com, an “independent press” is any publisher that not part of large conglomerates, therefore making up “half of the market share of the book publishing industry.”
Many of these small, indie presses rely on specializing in certain genres of books or magazines as well.
Some examples of smaller publishers:
Tiny Fox Press: This publisher is based in Florida and publishes only Young Adult and Adult novels.
Bellevue Literary Press: Created out of a project with NYU’s School of Medicine, this publisher wants to publish books about illness, medicine and healing.
Wave Books: Based in Seattle, they publish different forms of poetry, from contemporary poetry, to poetry in translation.
Learn more about indie, smaller publishers here:
“30 Best Small and Indie Literary Publishers”
“The Big, Big List of Indie Publishers and Small Presses”
“The Best of the University Presses”
What internships and careers are there in book publishing?
To preface, I have never had any of these jobs, so my information is limited to what I have researched:
Editorial
Similar to my internship right now, your internship in the editorial department could consist of reading manuscripts and filling out reader reports. This department “acquires, negotiates, develops, and edits book projects for publication” according to Bookjobs.com. An entry level position’s daily tasks may include drafting rejection letters, researching comparable titles, drafting cover/book jacket copy, fact/spelling/grammar checking (which is considered copyediting).
Marketing
The role of someone in marketing is to promote the book to the public. Bookjobs.com states that this department is responsible for “creating, preparing, and establishing marketing strategies and policies for each title by coordinating the efforts of publicity, promotion, advertising, online, and sales.” Digital marketing specifically deals with different ways of advertising a book online, whether through social media, videos, or blog posts.
Publicity
A book publicist’s role is to promote books and the authors but unlike marketing, they do not have a budget to do so. A publicist will reach out to news outlets, journalists, and other media in hopes they will review a book. They do this by creating press releases and press kits. They work closely with the authors and are in charge of scheduling interviews with the media and planning author tours.
Want to learn more about specific jobs within book publishing? Check out this series on YouTube!
Where to Find Internships?
- BookJobs.com is a great website, not only to learn more about the industry, but to find updated lists of internship and job opportunities! Searching for internships can be overwhelming, but this site includes a comprehensive updated list of opportunities with links to the places to apply. The website also includes “publisher profiles” with an extensive list of publishers and a detailed description of their company. This is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about this field.
- Check out the career page of the top publishers. Most publishers have social media pages too, so staying active on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn is a great way to keep updated, but also show that you are interested in books.
- Reach out to Steele Nowlin, the English department Internship Coordinator for advice and help with obtaining internships. I am majoring in digital and print journalism, so I have also received amazing help from Bob Martin and Julie Miller, who are the heads of Career Services in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State.
- Don’t be afraid to network with a fellow Penn Stater! Jackson Rekulak, a founding editor at a publisher in Philadelphia called Quirk Books, is a Penn State grad! Reaching out to people, whether through LinkedIn, email, or a phone call, can truly make a difference and help you get your foot in the door.
- Speaking of Quirk Books, don’t be afraid to research smaller publishers. Just because they are not a part of the “top 5” doesn’t mean they aren’t important! Interning at a smaller publisher can also provide valuable experience since you may have a bigger role.
The last bit of advice I want to share with you is to READ! If you want to be in book publishing, you must be an avid reader. So look for current books on the market, get familiar with popular authors, and read stories that intrigue you!
Elise Tecco is a junior studying digital and print journalism with a minor in English. Elise has always had a passion for storytelling, whether it’s through the books she reads or the words she writes. Elise is a writer for VALLEY Magazine and has written over 40 web articles and 4 articles in print. She is also the president of Ed2010, a professional networking club that allows students to meet people in the editorial and creative field. Elise worked at her local bookstore over the summer and is currently interning for a New York literary agent. She loves nothing more than spending time with her family, listening to podcasts while walking outside, and spending a cozy night playing board games and watching her favorite movies. Someday, she hopes to work for a book publishing company and maybe even write a novel of her own!