Introduction from a Writer and Editor
Working on both sides of the publishing industry.
Hi! I’m Jamie, a publishing professional and recently agented writer.
My first-ever job out of college was at a literary agency in 2013, where I worked as their in-house editor for two years. Then . . . I got laid off. And then I couldn’t find another job in publishing . . . because I lived in Atlanta.
When I lost my first-ever publishing job, I was in a pickle. I wanted to stay in publishing, but being in Atlanta, there weren’t a lot of opportunities to do so. A majority of in-house positions were still in New York. I’d been trying to get hired at the only traditional publishing house in Atlanta, but the positions were scarce and the competition high.
Instead, I worked in other editorial positions across different industries for several years. Finally, I decided if I really wanted to work in publishing but not live in New York, I would need to pivot to freelance editing, at the very least part-time.
So I did. And I enjoyed it! I loved working with authors again and cheering them on. Then one day, in 2021, I received an email from the publishing company in Atlanta saying they had kept my resume on file and had an opening in managing editorial.
And, well? The rest of that is history.
Something I haven’t mentioned is that even longer than I’ve worked as an editor, I’ve been a writer. I always knew I wanted to tell stories and publish books. I decided to major in creative writing in college. I couldn’t imagine not writing.
While I loved helping authors tell their stories, my ultimate goal was to tell my own stories, to publish books of my own.
What I’m going to write about.
Having been on both sides of the industry—as a querying writer and working as an editor—I’ve had some experiences that I think would be helpful to share with those who might only be on one side or the other.
I queried for nine years (on and off) before I signed with my agent—and I got the offer nearly three years after I started working in house again.
Here are the types of things I’m going to write about:
Does working in publishing actually help you land a book deal?
Do you really need an MFA to get published?
How important are publishing degrees or certificates if you want to work in the industry?
What are the different types of editors at a publishing house?
What is it like working on both sides of the industry?
These are just some examples of topics I’ll cover. And, of course, if you have any burning questions or subjects you’d like me to discuss, I’d love to hear from you!
What you can expect.
I really hope I can use my position—both as a writer and industry professional—to help shed some light on publishing processes that might otherwise seem completely opaque. This includes the process of getting an actual book deal, the different kinds of editors who work your book, and, of course, where the author fits into all of this.
I also hope I can encourage all writers—especially those who don’t specifically work in publishing—to continue telling their stories. They matter, and you matter.
I’ll try to post whenever a new topic presents itself—be it posts I see on social media, conversations about power dynamics between agents and writers, or woes from the querying trenches or the dreaded submission period (where I currently am).
So, if you’re looking to hear from someone who’s been on both sides of the story . . .
Subscribe! I truly hope my content will help authors see more into the side of the publisher, and vice versa. And for those of you who are also straddling the line between both sides, I hope you see a little bit of yourselves in here, too.
Until next time!