Growing up, books were a much-needed reprieve from reality when times were tough at home. By age fourteen, I was volunteering at my public library, eventually getting a part-time gig as a page in high school. I even founded my high school's book club (still going strong to this day!). When I was headed for college, my high school librarian (we were close!) urged me to consider Library Sciences; however in my indecision, I somehow landed in Psychology. It wasn't until my "quarter life crisis," during which I spent a year teaching English in South Korea and had a stint working as a bookseller in LA that I realized books were always my passion and I needed to actually do something about it. I eventually took a publishing course, followed by an internship and the rest is history!
Can you tell us a little bit about what you do as a Senior Publicist at HarperCollins?
There's always a lot of gray area when trying to distinguish between Marketing and Publicity. A rule of thumb: if it's free promotion (reviews, interviews, etc.) it's Publicity; if you are paying for it (ads), it's Marketing. Building a solid media contact base to pitch books to is a large part of my job, but I also focus on giving good author care, particularly in the last several months prior to publication. A publicist wears many hats to achieve this, from guiding authors through a book's promotional campaign, to being their hype woman, and even their occasional pep-talker (negative reviews can be crushing in this labor of love). Like any kind of publicist, my primary goal is securing media coverage and organizing events to promote awareness of a product. I'm fortunate enough to do that for something I'm passionate about.
What challenges have you faced in your career and how have you overcome them?
Imposter syndrome--it's a bitch. Of course, the longer I work in publishing, the more confident I become. Things that used to seem like a HUGE deal back when I was an assistant don't cause me a full-on anxiety freakout like they once did. The more mistakes I've made and the more hiccups I've had to overcome, the more experience I have in knowing how things will play out, that it's not the end of the world, and that I am not, in fact, a fraud. The biggest thing to help me overcome this has been training more junior people in the industry. When I see them stressing over things that I'm now a pro at, it really puts into perspective how much I've grown. It also feels great to reassure them that they aren't alone and they will find their footing soon, too.
What have been your favorite books of 2020 so far?
I recently read and loved Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. It's a whip smart and humorous commentary on what it's like to be a 20-something Black woman who must awkwardly--and often painfully--navigate traditionally white spaces. As a mixed-race Black woman from Indiana who now works in book publishing, it's safe to say I felt seen.
If you could choose a dream book/author to have been a publicist for in the past 100 years, which book/author would you choose?
That's a no brainer--Michelle Obama for Becoming!I can't imagine a more exciting or rewarding campaign to have been a part of. I'll hold out hope for her next book but would settle for her husband's in a pinch.
By Fareeda Bullert
Harriett's Bookshop, named for historic heroine Harriet Tubman, is located in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia and celebrates women authors, women artists, and women activists. Here are a few books owner Jeannine A. Cook has recommended in the past: The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead, Beloved by Tony Morrison, and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
Location: 258 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
The Latinx KidLit Book Festival is a virtual celebration of Latinx KidLit authors, illustrators, and books for all readers and educators. The festival will open its virtual doors from December 4-5, 2020, and present two free days of keynote sessions, Q&A events, and panels with your favorite Latinx authors and illustrators of picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novel, and poetry. The sessions are geared toward readers and educators everywhere. Everyone is welcome!
