An Intern's Look at the Publishing Industry

I've interviewed a few publishing professionals on the blog before, but one thing I thought would be useful is for y'all to hear from interns. We're still very new to the industry; we're entry-level so our day-to-day tasks and our processes of getting into publishing are more in line with what some of y'all might be doing soon. :) I had the honor of interviewing one of my fellow interns at Bloomsbury, Chantal, and I'll be sharing my own experiences, too!

1. What are your usual tasks in this internship?

Chantal: As the publicity intern at Bloomsbury Children’s Books, my primary responsibility is organizing and maintaining blogger and reviewer mailing lists. For each category (picture books, middle grade, YA), there is a curated list of bloggers/reviewers that have shown interest or professional prowess in reviewing these categories. After I receive the advance reading copies (ARC) or final editions of our forthcoming titles, I am responsible for sending them out to every person on the list.
 Another responsibility I hold as the children’s publicity intern is sorting through NetGalley requests. These requests for an e-pub edition of a featured title can come from librarians, booksellers, reviewers, or media professionals and from all over the United States, as well as Canada. I accept or deny these requests based upon certain aspects of the user’s profile—their rejection/approval rates across publisher databases, their feedback ratio, etc.—and their social media platforms. 
Occasionally, I am asked to draft copies of press releases and galley letters for forthcoming titles. These are my favorite requests! I get to dig deep into my persuasive creativity and come up with something that will, hopefully, inspire others to read our books. 

Emma: As the children's managing editorial intern, my main task is keeping everything organized! This ranges from the foul matter (cover "drafts," manuscript pass pages [typeset pages that aren't ready to be bound into a book yet], and various print-outs) to the production bookshelves, to schedules, to filing style sheets and design memos. I get to make pages for each of the titles in each season that the team uses to keep track of deadlines in weekly production meetings (as well as outside of the meetings). Other tasks I usually do include reading jackets (making sure the final jacket is error-free, the color matches the proof, and any special details are implemented correctly) and assembling picture book proofs.

2. What has surprised you most about working in publishing?

Emma: Just how much everything is about who you know, even in "behind-the-scenes" departments like production. It's all about networking and forming connections.
There are also little things I've picked up at launches, like why holiday-themed books publish so long before said holiday (Christmas books have to be on shelves in September usually!), or what certain colors or animals will imply in a consumer's mind. That's all stuff I've never thought about before.

Chantal: Publishing continues to surprise me every day, but I think the most shocking is seeing how many people it takes to bring a book to life. I mean, before entering the publishing industry, I’d see a book on the shelf and only see the author’s name. Don’t get me wrong, the author is a HUGE part of the equation. Without their ingenuity and perseverance, the book would not exist. However, now when I see a book on the shelf, I also see the beautiful cover, knowing an art designer or illustrator created dozens of drafts before choosing the one before me. I see the agents name in the acknowledgements and wonder how many thousands of queries they must have gone through before finding this one special submission, and how many revisions it took until it ended up on the editor’s desk. I see the editor, the book’s champion, reading at their desk late at night, knowing they were supposed to leave hours ago and still unable to put it down. After rounds and rounds of editing, that manuscript becomes the book I have in my hands. I see the marketer, publicist, managing editor, sales department, production staff, interns—the list can go on and on. When I pick up a book now, I have a better appreciation and understanding of the hard work and countless hours spent bringing this book to life, and how seeing it on the shelf makes everything worth it. 

3. How did you get this internship? How many internships have you had before this?

Chantal: One of my past supervisors recommended me for this internship! And I’m so lucky she did, because I’m really enjoying my time here. I’ve held three publishing internships before starting at Bloomsbury—most notably was my summer internship at Writers House. 

Emma: I was fortunate enough to have formed a connection with the children's publicists because of this blog, so as part of my creative writing practicum, I shadowed for a day at Bloomsbury last February. While here, I got to sit down and learn about managing editorial/production at Bloomsbury from my now-supervisor. I followed up after the chat with a thank-you email (important after any type of interview, y'all!), and landed the internship I'm still doing. This is my first internship in publishing, but I did one at my university's library last spring that gave me a look at another side of the book industry.

4. What did you study in college? Did you do an additional program, or a masters in publishing/creative writing?

Emma: I majored in creative writing, minored in history. I didn't do an additional program, although my adviser told me I would need a masters. *eye-roll* I've spoken with several publishing professionals since then, and they've all told me a masters isn't necessary. An additional program - like those at NYU and Columbia - can be good for making connections, though! But I needed a break from school so I didn't want to apply to those. But if you haven't been running a book blog or doing other publishing internships, they can be a great asset.

Chantal: Funnily enough, I studied Criminal Justice and Criminology in undergrad. I’m the first person in my family to go to college and, since both my parents served in the military, I felt a strong pull towards the justice field. Originally, I thought I was going to be a cop/lawyer in Chicago (where I’m from), but after one internship at the Chicago Police Department, I knew that wasn’t my path. I floundered for a bit after that—I was too far into my program to change majors—and decided to study abroad in Brighton, England. Best decision I’ve ever made! One of my teachers at university worked in publishing and she showed me a different future, one I could imagine myself stepping into without hesitation or regret. When I returned home, I researched my options and applied to NYU’s Masters in Publishing program…and was accepted. I haven’t looked back since.

5. Why did you want to work in publishing?

Chantal: I feel like this should be an easy question—It’s the most popular question I get asked, especially during interviews, and yet I still find it hard to vocalize. I mean, I want to work in publishing to have a voice in the industry. I want to influence what books are being published and I want to get those books into the hands of readers who need them. 
Books have power—they shape who we are, our opinions, our understandings, our capacity for empathy. One of the most important lessons I learned from books is that while I’m the hero of my story, I could just as easily be the villain of someone else’s. 
Books show us the best and worst of society, can predict any number of futures…they are the foundation upon which we evolve. And children’s books are exceedingly progressive. But that’s not all they are—they are also hope and wonder and magic and strength and so many other empowering things. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling job than one in which I get to work with books all day. 

Emma: I've known I wanted to work with books for awhile, but college helped confirm that I don't want to teach English/creative writing or work in a library. So publishing was the natural route. I thought I wanted to be an editor for awhile, but I've realized I'm better at proofreading and copy editing than big picture edits, and also I like pushing books on people via publicity/marketing, so my route has changed a little. :) I really like the idea of helping someone find that book that changes their world, like so many did for me when I was younger. Whether that's in a publicity/marketing role or a production editorial role where I make sure the book is as perfect as it can be, I'm excited to make it happen.

6. Do you want to be an author as well, or are you content just helping books get out into the world?

Emma: If y'all have spent any time on this blog, you'll know I want to be an author too. I've been writing stories since I was ten, and my major was creative writing, so... But I like publishing as a day job because I get to see both sides of making a book happen, and I'd like to hope that'll make it easier for me to understand editorial and marketing decisions when my books are going out in the world some day.

Chantal: I’m completely content to just help books get out into the world! I think there is a certain spark inside those who are authors—I like to think of it as a mix of creativity, bravery, and an unexplainable need to write. While I enjoy dabbling from time to time, I just don’t have that spark. But I’m super lucky that I get to work with people that do! 

7. What are you reading right now?

Chantal: My TBR shelf is overflowing at the moment—okay, it’s always overflowing—but I just picked up The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. I haven’t read page one yet, but I’m extremely excited about it. 

Emma: The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu, which is a quiet MG book, and A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn, which is the third in a historical fiction series that is such a fun romp.

Are you interested in working in publishing? Anyone else in publishing that you'd like to hear from?

Interview with Courtney Griffin, Senior Publicist at Bloomsbury

It's been quite a while since I shared an interview with an industry professional, but that's what I have for y'all today. I met Courtney Griffin at the Boldly Bookish author tour in Chicago a year ago, and she's been a wonderful contact to have at Bloomsbury. (Although, if I'm being honest, everyone on the Bloomsbury marketing and publicity team is great.) So without further ado, here's the interview!

Emma: What does a normal work day look like for you?

Courtney: Part of the fun of working in publicity is that every day can be different. Last week I was out on the road with our Boldly Bookish tour, and literally woke up in a new city every day. Going on tour is always fun because it’s a chance to spend time with your authors, and to hear them speak passionately about their work while interacting with their readers. I also get to talk to authors every day, whether it’s working with them to set up an event or coordinating an interview. I work with bookstores all across the country (and have luckily gotten to visit a lot of them on tour).  I collaborate with the rest of the publicity department, plus our marketing and editorial teams, to brainstorm ideas or just communicate information. A large part of my job is working with media to help our books get publicity, so I’m always pitching, updating existing contacts, or researching new ones, as things are always changing. But it’s not all glamorous. I spend a lot of time doing things like writing press materials, mailing books out, processing invoices,  keeping track of mailing schedules, and organizing piles of paper on my not so neat desk.  

Emma: What role does social media play in publicity and marketing campaigns in the publishing industry?

Courtney: Social media can be crucial to publicity and marketing campaigns. I’ll confess that I stayed off of Twitter for as long as possible, but finally getting on board has really allowed me to expand my circles, personally and professionally, and build some wonderful connections and friendships. It’s so exciting when you see other people posting and sharing enthusiasm about a book you’re working on, and social media is such a great catalyst for spreading that excitement. It’s also really fun when I get to meet bloggers when I’m traveling for work.

Emma: What do you recommend someone study in college, if they want to become a book publicist?

Courtney: I studied English in college and thought I wanted to work in editorial, but a publicity opportunity came along and I haven’t been able to give it up!  I think you can really study anything, as long as your writing and communication skills are strong, you have patience, and you are easily excited by things like orderly signing lines.

Emma: Do you get to read for pleasure, or is your reading time consumed with books for work?

Courtney: I do make time to read for pleasure, though I always wish I had more. I love reading YA and middle-grade, but I also really enjoy reading adult fiction and nonfiction. I think I need the balance to keep me sane.

Emma: What should bloggers know about working with publicists?

Courtney: Working with bloggers is so lovely and seeing their excitement about a book is definitely contagious. Though we wish we had enough ARCs to send every book to every blogger who requested it, we truly do have limited quantities. I’m also a big fan of when bloggers send me review links; even if I’m not able to respond to every email, it’s very much appreciated! 

Emma: What should aspiring authors know about working with publicists?

Courtney: It’s always great when authors are excited and willing to work to promote their books. Publicists generally are working on several titles at one time and maybe even several tours at one time, but we always aim to do our best for your book. We’re all book lovers and we want your book to do well!

Emma: Bloomsbury has some of the best preorder campaigns. Is there a particular one that's been your favorite?

Courtney: Our marketing team does such a wonderful job creating the preorder campaigns. I think my favorite so far has been the tote bags for Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. As someone who read through nearly every preorder email, I think it’s safe to say this has been a favorite for readers too. 

Emma: What upcoming 2016 and 2017 releases are you excited for?

Courtney: I got excited just reading this question. Danielle Paige’s STEALING SNOW in Fall of 2016. I love the twists and turns she works into her books, and think her fans will really love this one. I’m also really looking forward to Emery Lord’s next book, The Names They Gave Us, which comes out in 2017. You can always count on Emery’s novels to be smart, thoughtful, and feel so genuine. I’m also really looking forward to reading Diane Guerrero’s memoir, IN THE COUNTRY WE LOVE, which just came out. I love her in Jane the Virgin and Orange is the New Black, so I’m looking forward to learning more about her background and her family’s experience in the US.

Emma: I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for Emery Lord's upcoming book. She's such a great writer.

Courtney's bio:

Courtney Griffin is a children’s book publicist in Manhattan. She enjoys cuddling with dogs, reading books, watching TV, and drinking coffee. She lives in Brooklyn with a stuffed unicorn and other roommates.

You can find her on Twitter at @cocogriff.

So does the publicity side of publishing interest you? Or what other careers in the book industry would you like to see interviews about?

Interview with Rachel B., a Bookseller

So earlier this month, I interviewed a cover designer. And I realized I want to interview more industry professionals. So today on the blog, I have Rachel B. She's one of the booksellers at my favorite indie ever, Read Between the Lynes.

Born and raised in Woodstock, Rachel ventured to warmer climes for college. She recently graduated from Tulane University with an English degree, or as she likes to say, earned a very expensive piece of paper that says she likes to read. She particularly delights in escaping into books with a fantasy element, although she also enjoyed the occasional foray into other genres - including acquiring a taste for non-fiction. When not reading, she can usually be found yelling about whichever sports team is currently playing.

Emma: Currently, you're a bookseller at Read Between the Lynes. What's the best part of working at an independent bookstore?

Rachel: The best part, by far, is helping get kids into reading. Being able to guide them toward the right book, that book that’s going to make them fall in love with stories. When a kid comes back all excited about how much they loved the book and what else they can read like it - there’s no better feeling. There’s one specific young customer who hadn’t been much of a reader until she picked up Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly. Then the reading bug bit her, and her mom was more than happy to oblige by purchasing her a nice stack. She ended up reading The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, whose agent knows Arlene (the owner), and we had her write a review of the book. We posted it in the store as well as sending a copy to Tracey, who then sent a letter and some swag back. This young customer was absolutely delighted, and I have it on good authority that she completely freaked out when she was no longer in public. I feel truly lucky to have played even a small role in nurturing her budding love of reading.

Emma: What led you to work at a bookstore?

Rachel: Ha! There are a few versions of this story. One of them is that I always wanted to work there and had wondered how one got hired. The answer turned out to be walk in the door to preorder Ruin and Rising and walk out with a job offer. After growing up with the store (it opened the year I turned 13), there was nothing more natural than the idea of working there.

The less glamorous version is that I’d ended up with an English degree at college, thought the logical path was to work in publishing, realized it wasn’t actually what I wanted to do, graduated college clueless, moved back home, and stumbled into the job as described above.

Emma: What's one thing you wish more people knew about working at a bookstore?

Rachel: Just because you love reading doesn’t mean it’s the perfect job for you. Contrary to popular belief, we DON’T get to sit around reading all day. It’s a lot of work, and it’s definitely still a retail job. Especially at an independent bookstore, customer service is everything. It can be exhausting, because on top of interacting with customers, you also have to do a little of everything. There’s no chance to just sit around and see a task through. So it takes a different kind of focus, to be able to leave something in the middle multiple times to help a customer and then go right back to it. I’m constantly swapping out ‘hats’ throughout the day.

Emma: I know you also worked for a literary agency. Can you tell my readers about that?

Rachel: Absolutely! I interned at Dunham Literary in NYC. I’m going to reveal how absolutely not on top of things I am here, but rather like my job at RBTL, I kind of stumbled into this one. I came home from studying abroad in Dublin for a year and within a week was going stir crazy. So I applied to any and all internships that were still available, and was stunned when I actually got one! I’d never even been to New York City before, and suddenly I was on my way to live there for a summer!

My primary duties (aside from office stuff as necessary) were managing the slush pile and reading manuscripts. Not to brag, but I was REALLY good at the slush pile. I’m a pretty critical person, so it was no trouble for me to pick out the good from the bad without trying to be overly sympathetic to the author. I don’t mean for that to sound harsh, but your query has to be as amazing as your book. Write it, edit it, polish it as shiny as it can possibly be. It’s not my job to overlook the cracks in your query. At the same time, there is a lot of utter crap that agencies get. So at least having something that follows the agency’s rules and sounds vaguely coherent gets you past the first stage of screening. The part a writer probably doesn’t want to hear though is that there’s a certain element of luck involved. Your query may come at the end of a long day when the agent (or intern) reading your query just wants to go home. Your query may come after one that was utterly spectacular. But at the same time, your query may also come with a bunch of bad queries, making yours seem extra special by comparison. As much as I tried to read everything on a fair and even scale, it’s never entirely possible.

I did have a really good time during my internship, and at the end of the summer, I thought for sure I was going to be back after graduation. But when I was settled back at school and did some more thinking, I decided that at this point in my life, publishing wasn’t the right path for me. Kind of like bookstores, reading books is the fun part of the job. There’s a lot more work to it than that. And unfortunately, it’s an industry that doesn’t pay all that well. You have to really, really, REALLY love what you’re doing, because you’re probably going to be living with roommates and scraping by for the first decade of your career. New York was also just not the right place for me to live. A lot of things went into that decision. But it led me to Read Between the Lynes to see how publishing worked on the OTHER end of the production line. It’s definitely been cool getting to see the whole process of how a book becomes real.

Emma: Did any of the manuscripts you read get picked up by publishers?

Rachel: In fact, two of them have. First & Then by Emma Mills was the very first manuscript I read, and she definitely set the bar high. I had no idea how much I needed this book until I read it. How it was pitched caught my eye immediately: Pride & Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights. Although I love books, I’m arguably even more passionate about sports. I went to every home football game in high school, and a good number of the away games too...and was one of the loudest ones there. In so many schools, sports are an enormous part of the culture, whether one is a fan or not, and we don’t often see that reflected in YA books. First & Then managed to capture that spirit perfectly. Also, it’s just plain cute and wonderful and swoony. EVERYONE MAKE SURE TO PICK IT UP IN OCTOBER.

The other one that’s due for publication in February 2016 is The Last Boy at St. Edith’s by Lee Gjertsen Malone. I’m almost more interested to read this one when it comes out, because I didn’t actually recommend it. I had some big problems with it, although the writing was clearly good. I’m excited to see how it got edited and changed to make it better. Remember how I said I was very critical? Perhaps on this one I was a bit TOO critical.

Emma: What advice do you have for teens who want to work in the book industry someday?

Rachel: Read a lot, and force yourself out of your comfort zone. I know, I struggle with this one too. But it will be useful in any job you have, whether you’re selling books to people or helping make them happen. If all the books you read are in an echo chamber, that’s all you’ll ever produce. Also, make yourself present. I got hired at the bookstore because I went in there constantly, I bought books there, I talked with the employees. They knew me. Get on Twitter. Talk to authors, talk to agents, talk to editors. While that won’t help get you a job directly, it’ll help you know about the industry before you even try to join it. I even learned about the internship I ended up getting because someone tweeted about it in my feed. Just because you don’t work in the industry yet doesn’t mean you can’t still participate in it.

Emma: Any recent or upcoming releases you're excited about?

Rachel: SIX OF CROWS SIX OF CROWS SIX OF CROWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*takes deep breath*

Okay, now that that’s out of my system. It’s no secret that I love Leigh Bardugo’s grishaverse. I was honestly a bit scared to read Six of Crows because of how much I loved the trilogy. I didn’t want to be disappointed. And boy was I not. The word ‘swoon’ is used a lot for YA books, but it’s honestly been a long time since I’ve swooned like this over a book. I told Leigh after I finished that I’m very bad at books with a group cast. I can never keep them all straight. For Six of Crows? I feel like I know each of the characters personally. Plus, my Kaz feelings are through the roof. He’s EXACTLY my kind of character. I can’t wait for this book to be in the world.

And what would be my favorite fall release if not for Six of Crows, I can’t wait for the release of Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This book works its “found file” style to the max, making for perfect dramatic pacing and information reveal. If my Kaz feelings are through the roof, then my AIDAN feelings are through the walls of the spaceship and floating around in the infinite black. You can definitely draw some conclusions about my character from my love of these two. Please don’t.

Emma: And standard question time: do you have a favorite fairytale?

Rachel: I admit, this is the question that stumped me. I’m a wordy person, so the previous questions challenged me to not write a novel for each answer. I never especially loved any “classic” fairytale growing up. I actually prefer fairy stories, like the real ones. Don’t ever screw with a fairy. Don’t walk home alone from the pub at night through the open field. I loved hearing about how one town banded together in Ireland when they were going to tear down a tree to build a road. It was a fairy tree, and no way were they going to risk that. Instead the road splits to go around the tree.

I did always find fascination with Diamonds and Toads (Charles Perrault), otherwise known to myself as the story of the witch at the well. One daughter is kind to the witch and fetches her a drink of water, and she blesses her to have precious gems spill from her mouth at every word. Then when her sister goes to the well, the witch appears differently and she scorns the witch, and is cursed to have toads and vipers come from her mouth when she speaks. Gross but cool, right?

Emma: Thanks so much, Rachel!
Rachel: Thanks so much for having me! It’s been fun! If anyone has anything else they want to know about working in a bookstore or interning at an agency, I’d be happy to talk with you in more detail!
Emma: Yes! Let me know if you want to chat more with Rachel, and I shall get you in contact with her.

Interview with Erin Fitzsimmons, Associate Art Director at HarperCollins

So if you're like me, you might wonder what various jobs in the publishing industry entail. A blogger friend, Shae, recently talked about being a literary scout intern, which is a job I never knew existed. 

I have a friend, though, who recently asked me about illustrating children's books. She loves to read, and draw, and paint, and take photos. I mentioned cover design to her, but I personally didn't know what all of that would entail. So I went directly to a cover designer I knew of: Erin Fitzsimmons. She's an associate art director at HarperCollins, and I knew if I could get an interview with her, I could get some of Hannah's questions answered - as well as help out other aspiring cover designers. So without further ado, my interview with Erin Fitzsimmons.

Emma: I know you get this question pretty much every time, but could you explain to my readers what an associate art director does?

Erin: Absolutely! I think it does vary from company to company, so I can tell you what I do in my role at HarperCollins. My role as Associate Art Director consists primarily of managing the design and art direction of new book covers and interiors for one editorial team. For me, this means working on mostly middle grade and YA titles, with the occasional picture book and graphic novel!

I have an incredibly talented designer who works with me, and she designs about half of the titles on the list. The other half of the titles I might design myself or I hire outside freelancers to work on. When working with my designer, my role is to help her concept for new titles, or to encourage her along as she develops concepts on her own. Depending on the complexity and level of the project, I might be more involved or less involved with each aspect of the design process. I’m horrible at editing my own work, but I love seeing her ideas and helping her narrow down to the strongest covers!

The great thing about my role is I do still get to design some titles, although significantly fewer than I was before I took on this title. Designing is my passion, but there is something very fun about art directing as well. I love finding new artists, and working with them on a concept I’ve sketched up, or giving them a brief to come up with concepts on their own. There’s nothing more rewarding for an art director than taking one concept from sketch to final, and seeing your vision executed with perfection.

A very large part of any art director’s job is being the liaison between the publisher, the author and agent, and the artist. We always strive to create a cover that makes all parties happy, and sometimes that can be more complicated, but it’s our job to find the best solution and continually push the design to be its best.

Emma: What does your average work day look like?

Erin: Usually it’s a mix between meetings with editors to talk about new covers, actually designing covers or jackets, emailing with artists, and circulating materials for books in progress. Every day includes a lot of emailing artists.  Some days are heavier on meetings, or we have more deadlines coming up, so I need to focus on my inbox. I try and keep a balance, or else I can get overwhelmed and can fall behind in one area. I love meeting with editors to share cover concepts or to show them final art, but the absolute best days are the days that I get to design!

Emma: What skills do you think an aspiring cover designer should have or learn?

Erin: This might sound strange but...time management! Work ethic, creativity, and technical skills are all incredibly important, but you’ll need technical skills to get any job in design, and I’m not quite sure you can learn to have a work ethic or to be creative. I think those come naturally. But I do think you can learn to manage your time, and I think if you can do that, you will find working in any design environment much easier, and you’ll be able to manage the day-to-day tasks (emails, circulating jackets and interiors, etc.) in an efficient manner which will leave you more time to actually design! (And that’s all we want to do really - design.)

Emma: Is there anything important they should study in college?

Erin: I didn’t go to design school, so I’m not even sure what you’re supposed to study to become a cover designer! The classes that helped me the most were Photoshop classes. Since I knew Photoshop, I was able to teach myself InDesign and Illustrator (though I suppose it’d be much easier if you took actual classes in those!)

And, again it may sound odd, but I read a ton in college, and was constantly analyzing and writing about readings. As cover designers, we are constantly reading manuscripts, so I’d say reading comprehension is a great skill to have if you want to work in book cover design!

Emma: How do you choose what to put on a cover? Are there specific scenes or detail you make note of if you're able to read the book?

Erin: In many ways, the cover imagery kind of chooses itself. I do try to take notes and sketch while I’m reading. Sometimes an image jumps out to me immediately, and I can’t get it out of my head while I’m reading. This happened recently on Challenger Deep. I had this image of Caden underwater, with a tangled, messy line, in my head from the very beginning. It was very cool to see my idea brought to life by the extremely talented artist Andy Bridge.

If I don’t have a specific idea while I’m reading, I like to make lists of words that come to mind when I think of the book, such as general themes, or specific elements. I use this list to begin researching imagery and artists, and then I see where that research takes me. The process becomes more exploratory then, and we can go through many iterations of a cover before we settle on the final image.

Emma: How much input do outside influences have on a cover? (i.e., the author, the editor, marketing teams, and so forth)

Erin: Quite a bit. We want everyone to be happy and excited with the cover direction, so sometimes we need to make changes based on feedback from different teams. We work most closely with the editors, so they are very involved from the beginning. But as we get closer to a final cover, we share with the sales and marketing teams, and the author. For the most part, everyone is usually on happy and board, maybe with minor changes! But there are the occasional titles where they see something we didn’t, or they had a different vision for the cover. So we adapt and come up with a better solution!

Emma: Is there anything you see becoming a cover trend in the very near future?

Erin: Gosh, I wish I knew! Do you see something? Do tell, do tell! ;)

I do think we’ve reached the peak of the illustrated/hand-lettered cover trend, so the market is definitely ripe for a new trend. It’s anybody’s guess! I can’t tell if I’d love or hate to be the one to set the trend. I think I’d love it? Who knows!

Emma: Do you have a preference for which genre of YA fiction you design for? (Contemporary, fantasy, futuristic, etc.)

Erin: I thought I used to, but now I really enjoy working on a variety of genres! That’s kind of the best part about being an art director -- I assign the titles so I can give myself a nice variety to work on. It can get monotonous (and difficult) to design for the same type of book over and over again, so it’s great to mix it up.

Emma: What is one thing more people should know about cover designers/cover design?

Erin: We’re huge nerds. And we love books as much as you do!!!

Thanks again, Erin! 

If you want to check out more of Erin's work, here are the links to her website and her Twitter.

Website

Twitter