So You Want to Be an Editor? (Maybe)

I always knew it would be hard. When I looked into it during my undergraduate career, I was sure there was no way I could get in. All the internships seemed to require previous internships, and some of them were just not affordable. I wasn't sure publishing institutes worked. Everywhere I looked everyone said being overeducated was a hindrance to getting in, so I didn't go to a publishing institute. Big mistake--though I'm still not sure I want to go into publishing, so a potential big mistake. We'll see. Anywho...

When I met Cheryl Klein this past November, she finally gave me all the information I had wanted:

Step 1. Develop an internet presence. Blog, tweet, comment on other blogs, comment on publishers' web sites. Learning this while in grad school is bad timing. I don't have time for all of this right now, but I'm gonna try. Once this semester starts, I'm committing myself to one blog a week. I'll probably talk about cooking almost as much as I talk about books.

Step 2. Read, read, read. Read the books you like, read reviews, read publisher's weekly. I already read nearly non-stop, and it's often not the stuff I'd be interested in editing. I'm in grad school. There are requirements, but I'll make it work. I'd heard some of this before, but Cheryl made the process seem so much less random, and much more productive.

Step 3. Learn the ropes. If you're still an undergrad, try to get an internship. A lot of large publishing companies offer unpaid internships, which can be invaluable, but you often need to receive college credit to qualify. If you're not an undergrad, take some courses in publishing. Cheryl Klein recommended the summer publishing institutes at Columbia and the University of Denver. I had looked at DU before, but I'm looking again with the assurance that it is worth it, but I'd really like to get a little closer to the action and go to Columbia.

Step 4. Get connected.  Attending a publishing institute is a good way to network, but if it doesn't pan out, get a job in NYC doing whatever so that you can do informational interviews. Cheryl suggested that a lot of people do informational interviews to leave an impression with hiring editors, to gain knowledge about publishers, and to get their resumes put on file.

This is the general plan that Cheryl gave out (with some edits by me), so this is my plan (if I decide I don't like tech writing, but I might love tech writing). It's weird writing this blog to no one, but I'm gonna do it, and perhaps it will stop being to no one. My roommate and I are going to split a subscription to publisher's weekly. I've started reading Cheryl Klein's blog, and I'm hoping to expand my awareness of editors' blogs over time. Does Harriet McDougal keep one?