the practical writer HOW TO GET PAID75 POETS & WRITERSWriters working in publishing have
greater access to agents and editors,
along with firsthand knowledge of how
books are acquired and pub-
lished. But these advantages
will carry a writer only so far.
“I don’t think you can publish
a book because you like a per-
son,” Zancan says. “It’s such
a commitment to publish a
novel that I don’t think you
can do it for any other reason
than because you feel you can
publish that novel well, re-
gardless of who the author is.”
And, in some cases, literary
success can create problems
for people working in publish-
ing. Crosley remembers call-
ing newspaper editors to talk
up one of her authors at Vintage only
to be asked when she herself would be
releasing her next book. “I know we can
all hear the microscopic violin playing
when I say that, but it is a problem,” she
says. “It’s a small problem for me but
potentially a big problem for the peo-
ple I’m trying to advocate for. I loved
those books. It didn’t change how hard Iworked for them or how much I wanted
them to succeed—but I can see how it’s
not a great look.”
Then, too, some senior editors and
agents resist hiring aspiring writers,
fearing they will see publishing as a wayto jump-start a writing career rather
than as a career in its own right. Writers
who look at jobs in publishing this way,
according to those who have
worked in the industry, are
making a mistake. Building a
career in publishing requires
years of training, long hours
of often underpaid labor, and
a genuine interest in the busi-
ness of publishing books.
“Obviously you learn a
tremendous amount about
the business,” Crosley says.
“There are the authors you
meet and the executives to
whom you report. It would
be disingenuous of me to
suggest that I got nothing
from my career in publishing.
But I wouldn’t necessarily say, ‘Hey, go
work at a really good publishing house
for nine years on the off chance you
might publish a zeitgeisty collection of
essays.’ That doesn’t seem like a good
financial plan.”NURTURE YOUR
WORDS. NURTURE
YOUR WRITING.
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improve my own craft, to refine my voice.”
AXIE OH ’17, Author of Rebel SeoulAre you ready to commit to your craft?
Immerse yourself in a community of writers
and specialize in one of six different genres
at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.LOW-RESIDENCY | MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING
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Some senior editors and agents resist hiring
aspiring writers, fearing they will see
publishing as a way to jump-start a writing
career rather than as a career in its own
right. Writers who look at jobs in publishing
this way, according to those who have worked
in the industry, are making a mistake.