Going big in Manhattan

From Melissa Wahl ‘10 - English major

When I began applying for internships, I knew one thing was certain: I was going big, or going home.

I had been fortunate to have an amazing internship last summer with a non-profit organization in Chicago, but I wanted to give a large publishing house a try.  I knew that would be the only way to test what I believed was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  Consider this a trial run of sorts.

When I applied at Simon & Schuster in New York City, I knew how competitive the applicant pool could be.  I was shocked when a week after submitting my application I received a phone call from the HR department wanting to set up an interview.  I was ecstatic when I found out that they wanted me to come to New York to intern with them.

Now that I am here, it all feels like a dream.  I came not knowing what to expect, not knowing anyone, not knowing if I would leave wanting never to work at a publishing house again. But, this is more than I could have hoped for.

Originally, I was supposed to work with one of Simon & Schuster’s adult imprints, but right before I arrived they switched me to the Children’s Division.  From day one I fell in love with this job. I wake up every morning excited to go to work.  I love working at Simon & Schuster so much, that I truly hope to be employed there after I graduate.

I have learned so much about children’s book publishing. I have worked with everything from small children’s picture books to young adult novels.  I am the “Deputy Publisher” intern, and this allows me to experience a lot of things that many of the other interns do not.  I have read many submitted manuscripts and learned that the majority of what comes in is junk. But I have also reveled in the excitement when a great manuscript comes in.  Currently, two of the manuscripts that I was the first to see are in the process of being acquired by one of the editors!  I can’t wait to see them as finished products. I have also had the chance to write the “cover copy” for a few books coming out next summer, which means that I wrote the summary that will appear on the back cover.

I am working with a lot of picture books and a lot of work is done on our end before a book can go to print.  Many of the illustrators create physical pieces of art for the books, so the artwork needs to be scanned into a digital file.  In doing so, the colors change, so there is a long process of “color correcting” that needs to be done. I have been lucky enough to help with this process.  I even got to go with the editor, illustrator and designer for one of our books to the printing press for the final round of color corrections before the book is printed.  There are many full-time employees who have told me that they haven’t had that privilege!

Even though they are not paying me, there are so many redeeming things about this job. I get to spend the entire summer in New York City, living in Manhattan, and working in Rockefeller Center.  I have networked like crazy simply because everyone in this business knows everyone else. I think that will help me when I am looking for a job after I graduate.  My bank account may not be filling with money, but I am being paid in as many books from the free bookshelves on each floor of the building as I can handle.  I also get to correspond and sometimes meet the authors of my favorite books from childhood.  That is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I couldn’t have asked for a better summer.  I will miss this city and the people I have befriended during my time here. But it also makes me that much more excited to return.  Now I just need to figure out how to get all of these books home!