What I have been doing
11/3/09 8:16 PM
Since arriving in New York, a lot of my friends and family back home keep asking me about all the landmarks and Broadway shows I’ve been seeing. But the truth is, I haven’t seen any of it unless I happen to walk past it on the way to work. I saw a few of the usual tourist sites on my visit in the summer, but I have yet to go to a musical or a play. So inevitably, people want to know what I have been doing here. Mostly, I’ve been fixing up my apartment. When I first moved, I had this grand plan to get everything done in a week. I gave myself that first week to get settled and find furniture and put up curtains and maybe even paint. Thinking about it now makes me want to roll on the floor with hysterical laughter, because I’ve been here for three months and...Life as a publishing intern
11/3/09 1:44 PM
Since I started working as an editorial intern for Scholastic Press about a month ago, a lot of people have wondered what I actually do when I'm there. The short answer is that I read. A lot. Since I started working as an editorial intern for Scholastic Press about a month ago, a lot of people have wondered what I actually do when I'm there. The short answer is that I read. A lot. But my job is a lot of more than that, especially since it's not just a job--it's also the best way for me to learn about publishing. And I constantly am learning. Even though I've been researching the industry for years prior to working at Scholastic, and even though I've worked for two small presses in Austin, I've still barely scratched...Don't despair! All hope is not lost.
11/3/09 1:20 PM
With the country in a recession, everyone is constantly worrying about jobs and whether or not they’ll still have one a few months from now. College students, especially those nearing graduation, seem particularly concerned about getting hired for a decent job that won’t suck their souls dry and will allow them to pay all the bills. I certainly did when I was a senior. When I first arrived in New York City, it took me a month to find a job. I applied at quite a few places—bookstores, cafes, retail stores of all kinds—and only one of them called me back. Admittedly, I hadn’t exhausted all of my potential job leads by the time I landed the publishing internship, but getting my internship was also a bit of a stroke of...You've heard this before
10/23/09 5:38 PM
You know how everyone always tells you to network and utilize your contacts? It’s true. It was drilled into my head during many classes and career workshops, and it turned out to be so, so true. Even though I’d heard it so much that eventually I wanted to say, “YES. I GET IT. LAZINESS BAD. NETWORKING GOOD. NOW PLEASE TELL ME SOMETHING I DON’T KNOW,” it’s something you always need to have at the back of your mind. I would be in a very different place right now if it weren’t for some of the contacts I’ve made over the years—some of whom have even become good friends. Here’s my story: Before I’d ever heard the word “networking” used in such a context, I was already doing it. I...An Adventure
10/23/09 5:34 PM
I had everything planned... After I graduated from St. Edward’s University with my writing degree, I was going to get a fulltime job in Austin, find a cheap-but-nice apartment with my best friend, and go to graduate school in Writing for Children and Young Adults at an online school. I’d had this plan in basically that format since I was a sophomore. Then, the summer before my senior year of college, I started thinking about going somewhere else. I started thinking about New York City. Some people have dreamed of living in New York City their entire lives, but for me it was just a crazy idea that only lasted about a month before I came to my senses. I didn’t want to live there. It was huge, crowded, insane, and about ten times farther from home than I’d ever been...
