Intern Corner: Elle Feigin
Marketing Intern, Astra Books for Young Readers.
What is something surprising that you’ve learned, be it the particular department you are interning in, the publishing house, or the industry?
I found it surprising how much the different elements of the publishing house overlap and collaborate. As an intern, it’s exciting because it means I get to see a lot of different parts of the publishing world, not just my one imprint or department. I’m not sure if it’s like that across the industry, as this is my first experience in publishing, but I think it has to do with being a smaller publishing house. It’s small quarters, symbolically and literally. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to glance into every aspect of the field and have been surprised (and grateful) by how much access I’ve been given.
Is there anything about working in this department that you weren’t expecting?
I wasn’t expecting how much I would use skills that I didn’t think had much to do with publishing. For instance, some of the work I’ve done so far includes graphic design and having a good grasp of Canva. This is a skill that I picked up while working in a non-profit, and while I knew design would be a part of marketing, I didn’t realize how much it would come up in everyday work. Some of the best advice I’ve received from coworkers and past interns is to pick up as many small skills as possible. These things come up much more than you’d realize, even if just for very small tasks, and having these skills practiced and honed has made my life a million times easier.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve done so far?
One very cool project that I got to do recently was working on some campaign materials for Rosemary Well’s upcoming book, The Little Chefs! That was exciting because I have always been such a huge fan of Max and Ruby. Ironically enough, I had the theme song to the TV show stuck in my head the week leading up to getting the request for this project. I guess something in me knew it was coming (or the song was trending on TikTok… one of the two). Overall, I’ve gotten to work on many cool mini-projects for authors. I got to make book-themed postcards, activity sheets, and seasonal campaigns. That’s something fun about being an intern, at least at ABFYR: I’ve been given the chance to take charge of lots of little projects and work directly with authors or publicists on their ideas.
Any advice you would want to give to others starting out in Publishing?
This is some basic advice, but it was extremely helpful. Keep an open mind about what you want to do in publishing. I feel like most young people going into publishing think that editorial writing is the only way you’d be involved in making a book. So many things go into publishing that some people don’t give a proper chance. Especially at smaller publishing houses, the odds are that you’ll be able to get involved in many different aspects of the process. To approach your job search or new role with preconceived ideas about what you’re supposed to do in the field will limit you. The fun part about interning is seeing the variety of work you can do on a book. Keeping an open mind and trying to get excited about every step of the process will help you find the best fit for you!
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