Mentor Corner: Savannah Breedlove
Editor, HarperCollins Christian Publishing
What was your first job in publishing?
I majored in strategic communications and minored in English at Lipscomb University. My education positioned me to get my first job in publishing as an administrative assistant on the fiction team at HarperCollins Christian Publishing. I started as an intern the summer after graduating, and when an opening came up on my team, I applied and was hired.
What was your career path like getting to your current role?
During my junior year, I landed a couple of internships at smaller publishers in Nashville, as well as my internship at HarperCollins. I was able to learn from the editorial and marketing teams, which helped me, as I was always interested in editorial. During my internship, I shadowed people on my current team and always made my interest clear to my manager. Right around the time my internship was wrapping up, an entry-level position on the team opened up. After a couple of years as an administrative assistant, I was promoted.
What advice would you give to those who are either just starting out or are in their first few years in publishing?
Connect with as many people outside of your current team as possible. It is also important to get an overall feel for the business as a whole. This means getting a good scope of publishing and what it looks like from different perspectives. Be someone who is always available and willing to help; that sets you apart as a team player.
Be persistent. Make it clear to everyone what you’re interested in. Don’t be afraid to voice your interests and advocate for yourself. Sell yourself to everyone you meet. I pushed myself to be more outgoing, to make myself seen. Getting used to contributing and being visible to everyone in the building helped people put a face to my name.
What are your current favorite reads?
My current favorite read is We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry. It is a domestic drama/thriller about a woman uncovering the story of her unknown aunt, one of many Black girls who went missing in 1960s North Carolina. The police didn’t properly investigate the cases, and the protagonist, Sydney Singleton, tries to connect the dots within her family history and also find the girls that no one looked for. The pacing is excellent, and I highly recommend it!
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever gotten to do while working in publishing?
The most fulfilling part of publishing for me has been shadow-editing acquisitions editors on projects where they’ve used my feedback in suggestions that were sent to the author. Seeing my edits incorporated is validating and affirms that my contributions can make a manuscript better. It is good to know that my edits are valuable and that I had a hand in crafting a storyline.
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