Blog
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Booki Vivat: How I Got into Publishing
Associate Publicist at HarperCollins Children’s Books
Let’s get this out of the way first.
Yes, I work in publishing.
Yes, my name really IS Booki.Sometimes I joke that I got hired because of my name. Who knows, that might be kind of true.
To be honest, I didn’t plan on working in publishing. Actually, I didn’t plan on studying writing or literature, or anything book-related at all. At one point, I was heading towards biochemistry and pharmacy school. To be fair, at another time, I was thinking pretty seriously about becoming an elephant trainer.
Things change.
One constant, though, is that I have always been a book person. When I was forced, (as we all eventually are) to really consider the future, I thought about what I liked and what I wanted to spend my time doing. It always came back to books.
I had no idea how to turn that into a legitimate career, so I combed my college database for even a whiff of the word “book.” For a while, I worked at an aquarium gift shop and bookstore which, despite the cute sea animal plushies and fantastic ocean view, was not exactly what I had in mind.
Eventually, my search led me to a literary agency in San Diego. I interviewed with the agent there and convinced him to let me hang around that summer as his intern. The office was like a gold mine of children’s literature—shelves filled with my favorite authors/illustrators, picture book artwork lining the walls, that sort of thing.
I had somehow stumbled into this world where I finally felt I belonged, and by the end of the summer, I was SOLD.
When I graduated, I contacted him again with an eager, but admittedly clueless email that went something like this: “Remember me? Your old intern? I still like books! I still want to work in publishing! What should I do?”
Okay, a little more professional and a few less exclamation points, but that was the gist of it. He gave me some encouraging advice and made a future in publishing seem like a real possibility—not an impossible pipe dream, but something I could actually do (and do well).The fact is, though, I was in California and most of publishing was not. Moving to the other side of the country sounded hard, especially with student loans and no savings or job prospects. Plus, ever since I said I wanted to work in New York, it seemed like everyone felt obligated to warn me about how ruthless the city was and how difficult it was to get a job, let alone one in publishing.
So I moved to a different country. No, really, I did.
I taught English at a public middle school in South Korea partly as a post-grad quest for life experience and partly to save up money. Turns out, it also expanded my appreciation for children’s books and their ability to reach readers on such a profoundly massive scale in such a deeply personal way. My students and I bonded over stories that transcended our language barrier, age gap, and cultural divide. I never expected my extensive knowledge of the Wizarding World to earn me any sort of street cred, but hey, life is weird.
After two years, I moved to New York. I worked at a bookstore in the city and reached out to the agent once again: “Remember me? Your old, old intern? I still like books! I still want to work in publishing! I’m in New York—now what?”
Even though it had been years, my short summer internship helped connect me to former interns who made the same move and were now working in the industry. They then recommended me to an internship program at a prestigious literary agency in the city. There, I met even more amazing book people who helped me channel my love of reading into a more informed enthusiasm for the publishing world.
There is a lot to be said about cultivating relationships with people who recognize your potential and want to see you do well. These people are the best. They are the whole reason I’m even working in publishing now.
When a position at HarperCollins Children’s Books opened up, I applied despite knowing very little about book publicity. Somehow I got the job, and I’m sure it had a lot to do with the people who had been rooting for me the whole time.
My name might have helped too, so thanks Mom.
I realize my short “how I got into publishing” post has morphed into a rambling, nostalgic diary entry about how much I love publishing and the people in it, but maybe that’s okay.
After all, the one unanimous thing people told me when I said I wanted to work in publishing was, “You have to love it”.
And I guess I really really do.
Booki Vivat is currently an Associate Publicist at HarperCollins Children’s Books. She grew up in California and graduated from University of California, San Diego with a double major in Literature/Writing and Communications. She now lives in Brooklyn and is now steadily amassing her own personal library on the east coast. She doodles a lot.
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Confession: it takes a lot to make me cry.
It’s not that I’m not an emotional person, or that if I’m having a drink with you and your heartbreaking story doesn’t bring an immediate tear to my eye that I’m not moved. I just don’t do the whole crying thing (complete with pretty tears) very often. I have consistently tested as a “Thinker” (as opposed to “Feeler”) on the Myers Briggs’ personality test, so I tend to digest and process most life experiences and the sad things I see in the world logically. While I do get upset from time to time, I muddle through life for the most part with dry eyes.
That said, when it happens, it’s never pretty.
When the world of social media blew up last week with the details following the death of poor Cecil the lion, I was amazed at how much of a strong, visceral reaction I had to the entire situation almost immediately. I’m talking ugly crying - angry tears. It…wasn’t attractive.
Here was an animal I didn’t know (my only encounters with lions being at the zoo behind glass walls), and yet the reaction I felt was almost as if this animal was a close, personal friend. The logical part of my brain reasons it quite simply. Here was a beautiful, majestic fellow creature in the world, one who inspired and delighted generations, served as an invaluable research subject for the University of Oxford, and brought in needed wealth and support for Zimbabwe, all sacrificed for the benefit of one man’s ego. Cecil’s life ended horribly, and there was no one there to protect him, to speak up for him, or to save him in the end. And that made me very upset.
Why am I talking about this on a diversity blog? Because in the midst of this horribly sad story, there emerged a small silver lining that I think pertains to the diversity conversation. Following Cecil’s death, there was an incredible, powerful, and immediate wave of support for the poor creature that emerged from humans worldwide. From financial donations (almost $500,000 raised within 48 hours after the story broke), to social media outrage, to petitions and movements demanding both justice for Cecil and protection for his pride, it was incredible to see just how quickly humankind jumped in line to offer a voice for a fellow creature who suffered in silence.
As human beings, we often take for granted just how powerful our voices can be when used effectively. For Cecil, the way supporters’ voices compounded offered just a little bit of positivity amongst what was otherwise a completely horrifying situation.
Within our industry alone, there are many voices that need this sort of positive, unwavering, and inspiring support on a regular basis. Think of the teen who is coming to terms with his sexuality for the first time in a high school where those who don’t fit the status quo are ostracized and targeted by bullies. Or the little girl who is attending her first day of school where she doesn’t quite look like everyone else and doesn’t know how comfortable she feels speaking up in class. As publishers, authors, booksellers, librarians, and book lovers alike, it is vital to celebrate, promote, and fight for a world that offers a voice to those who feel voiceless, and support for those who need it most.
How can we do this? By publishing books that cover the entire spectrum of the human experience and more accurately reflect the multicultural world we live in –making diverse authors, characters, and stories a constant priority at every house. By providing authors of diverse backgrounds with the necessary forums to reach those kids who need to know they’re not alone in the world on a regular basis. By partnering with local LGBTQ groups, at-risk youth programs, and other organizations to reach those kids most in need of a voice beyond their local bookstore.
Cecil’s story became a phenomenon in part due to the support and voice humankind offered a creature who couldn’t speak for himself. Can’t we do at least that much for our own kind?
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