By Jessica Anderson (ECC Member, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group)
What is a typical day like for you as a Managing Editor at Macmillan Children’s?
I make a long to-do list in the morning, then I drink too much coffee and answer a few emails. All of a sudden it’s four o’clock and I haven’t tackled a single item on my to-do list. . . .
Have you held other kinds of jobs in publishing? How did you end up doing what you do now?
I was a publicity intern in college at Andrews McMeel Publishing in Kansas City. It was a great way to figure out that I wanted to work in book publishing—specifically children’s. I just had to figure out which department was the best fit for me.
I also worked as a copy chief at my university newspaper, and I knew I wanted to apply my copyediting skills and type A organization to book publishing. I started as the Assistant to the Managing Editor at Macmillan Children’s shortly after graduation, and I’ve worked my way up in the department over the past few years.
Production editors are essential in moderating the needs and concerns of design, editorial, production, and even sales. What advice would you give to someone first starting out?
Learn as much about how each department works as possible. The more you know about the jobs your coworkers are doing, the easier it will be for you to organize the team and work efficiently. Communication is an incredibly important part of the job. Make connections in every department and be open to learning.
Editorial “chemistry” can make a big impact on the bookmaking process. How do you determine who might be a good copyediting/proofreading match for any given project? What makes for a bad match?
After a while, you get to know what kind of copyedit or proofread your editors prefer, and what kind of work each freelancer delivers. It also depends quite a bit on the genre and age range of the book. Some freelancers have a knack for chapter books and middle grade, while others prefer young adult.
What is your favorite genre/age range to work on and why?
I love working on picture books and any kind of graphic novel. The art adds a few layers to the copyediting work that you do, and can sometimes prove challenging, but it always keeps things interesting. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some incredibly visually stunning books.
Reading anything good right now? Alternatively, what was the last book you really loved?
I have a hard time doing any kind of personal reading since I read so much at work and I also freelance copyedit and proofread outside of work. A few projects I’ve taken on recently that I really enjoyed were The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo and The Soul Keepers by Devon Taylor. And I finally got my hands on a copy of the graphic novel Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu, and I couldn’t be more excited to read it!
