Our Magazine Archive - Beaufort Books

Maribelle’s Shadow REVIEW!

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023

James A. Cox from Midwest Book Review — check out the full review here!

Synopsis: As the editorial director of Palm Beach Confidential, Maribelle Walker knows what lurks beneath the glittering facade of the moneyed elite on Florida’s most glamorous coast. Or does she?

When her adored and impressive husband, Samuel, dies suddenly, the secrets and lies between Maribelle and her sisters rise to the surface. Compounding the anguish, the authenticity of their socially ambitious mother and lavish lifestyle of mansions, privilege and couture clothes is thrown into doubt.

As their carefully constructed image unravels, each sister realizes she must fend for herself. The pathway out is steep and worth any risk. Until the winner takes all.

Critique: A carefully crafted, original, inherently riveting, and impressively compelling tale of deception and family loyalty, “Maribelle’s Shadow” by author Susannah Marren is a riveting read that will be of immense interest to fans of contemporary women’s fiction. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “Maribelle’s Shadow” is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Susannah Marren (http://www.susanshapirobarash.com) is the author of Between the Tides, A Palm Beach Wife and A Palm Beach Scandal and the pseudonym for Susan Shapiro Barash, who has written over a dozen nonfiction books, including Tripping the Prom Queen, Toxic Friends, You’re Grounded Forever, But First Let’s Go Shopping, and A Passion for More. For over twenty years she has taught gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College and has guest taught creative nonfiction at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. Presently she is teaching at the Westport Writers Workshop.

Peter Boal on “Moving Moments” Podcast!

Wednesday, August 16th, 2023

Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Director of the company’s affiliated school, Peter Boal was a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet for over 20 years. Peter shares with Alicia the importance of moving to Fleetwood Mac in his childhood living room, how he lived a “double life” until classmates saw him perform in The Nutcracker, and what it was like to learn from famed dancer, choreographer, and director Jerome Robbins. He also discusses his arrival at PNB, how he has worked to broaden audience involvement and widen the company’s approach to inclusivity. Peter discusses his new memoir and gives Alicia a valuable parenting tip.

Listen to Moving Moments and Peter’s interview:
Apple: https://rb.gy/fqf48s
Spotify: https://rb.gy/8o7ll9

Moving Moments podcast is your ticket to candid conversations featuring the dance world’s most accomplished and groundbreaking artists. Join Dean and Director of Dance at The Juilliard School Alicia Graf Mack as she sits down with her closest colleagues and friends to discuss the creative process and living a purposeful life in dance.

Learn more at their website here: artfulnarrativesmedia.com

An Irish Goodbye

Wednesday, August 16th, 2023

Once the first blissful week of sleeping in has passed, I always find college summer vacations a bit tough.

Where are my friends?

Why is there nothing to do after work except come home?

And how in the world do people fill all that free time on evenings and weekends?

After a few days of being bored out of my mind, I remember that I like reading. I rediscover old classics, pick up long-forgotten childhood favorites, and scour the shelves for unread volumes.

Being separated from my college pals, I also make an effort to reconnect with hometown friends and meet new faces. I chat with visitors at local wineries or find connections with young adults who happen to be working in my obscure hometown over the summer.

During summer, I always try to work some creative muscles as well that may have been weakened or lost in the heaviness of academics: sketching, designing letters, you name it.

Today, I realized that all of these activities—these “favorite things” that tend to make my summers fun and rejuvenating—belonged to my summer internship. My “work.”

Reading submissions, writing pitches.

Discovering random connections with my co-intern and meeting my wonderful employers.

Being allowed to spend hours on Canva designing graphics about books, playing with colors and shapes, like a 2-year-old with a box of markers.

Thank you, Beaufort Books. What a summer.

-BEAUtie Wooster, Summer 2023 Intern

Beaufort Titles as Songs from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Thursday, July 27th, 2023

I am a firm believer in the fact that Taylor Swift has a song for every occasion. I mean, with 10 original studio albums, four live albums, three re-recorded studio albums, and five extended plays, how could she not?

Another thing that I’m a firm believer in is the fact that every book has a certain song, album, or playlist that it goes along with. (If you can’t tell, making book playlists is one of my favorite things). So, today, I have decided to pair some of Beaufort’s titles with songs from Taylor Swift’s newest re-recorded album—Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

Fever by Janet Gilsdorf as “Long Live (Taylor’s Version)”

Set against the backdrop of the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Fever by Janet Gilsdorf is a novel about a young doctor’s quest to uncover the cause of a mysterious disease killing young children, and the race to find a cure.

That’s why I think that “Long Live (Taylor’s Version)” with lyrics like “You held your head like a hero on a history book page” and “I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you” fits this book perfectly. With a mix of heroism and hope, both the novel and the song fill readers and listeners alike with the courage to keep going.

Cover of Maribelle's Shadow by Susannah Marren

Maribelle’s Shadow by Susannah Marren as “Castles Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”

Written by a nationally renowned observer of women’s relationships, Maribelle’s Shadow is a compelling tale of deception and family loyalty. In the novel, after Maribelle Walker’s husband dies, the authenticity of her socially ambitious mother and lavish lifestyle of mansions, privilege and couture clothes is thrown into doubt.

When thinking about this novel, I am immediately reminded of the lyrics in “Castles Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” that say “Once I had an empire in a golden age” and “Now, I fear I have fallen from grace.” As they say, the only thing that spreads faster than gossip in Palm Beach is news of a mysterious death.

Cover of Ladies of the Lake by Ken Corday

Ladies of the Lake by Ken Corday as “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)”

When husbands start dying in the gated community of Avalon, the so-called “Ladies of the Lake” find themselves under suspicion from the LAPD and their own children.

With lyrics like “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think / She’s an actress, woah,” I think we can all agree that the Ladies of the Lake fit into “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version).” After all, getting away with murder is what’s in style in the gated community of Avalon.

Cover of Fat Kids by Rebecca Jane Weinstein

Fat Kids by Rebecca Jane Weinstein as “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)”

Unlike most books about weight, Fat Kids is not a dieting or weight loss how-to. Instead, it is a narrative nonfiction account of people’s life experiences growing up fat and being the parents of fat children, the methods that were used to cause weight loss, and the outcomes of these experiences. With real-life stories and expert discussions of stigma and bullying, Fat Kids dives into how diet culture impacts children.

Considering the topic of this book, I think that “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)” fits perfectly. With lyrics that reminisce on the simple joys of childhood like “And don’t lose the way that you dance/ around in your PJs getting ready for school” and “even though you want to/ Just try to never grow up,” this song has a very similar message to Fat Kids.

Cover of the Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist

The Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist as “Haunted (Taylor’s Version)”

After meeting a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, Manhattanite Sarah Rock’s life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. To make matters worse, her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police.

I’m honestly finding it hard to narrow “Haunted (Taylor’s Version)” down into a few lyrics for this, because there are so many that fit. In the interest of brevity, I’ll only include a few lines from the chorus: “Come on, come on, don’t leave me like this / I thought I had you figured out / Something’s gone terribly wrong.” With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence. If this isn’t “Haunted” coded, then I don’t know what is.

I could go on and on about books and songs and how they relate to each other, but for today I’ll stop here. Make sure you give these amazing books a read and don’t forget to stream Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)!

“Until I see you again,”

DumBEAUledore

Top 10 Common Manuscript Submission Mistakes

Thursday, July 13th, 2023

As an intern for Beaufort, one of my responsibilities is to read slush, partial, and full manuscripts. Many of these submissions come through our Submittable portal. Which, if you’re thinking of submitting to, go ahead! We love reading submissions—especially well-written ones!

Throughout the last few months, I’ve noticed a few common mistakes that sneak into many of the submissions that we receive. However, the good news is that many of these mistakes are easily fixable!

So, I’ve decided to compile the Top 10 Mistakes into a list that you can refer to when preparing to submit.

#1. Not being professional.

When writing your cover letter, be sure to tell us about yourself and how you came to write the book. We want to get to know you as a person! But, make sure that you don’t get too personal. For example, it would probably be best to not start your cover letter off with “Hello dear! How are you?” or to end it with, “Kiss you! Hug you! And wish you all the best!”

And please, no backhanded compliments like, “I have confidence in your competence.”

#2. Having poor grammar.

A lot of times, a manuscript will be well-written, but the cover letter and synopsis have poor grammar (missing periods, misspelled words, run-on sentences). The cover letter is the first thing we see when looking at your submission, so make sure you pay attention to it.

Edit your cover letter and synopsis with the same attention that you give your manuscript. The cover letter and synopsis are previews of what’s to come, so make sure it’s attention-grabbing and, most importantly, well-written. Before turning everything in, do one last pass with spell check to catch any mistakes that may have slipped through.

#3. Leaving notes on the manuscript.

I get it, sometimes you have multiple copies of the same manuscript that all have similar titles. And sometimes, you may accidentally upload the wrong version—a version that still has your comments and tracked changes on it. But, this is a really easy fix!

Before you hit “Submit,” double check to make sure you uploaded the version of the manuscript that you want us to see. And, if you’ve turned on track changes, make sure you’ve actually made those changes.

#4. Making the target audience too broad.

No two books are alike, and neither are readers. A single book won’t be everyone’s cup of tea—and that’s okay! So when thinking about who your target audience is, try to stay away from broad statements like “everyone” or “people from all around the world of all ages.”

If you’re struggling, do some research on comparable titles. What books on the market have a similar writing style, theme, or vibe to your manuscript? Mention some of the ones you find in your submission, but make sure to be realistic— don’t compare your book to Harry Potter!

#5. Not having a marketing plan.

After you’ve written and edited your manuscript, it can be hard to think about ways to market it, but, showing that you’ve at least thought about what comes next lets us know that you are driven and passionate about your work.

Your marketing plan doesn’t have to be extensive, but at least have something that lets us know that you’ve put some thought into it.

Have you made your author social media accounts? If you’ve published before, what did you think worked well? And, alternatively, what didn’t? Do you run a blog or have media contacts?

Anything is better than nothing!

#6. Not following the guidelines.

Each publisher will have a different set of guidelines, but when you’re submitting to Beaufort, make sure to be mindful of ours.

Our Submission Guidelines will walk you through topics such as how to submit and what your submission should include.

#7. Submitting a book that is too long.

While some authors like J.K. Rowling and Anna Todd can get away with writing super long books, many debut or indie authors will have a hard time finding an agent or publisher that will accept their 100k+ word manuscript.

This isn’t to say that it’s necessarily impossible to get it published, but it will prove to be a daunting task. In many cases, you’ll have to cut it down.

#8. Submitting genres we don’t accept.

There are a few types of submissions that Beaufort Books does not accept, such as educational material, short stories, and erotica.

If you submit a manuscript that falls under one of these categories, it will probably be a quick reject, and that will most likely apply to other publishers too.

#9. Submitting the same manuscript to both Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press.

Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press share a submission portal, meaning that submissions for both presses go to the same place. So if you submit to both, it shows up as double on our screen. Do some research on which press looks like the best fit for your manuscript, and submit to that one.

With that in mind, it’s okay to submit to both Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press as long as the manuscript follows both press’s submission guidelines.

#10. Addressing the wrong publisher.

Now it may seem obvious to address your cover letter to Beaufort Books as “Beaufort Books” and not “Penguin Random House,” but sometimes little mistakes like that slip through! Just make sure to check over what you’ve written before you submit. And, if you can, have someone else look over it. A fresh pair of eyes never hurts.

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start. Overall, a lot of simple mistakes can be fixed with a bit of editing and research.

Happy submitting!

DumBEAUledore

SERIES ON SALE!

Monday, July 10th, 2023

In need of a new summer read? We’ve got you covered!

Until August 31st, get the ebook versions of these series for $2.99 or LESS —

Series on Sale

North of the Tension Line series by J.F. Riordan

North of the Tension Line

Audacity of Goats

Robert’s Rules

A Small Earnest Question

The Red Hotel series by Ed Fuller and Gary Grossman

Red Hotel

Red Deception

Red Chaos

Jack Patterson series by Webb Hubbell

The Adventures of Bubba Jones by Jeff Alt

Great Smoky Mountains (#1)

Shenandoah National Park (#2)

Acadia National Park (#3)

Grand Canyon (#4)

Yellowstone (#5)

Check out even more of our on-sale titles HERE!

Happy reading!

In Defiance of a Well-Established Idiom

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, but I beg to differ.

Absolutely judge a book by its cover.

Glancing at my own bookshelves, I see many covers that reveal something about the enclosed content. The nearly non-existent jacket of Elizabeth Speare’s Calico Captive, for example, suggests that the tale is so enthralling that its readers prefer lugging the book through damaging circumstances (i.e. the car) to putting it down. Likewise, Anna Karenina’s textured cover, the plastic pattern rubbed off by incessant usage, marks how often hands have cradled that life-changing—and dauntingly thick—novel.

Notice not only the state of the cover, but also its design. The lush Nebraska farmland advertising Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! assures you that you will be reading a more descriptive than narrative work. The farm buildings show that your novel is set in the American midwest around the turn of the twentieth century. Depending on your copy, you may even learn that your protagonist is a work-hardened woman characterized by endurance and grit—a pioneer.

Take a look at some of our Beaufort titles.

I have yet to read A Walk in the Clouds, but judging from the cover I expect an adventure set in the western European mountains in the not-too-distant past. I envision a work reflecting the majesty of nature, and how the dignity of man and his experiences interplays with that majesty. The scenes and color palettes of The Embassy, on the other hand, reveal that this book is a war tale: high action and fast paced.

Granted, a cover will not tell you everything about a book. In addition to the visual appeal, we need Amazon reviews or a recommendation from a friend to decide which book we will dedicate hours of our future time to reading.

The cover, though, is a good place to start.

– BEAUtie Wooster, Summer Intern 2023

PRESS RELEASE: Maribelle’s Shadow

Tuesday, June 27th, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY — From nationally renowned observer of women’s relationships, Susannah Marren, comes a compelling tale of deception and family loyalty. Maribelle’s Shadow releases June 27th, 2023 from Beaufort Books.

As the editorial director of Palm Beach Confidential, Maribelle Walker knows what lurks beneath the glittering facade of the moneyed elite on Florida’s most glamorous coast. Or does she?

When her adored and impressive husband, Samuel, dies suddenly, the secrets and lies between Maribelle and her sisters rise to the surface. Compounding the anguish, the authenticity of their socially ambitious mother and lavish lifestyle of mansions, privilege and couture clothes is thrown into doubt.

As their carefully constructed image unravels, each sister realizes she must fend for herself. The pathway out is steep and worth any risk. Until the winner takes all.

“A great escape! Susannah Marren’s newest novel set in Palm Beach blurs the line between ‘inner sanctum’ and ‘creative wannabe,’ and will leave readers wondering if they would want to be part of the ‘in-crowd.'”
— Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of THE NINE and forthcoming, DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE

From Susannah Marren comes her latest book in the luxurious world of Palm Beach, delivering a memorable novel about a seductive power play. Her other novels include A Palm Beach Scandal (September 2020), A Palm Beach Wife (April 2019), and Between the Tides (July 2015). Taking a pseudonym for her fiction writing, Susan Shapiro Barash has also written over a dozen nonfiction books, including Tripping the Prom Queen, Toxic Friends, and A Passion for More.

Fans of Lauren Weisberger’s Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty and Jane Green’s The Sunshine Sisters will be captivated by the dramatic untangling of family secrets and question of authenticity in Maribelle’s Shadow. The book is available anywhere books are sold.

Beaufort Books is an independent publisher based in New York City. Beaufort publishes a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles, with about 15–20 new titles each year. Since 2007, Beaufort has published four New York Times bestsellers.

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For more information about Maribelle’s Shadow or to arrange an interview with the author, please contact Emma St. John at emma@beaufortbooks.com.

From Paperback to the Big Screen

Thursday, June 1st, 2023

Greetings from the Wizarding World! I am one of Beaufort’s new interns, DumBEAUledore, here to make sure that your summer is filled with well-written books, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of fun. And, I promise, I will try to keep the Harry Potter puns to a minimum.

I am a rising junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in English/Comparative Literature and American Studies. I am also minoring in Creative Writing, so interning at Beaufort is right up my (Diagon) alley! When I’m not in Chapel Hill, I’m at my family farm in the middle-of-nowhere-North-Carolina, where we raise cattle and grow watermelons. I have a meticulously organized bookshelf and a dog that drives me crazy. And, of course, the fun fact that everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting for: I am a Slytherin. I know. Apologies in advance.

Now, I’m sure that you all have heard about the new Harry Potter TV series. And, based on my name, you can probably tell that I have quite a few opinions on it. Alas, that will have to be saved for another blog post. However, in honor of this new series, today I will be going through a few books that I think deserve to have movie or TV adaptations.

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I just finished reading this book and think that the main character, Charlie Raede, and his loveable dog, Radar, are the perfect coming-of-age duo that everyone expects from King’s novels. With a spellbinding and dark twist on the fairy tales we all grew up with, Fairy Tale’s fantastical scenery and enchanting characters would glow on the big screen.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

As a UNC student, I can’t help but be drawn to books that are set there, and Legendborn is no exception. A UNC alumnus herself, Deonn uses both the lore and layout of the campus in a way that grabs readers’ attention and refuses to let go. If you love Authurian legend and magic, I think that you can agree this modern-day twist on a well-loved classic would make an amazing TV series.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Now, I know, this book technically already has a TV show based on it. Don’t get me wrong, Shadow and Bone is an amazing series (I have personally binge-watched all of it). But, I think that the Crows deserve their own TV show! With two books— Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom— to work with, I think that there is plenty of material for at least two seasons of a TV series.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A friend gave me a copy of this book back in December, and it quickly became one of my favorites. With a charming cast of side characters and an adorable love story, this book is fuzzy all the way around. My personal favorite character is a young boy named Lucy (short for Lucifer, of course). If this ever gets turned into a movie (fingers crossed), I will be first in line at the theater.

Illusions of Camelot by Peter Boal

I must admit, I am always a sucker for a movie about ballet, and I know that this book would make an amazing one. Boal’s journey from Bedford, New York to principal dancer for the New York City Ballet is the exact type of coming-of-age memoir that would shine on the big screen. By exploring topics such as sexuality, alcoholism, morality, and race, Boal doesn’t shy away from the hard parts of life.

Savushun by Simin Daneshvar

This book is, in my opinion, a quintessential piece of Persian literature. Set in Iran during World War II, Daneshvar captures the day-to-day life of a young mother trying to protect her family. With a scalding critique on the occupation of Iran, this book combines history, folk tradition, and feminism in a way that demands for readers to pay attention. Additionally, the ending of this book is one of the best I have ever read.

If you haven’t read these books yet, I highly recommend it. You never know, they may be the next big thing.

Until next time,

DumBEAUledore

PRESS RELEASE: Time Traveling Through Yellowstone National Park

Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, New York — Award-winning author Jeff Alt releases newest book in The Adventures of Bubba Jones series. The fifth book in the National Park adventure series releases May 23rd, 2023 from Beaufort Books.

In the fifth book of this award-winning series, Tommy “Bubba Jones” and his sister, Jenny “Hug-A-Bug,” uncover amazing facts about Yellowstone National Park while on a mission to solve a park mystery.

This is no ordinary brother and sister duo; they are part of a legendary time travel family with a mission to preserve and protect our national parks and they have developed a reputation for solving mysteries. As they time travel back hundreds, thousands, and millions of years, they not only learn about the past but also experience it.

“The story is very detailed, including facts about animals, explorers, even which presidents have visited. A very pleasant way to explore the National Parks. I know I plan to take the book with me next time I go to Yellowstone.”
—Brenda, Log Cabin Library blog

They encounter wild creatures and ancient plants. They meet members of the early park expeditions and encounter the U.S. Army who once served as the park stewards. They learn about the Native Americans that call this land home. They learn all about the volcanic activity and unravel some of the park’s secrets.

Discover Yellowstone National Park in a whole new way!

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Beaufort Books is an independent publisher based in New York City. Beaufort publishes a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles, with about 15–20 new titles each year. Since 2007, we’ve published four New York Times bestsellers.

For more information, please contact Emma St. John at emma@beaufortbooks.com

PRESS RELEASE: Illusions of Camelot

Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023

FROM BOYHOOD TO NUTCRACKER PRINCE:

Peter Boal paints a star-studded picture of what it takes to make it as the Principal Dancer for the New York City Ballet and beyond

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, New York — Peter’s story starts in the pastoral and privileged town of Bedford, New York: a rare enclave 40 miles north of New York City where private schools, country clubs, and families hold their own rules and secrets. Within the town, views of race, morality, and sexuality are unspoken yet evident. Meanwhile, at home, Peter and his family are left to grapple with his father’s alcoholism and untimely death. As a young boy finding his way, Peter soon turns to ballet. Ultimately his passion becomes a beacon, leading him to work at the New York City Ballet as a teenager, living on his own while discovering the pitfalls and pleasures Manhattan has to offer.

Throughout Peter’s deeply personal work, you’ll step onto the club house floor during ballroom dancing lessons in Bedford, into the studios of the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, and onto the stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker as Peter performs the title role of the Nutcracker Prince. For all the laughter these stories offer, gravity is everywhere.

Peter’s journey takes us to the start of a storied career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet and leaves us with insights into the unique path of an artist and individual shaped by environment, circumstance, and family.

“A multi-functional memoir. It’s a generous, grateful account of discovering ballet as a career; and it’s about the discovery of friends, sexuality, values, and manners…In Boal’s writing, every word and every sentence matter. Subtle variations of tone take the reader, enchantingly, between charm, pain, and humour, often in the course of a paragraph.”
— Alastair Macaulay,
New York Times, Chief Dance Critic 2007-2018

Illusions of Camelot

Peter Boal – May 2023

ISBN: 9780825309830

Hardcover: $24.95 || Ebook: $14.99

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Emma St. John at emma@beaufortbooks.com.

Illusions of Camelot — Press Release Download

Why You Should Intern at Beaufort

Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

By Beau Henry

As my time as an intern comes to a close, I have begun to reflect on what I’ve gained from my time at Beaufort and how future interns might benefit from the program. While publishing internships can be hard to come by, they are foundational to a career in this beguiling industry, and I have found that my time as a Beaufort intern has really clarified some of the more confusing aspects of the industry as a whole. Whether it’s keeping up with the ever-changing publicity strategies or ensuring the publication timeline remains intact, publishing is a curious industry where everyone is always short on time. Interning at Beaufort has given me a solid understanding of how the dedicated people in publishing keep this whole thing afloat.

I have had the opportunity to work for two people who have shown me how this is accomplished, and Emma and Megan have both shown me incredible kindness. They are both talented, hardworking, and creative, and their “health first” approach to publishing was a really refreshing change from the way many companies are run. They encourage interns to tackle new challenges and make it clear that they wouldn’t ask an intern to do something that they wouldn’t do themselves. I have acquired skills in publicity and title management that I otherwise would never have the chance to learn, and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity. In addition to the staff, forming a connection with my fellow intern, Judith Beaumann, has been a gratifying experience as well, and we both have learned a lot from each other that will help us in our careers.

Second only to the people I’ve met are the projects I’ve had the chance to work on, and Beaufort has an incredibly diverse list of titles to choose from. Within Beaufort, there are two other imprints that publish vastly different material from Beaufort’s material, and a wide variety of perspectives are represented in Beaufort’s line. Getting to evaluate manuscript submissions, proofread ARCs, and write reader’s reports has given me a broad set of skills that will help me in my future editorial endeavors. In addition to these skills, I have, by extension, learned to understand how a list is compiled and how the market functions. Though a publisher’s list may have titles that explore a wide variety of themes, getting to see how all the titles function together has been enlightening and has helped me identify potential in manuscript submissions. Seeing the inner workings of the editorial department has helped me understand how writing may be brought to a publishable standard in a wide variety of styles.

Working with a publisher of this scale has really shown me how books are shepherded through the publication process, and the size of a publisher is an often overlooked consideration in a career in publishing. Beaufort is an independent publisher, and Emma and Megan function in many different capacities—which they were generous enough to explain to me. As an intern, I was introduced to a wide variety of roles and duties within a publishing company, and I have a better understanding of how a publishing company works than someone who has only interned in one department. It has helped me evaluate where in the industry I would like to work and what kind of publisher I would like to work for, which is not something I had previously considered. Having a broader understanding of how publishers work has shown me how all departments work together to produce a book, which is the most I could hope for in an internship.

So as I say goodbye and make room for the next group of interns, I would like to thank Emma and Megan for their generosity. They truly care about interns and are incredibly generous with their time. I enjoyed my time at Beaufort and appreciate all that Emma and Megan have done for me. I have learned a lot, and if you are lucky enough to score an internship at Beaufort, you will too.

Spring Cleaning MEGA SALE!

Thursday, April 6th, 2023

Happy Spring, readers! For the entire months of April AND May, we have the biggest sale happening to put the spring back in your step. Get your ebook copy of any (or all) of the following titles for only $1.99!

We love a good series… here are a few of ours that are on sale!

Click through to see the rest of our MEGA sale happening now until the end of May!

And yes, this ebook sale is happening just about EVERYWHERE! From Amazon to Barnes and Noble, we’ve got you covered.

Five Postmodern Books to Read

Saturday, April 1st, 2023

As a reader, my favorite period of literary history is postmodernism. I’ve always been fascinated by writers who play with form and voice, and postmodernism is rich with this kind of experimentation. I love the idea of form reflecting content and the idea of subjective truth in literature, and the postmodern era more than any other reflects these concerns. The following is a list of postmodern books you should pick up if you’re interested in the period.

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Generally considered to be the entry point to postmodernism for many undergrads, and it’s easy to see why. Pynchon writes in a highly specific, idiosyncratic style that is as enticing as it is bewildering. Though this is much shorter than all of his other books, it provides a good glimpse into his style and his thematic concerns. It tells the story of Oedipa Maas and her efforts to uncover a secret society.

White Noise by Don Delillo

Delillo also has a highly specific style that is both eerie and familiar. There is a rhythmic quality to his writing that lends the story weight in an almost subconscious way. White Noise deals with consumerism and mortality in a very stark and dramatic way. It tells the story of Jack Gladney and his wife Babette’s fear of death. It was recently adapted into a Netflix film starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig that is just as confusing as the book.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

This technically falls outside of what most scholars refer to as postmodernism, but stylistically it is cut from the same cloth. It might be called post postmodernism or hysterical realism, but the same themes of absurdity run throughout the book. Smith is a titan of modern literature, and her voice is eloquent and moving. White Teeth deals with postcolonialism in London and features a diverse cast of characters.

Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme

Equal parts experimentation and compelling characters, Sixty Stories is a masterclass on the art of short story writing. Barthelme approaches short fiction with humor and wit and crafts off-kilter narratives that draw you in just as they push you away. He foregoes traditional structures and neat resolution to give you a much murkier, anecdotal form of short story, and Sixty Stories shows you just how far you can take a joke.

Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth

Barth is another writer who loves to play games with readers, and Lost in the Funhouse does exactly that. Confusing perspectives, stories within stories, parallels with Greek mythology, and a bit of humor make this book a fascinating read. Barth’s stories are often representative of metafiction as a form, and they focus less on character and more on the story as artifice, which yields exciting results. For many Barth is the representative postmodern writer, and Lost in the Funhouse is his greatest work.

I hope these recommendations appeal to some of you and pique your interest in this fascinating period in literary history. Sometimes the way the story is told is as important as the story.

Until next time!

Beau Henry