Those words are whispered to Joe, but from who? He only hears the voice.
Joe is an out-of-work investigative reporter drowning in drink, prescription drugs, and a disgrace not of his own making. In the bleakness, he stumbles across the case of Maggie, an inmate who has always maintained her innocence, even after being convicted of child neglect.
Spurred on by the inexplicable voice, Joe sets out to uncover the truth of Maggie’s mysterious case. Joe corresponds with Maggie from prison along the way, and they develop a connection as he journeys from his antiseptic apartment in New York, to a quiet corner of Oklahoma, to a dusty Texas border town, finally finding himself in the hardscrabble countryside of Mexico.
Ultimately, Joe must contend with a looming threat, seeking to guard a long-held secret in Whispered Word, a work of fiction based on a true story.
A lot has happened between now and my first blog post, but it really does feel like just last week I was typing up my introduction blog. I moved to a new state, my car battery only died twice, the old Fortnite map came back, and oh yeah, I learned a thing or two about publishing.
Wrapping up an internship at a publishing company isn’t where I expected to be at the end of this year, but I truly am grateful for deciding to take this leap. I graduated in May with a Marketing degree and Screenwriting minor, so I’ve always felt like I’ve had one foot in the business world and one in creative storytelling, but I had no idea how to merge the two while in school. I’ve had an amazing past couple of months discovering that publishing is exactly the industry where these two coexist, and I encourage anyone with interest to apply for this internship. You don’t have to be someone who always knew publishing was their passion to benefit from this position, so here’s three types of people that should try this out:
Young Aspiring Writers
Coming up with an idea and expanding into a complete manuscript is only half the battle for the writer. The other, and much more attritious, half involves getting someone interested in your work enough to get it out there for people to read. What better way of getting your work into the right hands than learning how the publishing industry works from the inside? The internship with Beaufort Books provides no shortage of hands-on experience in all aspects of publishing, starting from submitted manuscript to published book.
Denied From the Big 5
It’s human nature to be attracted to the shiny things in life, right? Those big name publishing houses that you see on most of the books on your shelf might seem like the obvious fit at first glance, but in reality, it’s the independent publishers that might be the best fit for those starting out. If you’re someone who’s been trying to get into the big five with no luck, you’ve come to the right place. The smaller size of Beaufort Books will allow interns to have a hand in various different responsibilities and tasks across the publishing process, which can help narrow down which area of specialization interns enjoy the most to pursue in their careers. The smaller size of the company makes everything feel more personal as well, ensuring that you won’t be lost in the shuffle that a larger house might have.
Those Chasing Their Passions
It’s a rare thing in today’s world to chase a career that aligns with your passions. Many people either follow the money or wrongly assume that work is work and passions and hobbies are for their free time, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’ve loved to read your whole life and aren’t excited about the major you chose or a career path you’re secretly dreading, why not take a chance to see if you could turn a lifelong passion into your job? Books don’t just magically appear on shelves, there’s an entire industry dedicated to this process, and this is a perfect place to start to learn that process. If you love reading and are curious about how to turn it into a career, this internship is for you. Life is short, and you owe it to yourself to do things that excite you.
My time here is sadly coming to an end, so with that, I leave you with my top three most valuable things I’ve learned over the course of these past few months:
Working/Interning at a small press offers more learning opportunities: There’s a reason they are referred to as “small presses.” Key word here is “small.” There’s not a ton of staff for these indie publishers to work in an assembly line fashion, keeping to their specific task. Most likely, the workers at these companies, though they have an area of expertise, are still doing a little bit of everything–editorial, marketing, publicity, sales, etc. Therefore, when you start your position at an indie publisher, you’re going to be learning way more than you would at a Big 5 publisher, and who knows, you may even find you love a different area of publishing more than you originally thought to pursue.
Publishing is way more than just reading books: This kind of goes hand-in-hand with my last point, but I assume this also translates well to those who work at a Big 5 in, say, editorial. It’s not all reading submissions. There’s a lot more tedious tasks that go into making everything come together. So, while you will spend a lot of time reading, prepare yourself for the administrative tasks that come with the position.
There’s more than just the Big 5 out there: This goes for both, those trying to get published and those trying to get a job in publishing. It’s so easy to be overlooked by these major publishers because so many are flocking to them in pursuit of their dreams. However, your chances of getting your big break will greatly increase if you seek out opportunities elsewhere. Indie publishers are way more likely to pay you mind, so take a chance on them and they just may be willing to take a chance on you.
I hope these points enlighten you as they did me. I had such an amazing time at Beaufort these past few months and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to intern here. So with that, this is me signing off.
Kim Beaussible reporting in on the spookiest day of the year! Wherever you are, I hope that your candy bowl is full for tonight and that your costume will keep you warm and toasty this evening. Here on the west coast, costumes are covered with coats or bolstered by several layers underneath, making my four-year-old nephew’s Spiderman costume look suspiciously buff this year. But this time of year is my favorite. As the summer burns away and the ghosts come out to play, I sink into my books, my spooky movies, and my wine that will eventually spill onto the page when I jump out of my skin. Even spies get scared sometimes.
This Halloween I’ve chosen a few books, paired with a bottle of wine, with something for every reader, from those who like a cozy mystery or a whimsical witchy tale to those who want to be looking over their shoulder after they put the book down.
This season is the one for book clubs if you ask me. My mother and her friends always seemed to revamp their club in the fall, each leaf on the ground like another page they would burn through. The Thursday Murder Club, from British TV personality Richard Osman, would be my pick for them this spooky season. Set in a retirement home with a diverse cast of characters, this cozy follows a group of retirees who have created a club to solve mysteries in their remaining free time, only to be embroiled a murder case on their doorstep. With humor and mystery, this offbeat cozy is perfect for anyone who’s looking for a spooky read that will make you think but won’t give you nightmares.
I’ve paired this cozy mystery with thePhantom Chardonnay. White wines scream cozy to me, they’re easy to sip and not too heavy, and Phantom wine bottles always catch my eye.
Now, readers, what would Halloween look like without witches, or books about them for that matter? Practical Magic will always be on my spooky season watchlist or TBR list, with its romantic, whimsical interpretation of witches. Looking for something that fit into my obsession with the Owens witches’ greenhouse, I chose a Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, a romantic fantasy about Sage and her sisters that are figuring out their own unique magical powers. With family, romance, and a little bit of a Poison Ivy killer botany desires mixed in, this book will take you on an emotional, magical rollercoaster.
If it’s romance, it’s got to be rosé. Our Halloween inspired pick, Banshee Rose, had to make the list. With notes of berry, light baking spice and dried herbs, this wine would be any witch’s pick.
If witches and magic haven’t always struck a chord for you because of the fantastical elements, The Lost Apothecary is a great alternative, as a female driven, historical fantasy. A haunted woman runs an apothecary for women in late 1700s London, doling out remedies and poisons for the ladies of the city, when she’s caught up in a scheme from one such lady and her maid. 200 years later, a woman facing the crossroads of her failing marriage finds a vial that once belonged to the apothecary, taking her on a wild goose chase to find out where it came from and to find what she’s been missing in her life. Light and dark all at the same time, this book balances apothecary magic with the real world feminine experience, where a woman’s magic might just set her free.
With the misty fog of London as the backdrop and the ghosts following each character, Ghost Pines Pinot Noirseemed a fitting pair for this book. The label itself reminded me of the apothecary, Nella, making her trips across the Thames to collect supplies for her potions, and the mixture of blackberry and black pepper are perfect for the fall weather.
If you’re looking for a thriller that sounds like a soap opera drama to drink up with your wine, look no further than Ladies of the Lake from Beaufort Books. After a fight and then a horrific accident in an affluent neighborhood leaves a man dead, his second wife lives her life as if she can finally breathe but other wives start getting jealous and then other husbands start dying and the LAPD and their children turn suspicious. Filled with mystery, suspense, drama, and a little romance this book is the perfect mix for those who like reality TV this Halloween. This is another lighter read for those who aren’t looking to be too scared but rather spookily entertained.
A wine that looks sweet and light but is much darker than it seems, just like this book, my pairing is theWillamette Valley Vineyards White Pinot Noir. While this wine looks like a rosé, it expresses both red and white wine characteristics — creaminess, rich mid-palate, bright aromas and flavors with balanced acidity.
This end of the spooky spectrum is where I like to read and live. Thrillers and Horror books are some of my favorites, purely because of their ability to surprise me. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham is one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read this year; I couldn’t get to the end fast enough, reading the last 100 pages in one sitting. Chloe is afraid of the dark, and rightfully so after learning at 12 that her father was a serial killer. Now 20 years later, she downs her wine with a Xanax just to sleep at night, and when someone appears to become a copycat of her father’s crimes, she takes it upon herself to find the killer despite her fears.
A dark red wine for a dark book, the Prayers of Sinners Red Blendis my favorite on this list as well, with the title sounding just like Chloe’s attempt at atonement for the sins of her father. With notes of coffee, fruit, and gunsmoke, the wine has a bold, elegant finish just like Chloe.
Book lover and all, I think it’s essential to own more books than I can possibly read. Unleash me in a bookstore and I’m a force to be reckoned with. Seriously, I’m, like, feral. Try and interrupt me when I’m reading the back of a book and I just might hiss at you…or growl [I’m more of a dog person]. And I can guarantee once I pick up a book, I’m not putting it back down–unless it’s in my shopping basket. It’s my toxic trait. My family hates it. My boyfriend hates it. My wallet especially hates it.
Don’t get me wrong, the people in my life love that I love reading, but I think they’re more concerned with the fact that the hobby has slowly transformed into book collecting rather than actually reading said books. The introduction of BookTok and Bookstagram has only made it even worse. I see a book and I’m instantly running to the store to get it…and I might get five more, you know, since I’m there. And don’t get me started on Fairyloot and Owlcrate and Bookish Box and all those other special editions. Those I easily justify to myself since I may not get another chance to own that edition.
The point I’m getting at is I’m running out of room for my addiction. No, I don’t have a library in my house, though I wish I did. I’m actually quite limited on space. My single bookshelf is filled to the brim, I have a TBR cart overflowing with books, and bins under my bed that hold the books that just don’t fit anywhere else. This is not including the pile of my current reads that are sitting at my bedside.
I guess what my question to you guys is, what are you doing with your books? Are you just super lucky to have unlimited space to display them all? Do you have self-control and only buy books as you’re ready to read them? Do you donate books? Sell them? Prefer an eReader? Just borrow books from the library?
Please, I need to know before I’m forced to start substituting my furniture for furniture built out of books!
Hi everyone, Beauba Fett back with another blog post.
Are you caught up on all of Beaufort’s newest releases and are looking for more? While Beaufort has put out some really great titles recently with even more on the way, there’s still an impressive selection of titles on our backlist that deserve some attention too!
Looking to gain some insight on the current climate of the trillion dollar industry of marketing? Whether you’re already in the industry, wanting to build your own business, or just want to learn more, Agency Mania will show you how to build successful, long-term relationships with your clients.
The inspiring true story of a 218 mile hike on the John Muir Trail that author Jeff Alt and his wife embark on after tragedy strikes. Nature lovers will appreciate this thrilling story of hope and resilience.
With insights drawn from her own transformation from depressed medical doctor to a fulfilled dancer, writer, speaker, and life coach, Dr. Susan Biali provides useful science-backed steps on how to reclaim your dreams and live your life passionately.
A touching love letter to the city of New York, The Outdoor Museum forgoes the usual sights of the city, instead highlighting the beauty in the little things such as puddle reflections, subway tiles, public sculptures, and much more.
Hi everyone, Beauba Fett back for another blog post.
Are you someone that has a nightstand stacked high with books that you’ve been meaning to get to, but just haven’t found the time? Is your schedule booked from dawn to dusk? Do you have some time in the day to pick up that book, but just aren’t able to get yourself to start? Do not fear, here are 3 tips that will help you maximize your time so that you can move titles from “Want to Read” to “Read.”
Schedule Reading Time
We all have 24 hours everyday, and it’s up to us how to spend that time. Getting ready for work, commuting, working, commuting again, making dinner, family obligations, etc. take up a large chunk of said time, so much so that it can feel like we have no time for anything else before it’s time for bed to start the process over again tomorrow. This is where the power of scheduling can be your best friend. If you’re someone who doesn’t write down their schedules everyday, I can’t recommend it enough. I noticed such a boost in my productivity, focus, and prioritization once I started blocking out specific times in the day for my obligations and goals. If you already plan out your days, I challenge you to go through your schedule and analyze each block of time you have so that you can find time to pencil in even just thirty minutes of reading time. By setting a time each day to read, you’ll create a new habit and start to look forward to it.
Double Up
“What if I went through my schedule and genuinely found no time to spare?” “I have other hobbies and interests that take up my free time, but I still want to read.” No worries, that’s where my second tip comes in. Reading is the best form of entertainment because you are able to pick up a book anywhere you want. No WiFi? No problem. Books don’t need to be charged, and they take up a relatively small amount of space. What’s stopping you from reading on your subway commutes instead of scrolling through Instagram? What about your hour lunch break? You might even be able to steal a couple pages in between assignments at work. If you drive to work, why not listen to the audio book of that title you’ve been wanting to read for years? How about when you’re taking the dog for a walk? Plain and simply, by poking holes into your obligations, you can find the time to double up and create more reading time.
Pick Books That Interest You
This one might sound obvious, but I think this is the single most important factor that will differentiate you from finding the time or not. Why read something if it doesn’t make you want to turn the pages? I think a lot of people get caught up in what they feel like they “should” be reading, or just grab popular titles without considering whether it’s about something that will interest them. Forget about top charts and conventional picks, think about topics and/or themes that interest you and go find a book that will deliver that for you! Reading is supposed to be fun, never forget that!
My name is BEAUba Fett and I am excited to start my internship with Beaufort Books this fall! While my name inspiration didn’t get to say a whole lot on screen in all those Star Wars movies, you’ll be hearing a lot from me throughout the fall on a wide range of topics!
I have recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Screenwriting, and I’m looking to start my career in publishing. I just moved right outside New York City, which is a far cry from Ohio but I can’t wait to embrace a new lifestyle and change of pace. I’m looking for graduate programs in publishing to take the next step in my career, hopefully somewhere in the city to truly take advantage of being in the publishing capital of the world!
I’ve had a passion for reading my entire life, yet I didn’t know that publishing was the route I wanted to go down until this summer. During the months leading up to graduation and those following, I searched job sites up and down for potential fits, but I couldn’t find anything that felt like something more than just a job that would pay the bills. I eventually stumbled across the internship opportunity for Beaufort Books, and I applied immediately. After speaking with Emma and Megan, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the team here. The smaller size of the company makes everything feel more personal and allows for a closer look at how the industry works. I can’t wait to get a hands on approach to all aspects of the publishing industry and learn from experienced professionals!
Besides from how I got here, here are some of the books that have made me into the reader that I am today: East of Eden, 1984, Pet Semetary, Misery, The Grapes of Wrath, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Great Gatsby, Things Fall Apart, The Magic Tree House, and so much more. I initially was just naming more recent titles that I’ve read, but it would be incomplete without some of the defining series that grew my passion for books.
Maybe I’ll find the next one to add to this list in the submissions I’ll be reading!
Outside of reading, I love to be outside in nature, and one of my biggest life goals is to visit every national park. My favorites that I’ve been to so far are The Badlands, Shenandoah, Devil’s Tower (National Monument, but close enough), Grand Canyon, and of course my home state’s Cuyahoga Valley. I enjoy cooking homemade meals, especially a nice salmon or chicken stir fry. I’m always looking for new recipes, but I have yet to master the elusive art of making a pancake. I also write in my free time, another life goal of mine is to get something I wrote published or produced. I’ve only worked on my own scripts for movies and TV so far, but I’m planning to write my first book for my next project!
Again, I am very excited to start my journey in publishing and I feel that I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start than with Beaufort Books.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)!
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.
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.
Hello, readers! My name is Beau Henry, and I am one of Beafort’s newest interns. As a new intern, I’m very excited to dig a bit deeper into Beaufort’s incredible list. Aside from the bestsellers like If I Did it and I Shall Live, I’m hoping to explore some frontlist titles in genres I’m not as familiar with. As someone who has mostly been interested in literary fiction, I’m hoping to get a better grasp on genres such as romance, mystery, and science fiction and to expand my reading habits. The following books are a few that I’m very excited to explore.
On top of an excellent title, the plot’s labyrinthine twists and turns look fascinating, and the sardonic humor in the narrative voice is endearing. The layers to the relationships within the novel and the warped Americana at the center of the novel are very much in line with my interests.
The tragedy of the plot is deeply layered, and the criminal conspiracy that pushes the narrative forward is appealing. I love when books have the capability to draw you in with carefully crafted narrative turns, and Hidden Falls certainly does that. The austerity of the main character’s voice adds additional weight to the themes in the novel.
As a huge grammar nerd, I am always on the lookout for new books about grammar and language. Grammar is fascinating because it allows you to view language as equations where there are right answers and wrong answers. While art is subjective, grammar is not, and I find that to be very reassuring.
As someone who finds expansive, maximalist novels to be very exciting, this historical fiction novel is intriguing. The parallels between family connections and lives marred by tragedy across decades is incredible, and I’m hoping to find out how Probert pulls off a narrative with such a vast scope.
While these four are at the top of my list, I’m looking forward to seeing the new titles that Beaufort has in store for this year!
One thing to always remember is that when opportunity comes, it never goes away. My time as a Beaufort Books intern may have reached its time, but I know that I have made a valuable connection with four amazing individuals throughout these three months and will continue to apply what I have been taught to whatever opportunity approaches next.
I came across the internship out of the blue. I discovered a callout for submissions through a sponsored Spencer Hill Press Instagram story. I followed them with the hope that when I finally write a manuscript that I could possibly pitch it to SHP or work with them in some way. After a few days, I saw the job posting for Fall Editorial Interns. I applied with the hope that securing this position would truly make me an equal, if not a standout candidate for a future publishing career.
By the end of the summer, I was offered the position and I felt so proud of myself for shooting my shot and feeling like I was worthy enough to pursue this career that I have worked towards for what feels like only a short time. They tell you that a career in publishing is competitive and that is certainly true for many aspects of it. However, I find that when you look hard enough for chance opportunities (or sometimes even stumble upon them), the rewards will be so valuable and beneficial.
I learned that I have an ability to design graphics which I had never properly known how to do before. Outside of taking and editing pictures, I never thought that I had the eye to put an image together from scratch that would be appealing and marketable. I designed many graphics that I look forward to seeing on Amazon some day.
Beyond that, I read a manuscript that I felt very strongly about, and got a glimpse at what it felt like to fall in love with an unpublished piece of writing. I learned about contracts and how authors get paid. I even had the chance to assist in publicity research which further enforced how much I cherish that field of work.
This internship has given me more passion and knowledge for the publishing industry, and fostered a new level of confidence because of the experience and the people who helped me along the way. I am so grateful and excited for all that is ahead of me. I am even more excited to apply what I learned throughout this experience onto others because I only have one semester left before I am able to navigate true adult life. I am scared about so much beyond graduation, but one thing I am definitely confident in now is the career field I will be in.
Thank you to Beaufort Books for granting me a place here and for being such a bright spot as I get ready for everything that’s ahead of me.
My last blog post featured some of my favorite books in a variety of genres. This blog will be about one genre in particular and my favorite author, Veronica Roth. She is the author of Chosen Ones, the Carve the Mark sequel, and the Divergent series, also one of the first book series that I ever read. Fast forward six or seven years later, Veronica Roth is coming to my city to promote her new Dystopia/Mystery/Thriller, Poster Girl. To quickly summarize her latest novel: it takes place between the cities of Seattle and Portland after the main character, Sonya searches for a missing girl as a favor to free herself from imprisonment after their “perfect” society falls apart.
On October 26th, at Powell’s Books in Oregon, I met Veronica Roth on her book tour. The event was after hours in the store, so it was quiet and all attendees were just as anxiously waiting for her as I was. I went to the event alone, so I didn’t have a friend to get out all of my excited feelings to before she walked out — that would have definitely helped me with all of the tears I was fighting back when she did step out with her husband. I had expected there to be a whole team of people assisting her, but it was just Veronica and her husband, which was so nice and made things more intimate.
The audience had the opportunity to write down questions for her when we got closer to the event’s end, and this is the one thing that I wish I had spent more time on in advance. I asked three questions, and the best one I had asked was answered before it was time for audience questions. The question was whether or not she was working on trying to get away from being known as the author of the Divergent series by not further promoting the book on her social media. The short answer to this question was yes. Roth had written Divergent when she was 24 years old and for a debut novel to take off as Divergent did completes all of the goals an author often has before having to really work for them. She summarizes this question by stating that she was left with a goal void and wasn’t sure where to go after that, which raised the question for her, “What is next after your first book does all the things you’ve ever dreamed of as an author?”
All that being said Veronica did talk a little bit about what it was like being on the set of all three Divergent movies which I was happy to get some inside on. It was obvious in the conversation that both Veronica and her husband had some mixed feelings about how things went for the films. They both joked about how the movies were true to the spirit of her books, but as they continued filming they got further away from what she had originally written. When she was on set for the third film she remembered walking around the filming location and having no idea where she was and why the actors were wearing the outfits they had on. Her husband answered with a little more hostility stating that Roth was only able to be so patient during the process. She wraps up this segment by expressing her gratitude for the films and how she wouldn’t be so far into her career without them.
On the topic of her newly published title, Poster Girl, Veronica stated that she had intended on writing the sequel to her book Chosen Ones, she joked “I can’t be relied on,” after having instead found herself writing another dystopian novel. She talked about her love for her new main character Sonya and the joy she has in writing heroic figures with an attitude problem, which I happen to love reading because same. This led to a conversation about how a lot of the time women writers are accused of self-inserting themselves into their characters. Roth’s grandfather had constantly accused her of being her character Tris Prior from Divergent which she absolutely hated hearing.
The event is concluded with one last question from an audience member who asked for Veronica’s advice on how to get more teens to read and she joked that writers should keep getting their books adapted and make movies, but then defends teens, claiming it can be “hard for teens to read and let someone else’s words in,” so to give them some slack. The book signing portion is what wrapped everything up and I was practically shaking from nerves when I got up to the table trying to find something clever or funny to say. I first handed her my copy of Divergent and told her it is my old copy from 2012 which I don’t actually know to be true, but she was kind anyway and wrote “Be Brave” on the inside and then took my copy of Poster Girl to sign. All in all, a great night, and I am thrilled to say I can check meeting my favorite author off of my bucket list.
