As I’ve started to reflect on my time here at Beaufort and Spencer Hill, I’ve been remembering just how quickly the opportunity came to fruition. It had been less than a week since I moved from the middle of Oklahoma to a new apartment in Brooklyn in the hopes of securing my first internship in publishing. My entire family thought I was crazy, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they had taken bets on when I would return home. In fact, the thought of working in publishing hadn’t even occurred to me until I was already six months out of college, and it felt like I was racing the metaphorical clock to get entry-level publishing experience before it was “too late.” Though I have since learned that publishing is a very accepting industry that welcomes newcomers of all ages with open arms, I still spent every day scouring BookJobs for any opportunities I may have missed.
I was tending to my battered ego after a string of rejection letters came in (all in one day, to make matters worse) when I noticed a brand new posting for a fall internship at Beaufort Books. I applied, and within a week I was sitting on the phone with Karen, discussing Beaufort’s catalogue and the various opportunities I could take advantage of as a potential intern for Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press. Karen and Megan took a chance on me, and by the next Tuesday I was sitting in Beaufort’s Flatiron District office as their newest intern.
It all still feels like a blur, but I couldn’t imagine a better way to be introduced to the publishing industry. Though I’m incredibly sad to be leaving Beaufort and its talented team of editors, I take solace in the fact that I gained an invaluable, first-hand look at what it takes to transform a rough manuscript into a polished final book, that I am never more than a quick train ride away, and that there are dozens of Beaufort and Spencer Hill titles that are still to be read.
I hate to say goodbye, but all good things must eventually come to an end. It feels fitting to wrap up with one of the most popular quotes from the character that inspired my pseudonym:
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. From now on you’ll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey.”
-Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries
I am forever grateful to you, readers, for joining me on my journey at Beaufort Books!
Cheers,
Mia ThermoBEAUlis
This is a shared blog post for Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press.
Tags: Beaufort Books, blog, internship, publishing industry blog, publishing intern, Publishing Perspectives