When I began the process of leaving my first career, I just couldn’t jump – it’s simply not in my personality. Instead, I am someone with plans A, B, and C, then for safety reasons, D, as well. I have all the respect for those that fearlessly jump, but I do think we should all be mindful of our risk tolerance and what best supports our own mental and emotional balance. Not to mention, I started this during the thick of covid, so near everything felt like a risk or a gaping hole of potential to either rise high or dreadfully fall low, and how scary to think that one might not be able to pick themselves back up.
After I finished a certification program of sorts that provided a primer into the publishing industry, the first thing I knew I had to do and could do under life circumstances was something akin to an internship. A way to learn more without having to invest too much. Luckily for me, many “ships” appeared, and in hindsight, I probably could have forgone one thing or another, but that’s the thing about hindsight, right? It’s so clear now, not so much in the heat of the moment.
I did the following in this order: fellowship, mentorship, internship, assistantship.
I joined a fellowship program geared toward hopeful publishing professionals. Specifically, I did the Publishing Workshop with the Los Angeles Review of Books, which was fully remote during covid. There are plentiful programs such as this one for you to explore. I highly suggest joining one with financial aid opportunities. I was able to finish this program while still teaching, so in no way, was it disruptive to my primary career.
After the fellowship and with some of my new found resources, I found a mentorship program geared toward BIPOC folks hoping to enter into the publishing industry. This was ran by two BIPOC women, and I cannot express how lucky I was to participate in this program as it was the inaugural class – another exciting offering that cropped up during covid years – annnnd, also its last. It’s difficult for agencies to run programs such as these, so when they do pop up, take advantage! It’s likely it’s a passion effort more than something they’re financially receiving support for offering.
After the fellowship, I took on an internship during which I performed administrative tasks and light assistant work with various agents within the agency – this is the pathway for most publishing hopefuls. You’re not so fully immersed in agenting work, and for better or worse (for me, I saw it as a pro), you get a birds eye view to the inner workings of an agency. I like having big picture access through which to understand ecosystems as opposed to being siloed into specialties without understanding how the component parts inform and support one another. Though I never had plans of doing admin, social media, speaking, or film work, I enjoyed learning how all the publishing pieces worked together.
Then, finally, I started an assistantship with two agents. During this time, I had the opportunity to narrow in and focus my attention on all things specific to agenting. I found my time during the assistantships to be the most helpful, as all aspects of the publishing process became clear to me. Though, I still don’t regret the internship, because I still believe it was an important foundation to have before getting into the nitty gritty of a specialization.
All of this took me about a year and a half, with most of these “ships” lasting for three month periods. As I said, hindsight gives you different knowledge, and while I remain grateful that I had received teachings through each of these, I probably could have forgone a step or two. But with a year and a half timeline, it gave me the time needed to be confident in this career transition, and in many ways, it aligned with my expected timeline of growth and change (though sometimes I think my change tolerance is slow!)
