Today I'm delighted to welcome
PHOEBE MORGAN
What and when was your first job in publishing?
My first job in publishing was as a Publishing Assistant at
Octopus Books, specialising in non-fiction. I was working across children’s and
adult, and my job involved editorial and administrative duties as well as some
special sales tasks. Octopus is a really lovely company and I remember being so
excited on the day I got the job, as I’d had quite a few interviews by that
stage and kept losing out! Getting into publishing can be hard but once you
have a foot in the door it’s such a rewarding, welcoming industry.
How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I’ve been working at HarperCollins for coming up to a year
and a half, and I’ve been a Commissioning Editor for the past few months. Prior
to that I was an Editor, and I now work across a range of crime, thriller, saga
and women’s fiction, buying books from agents and taking them through the
editorial process to publication.
Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
I’m very lucky to have a wonderful list of authors including
Sunday Times bestsellers Katerina
Diamond, who writes crime, and Kitty Neale who writes saga. I’ve just started
working on C.L Taylor’s psychological thrillers too, which get more brilliant
with every book. Her latest, The Fear,
will be out in 2018. The first book I acquired for HarperCollins was called Obsession by Amanda Robson, which was
so much fun to work on, and the second was 99
Red Balloons by Elisabeth Carpenter which has one of the cleverest plot
twists I’ve ever read.
Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I actually trained as a journalist which gave me a good
grounding in the skills needed for publishing, particularly meeting tight
deadlines, writing short, snappy copy and liaising with other people. I’ve also
done several proof reading courses, and of course, I’m a huge reader – my
Kindle is my prized possession and I think you have to read an awful lot in
order to get a feel for what will and won’t sell in the competitive commercial
market. I’m part of the events team for the Society of Young Publishers and
that has been very helpful too; I’ve met so many wonderful, inspiring people
through the SYP who have all helped to get me where I am today.
How do you relax after a busy working day?
It can be hard to relax in my job because it does spill over
into my home life because I’ve always got submissions to read and several books
on the go, but to switch off I love a good drama, something like The Affair or Happy Valley. I’m a writer as well and at times, that can be
relaxing – if the book is going well, that is! Otherwise, it’s essentially
wine…
What was the last book you read for pleasure?
I read and thoroughly enjoyed Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, a more literary novel
about relationships, friendship and the confusion of being a young woman. I
absolutely loved it from beginning to end and would highly recommend. I also
devoured Maggie O’Farrell’s memoir, I Am
I Am I Am, which tells the story of her seventeen brushes with death – a
really fascinating read with her trademark beautiful writing style.
Describe your job in 15 words or less...
Getting paid to read and drink lots of tea!
What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
Ooh, I think probably getting the job at HarperCollins, as
I’d always wanted to make the move into fiction and it was just so exciting to
finally do so. And acquiring my first book was a moment I’ll never forget, I
went across the road with a colleague afterwards and had a celebratory glass of
wine! I’m incredibly proud of all of my authors and their books and it is
amazing seeing them fly up the charts and into readers’ hands. I’m also very
proud of everything the SYP have achieved – I worked on our London Conference
in 2016 and seeing it all come together after months of planning was brilliant.
If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
I’ve always wanted to see what being a lawyer would be like
– but I’m essentially too lazy to spend so much time on paperwork! I’d only
want to do the exciting parts, like arguing in court in an Ally McBeal-esque
outfit…a bit unrealistic, I’m sure, but it always looked so much fun to build a
case and convince a jury of the truth.
If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
Hmm, probably something like Fake It Til You Make It – I always felt like such an imposter when
I was first starting out in publishing, and it’s only recently that I’ve
started to feel more confident and I think that’s a sensation a lot of people
deal with too. But it is true – if you keep going at something and pretend
you’re confident even when you’re not, eventually, true confidence will come.
Thanks so much for taking part, Phoebe!
Look out for more MY PUBLISHING LIFE features coming soon.
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If any literary agents, publishers, publicists or editors would like to take part, please contact me through my blog or Twitter for the full list of questions.
Really enjoyed this interview- am a huge fan of Phoebe Morgan and loved hearing more about her job! Thanks ladies!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your support!
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