On February 29th, the MS in Publishing Program had its second networking event: Diversity in Publishing: The Lifecycle of a Book, featuring teams from Atria, an imprint at Simon & Schuster.
They covered a wide range of books: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Ida B. The Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells by Michelle Duster, The Boy With a Bird in his Chest by Emme Lund, Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar, Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price, and As a Woman by Paula Stone Williams, taking each project through the lifecycle of publication. Professionals from editorial, marketing, production, and other departments talked about the specific challenges of each book—including what it was like to promote a sophomore novel when the author had transitioned. They also discussed broader topics, such as reaching out to #OwnVoices influencers, new digital marketing tactics, and the changes that COVID-19 has brought to the industry.
After the presentation, they discussed with the audience what it was like to change their routine during the start of COVID-19 and how there will be no going back to normal after the pandemic due to the embrace of remote work. In the end, there was shared excitement over Zoraida Córdova’s upcoming adult debut, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina — a story about a family searching for their history at a funeral and the reclamation of power — and other diverse books that are set for release in the coming months.