@swagtasticmoe on Instagram posed a question that I get asked quite a lot – “Why did you want to get into publishing!”
I responded with the short version – the opportunity fell into my lap when I was completing my undergrad at university, and I took the leap into something slightly different!
The real reason is a little longer than that.
I’ve always loved books; my dad used to read to my sister and I at bedtime – we had a beautiful copy of The Hobbit with whimsical illustrations that I loved to look at. I read and collected the Rainbow Magic books, I borrowed all of the Judy Moody books when I was in year 3, my favourite book when I was 13 was Inkheart, I wrote fanfiction on Wattpad and joined the book club in high school.
Books were my whole schtick.
My reading dropped off as I became a teenager; schoolwork, friendships, all the other stuff that comes with growing up. By the time I got to university, I didn’t read as much as I used to do. Or at all. But my love of books never left – I enjoyed creative writing and other forms of storytelling like films and games, I yearned for the excitement I felt as a kid. I wanted to pick up my favourite book; I wanted to feel passionate about something again.
Too deep.
Then, in my third year of my undergraduate degree with no plans or prospects, a lecturer I was only vaguely familiar with brought a new Masters course. It was originally delayed by the pandemic, meaning anyone in my year would be the first to go through this new course.
I was never one to shy away from a challenge.
Since completing the course, I’ve been running the business in some capacity – sometimes alongside another job, mostly full time. I also get asked how I motivate myself to go into the office every day. Unlike most jobs, I can’t use money as a motivator right now, so it’s a good thing that I love what I do. I’ve also spent the majority of my life studying or working at desks with computers, so it’s a sad fact that I’ve not done anything differently.
I love what I do! I never expected to stumble into an industry that I am so passionate about. If you’re in publishing too, how did you get here? If you want to get into publishing, how have you gone about it? Discuss below!