Meet Isabel Taylor, our marketing intern!
1.What brings you to Lerner?
This past May, I graduated from Beloit College with a double major in creative writing and critical identity studies. I’ve been interested in publishing for several years now, but getting to attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in April (as a production editor for the Beloit Fiction Journal) really cemented my interest. I was excited to have the opportunity to intern with Lerner; books have always been a big part of my life, and my mom is a teacher, so interning with a company that specializes in books for children and teens is a great fit. It’s too early to say where I’ll end up career-wise, but I remain excited about this industry, and the potential of each person within it to amplify diverse voices and share new stories.
2. Describe a day in the life of a marketing intern.
A regular day’s activities can include proofing eBooks, sending out complimentary copies of books to reviewers and awards committees, working with the database of Lerner’s titles and authors, writing press releases, creating indexes and tables of contents for catalogs, and more! One of my favorite tasks is when I get to read a book from the upcoming season and write a discussion guide on it. If I want to stretch my legs, I put new copies of books on our shelves, or find and remove the titles that are going to be donated (I’m now well acquainted with just how many books can fit on one shelf: it’s a lot.). When I have a few spare minutes, I update social media accounts or make simple promotional designs in Canva. There’s always a lot going on at Lerner, so I do my best to help the marketing and publicity teams function efficiently. I’ve learned a lot already and am excited to keep learning!
3. What are you reading now?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I love books that straddle the line between sci-fi and literary fiction, à la Margaret Atwood. Also, with the recent announcement that the His Dark Materials series is going to be made into a TV show, I’m feeling the urge to reread that series!
4. What’s your best source for finding new book recommendations?
Friends and family members are an obvious resource, but there are just so many places to find book recommendations online these days. It’s really cool to see how many people are dedicated to finding, reading and advocating for books about unusual topics and underrepresented characters. If you want to read a post-apocalyptic book with a disabled protagonist, or a fantasy book with lots of characters of color, someone online probably has you covered!
5. Top 5 (or so) favorite books. Go!
Yikes! Always a hard question to narrow down, and I’ll inevitably forget a few. The ones that come to mind are The Handmaid’s Tale, The Bell Jar, The Catcher in the Rye, A Visit from the Goon Squad, This Is How You Lose Her, The Great Gatsby, The Book Thief… I’ll stop now.
6. Name some of your icons. Who do you admire, living or dead, and why?
I really admire bell hooks, because of her efforts to make the theoretical aspects of social activism accessible to those who need it. Margaret Atwood (I’ve met her!) for her way with words, and her (often uncomfortable) honesty in literature and in life. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, because of her accomplishments, her fairness, and her unshakable resolve.
7. What is your ideal vacation?
Hmm… a beach somewhere, because I love the sun and sea. But there would need to be Wi-Fi, and zero insects.