Our very own Margaret Huntley has been busy completing her Masters in Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Australia, and we asked her to share with us (and you!) how what she’s been learning has shaped her thinking about book marketing and publicity.
We absolutely love her answer. Keep reading!
Hi everyone! I’m Margaret, and I’ve been with the River Street team for over four years. I’m currently residing in Brisbane, Australia and am halfway to completing my Masters in Writing, Editing, and Publishing.
I’ve found the best way to describe by Masters degree is with the phrase “publishing is the business of books.” Because you can write incredible literature, and even have it published, but if no one buys it at the store then no one is paying their bills. My Masters is similar to a degree in marketing and publicity in that I am learning how to sell a product by engaging public interest. But publishing is a distinct form of publicity that requires additional care.
Meet Margaret!
One of my professor’s frequently says that the publishing industry exists at a rather contentious intersection between art and commerce. But I want to tweak his metaphor a little. I say that the publishing industry is less of an intersection and more of a grown person with one foot on either end of a child’s seesaw. With one foot on art, and the other on commerce the person wobbles around vicariously in the middle.
As someone who loves art for the sake of art, but doesn’t love the starving artist lifestyle, this is a balancing act I’ve struggled with my whole life. And I know I’m not alone. The reality is that writers are artists first, but that doesn’t magically exempt them from living under capitalism. The publishing industry pulls commerce into literature in order to empower artists to keep on creating. The industry certainly is far from perfect and has its fair share of barriers that are in the process of being torn down. But in all its faults and wobbles, there is an ongoing struggle to balance art with commerce.
This is one struggle that I am excited to be in the middle of. I’m learning so many valuable things at the University of Queensland that I’m excited to implement at River Street as we take on more publishing clients.