Natalie P. – Exploring the World of Publishing

How does a book go from an idea to what we see on a shelf?

My name is Natalie Peña, and I’m an eighteen-year-old from Brooklyn, New York. I’ve been at LREI since the eighth grade and will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill come August. These past four years, I have been able to grow and discover myself as a reader and writer through various stints both inside and outside of the LREI community, and so I am excited to share how I’ve incorporated that growth into my Senior Project.

While trying to answer my essential question of How does a book go from an idea to what we see on the shelf? part of my project entailed interviewing people throughout different parts of the publishing industry, from authors and literary agents to experts in production, publicity, and marketing. Talking to these people gave me answers to not only the technical aspects of my question but also to the parts just as creative as their jobs: what does the future of publishing look like? How can one engage in creative work to a deadline? How do ghostwriters put aside their egos and write for other people? What does identity – be it for a brand, an author, an imprint – look like in the publishing industry? The other part of my project focused on reading books. At first glance, this may sound straightforward, but reading a new book both as a reader and as a writer and with a critical eye was a unique experience for me. Upon finishing each book, I then had to write a review for each one. I was confident in how easy that would be, writing a few paragraphs on my opinions about a book fresh in my mind, so you might imagine my shock when I found myself completely unable to write my first review. Eventually, I was able to get the hang of it, and this part of my project culminated in some reviews up on Goodreads.

My gallery is a collection of three transcripts of some of the interviews I did, as well as three of the reviews I wrote on fiction books varying in genre. To access these, hover over the dropbox that says “HOME” on the upper righthand corner, and then click on whichever option you’d like to read first. I had a wonderful time exploring the world of publishing throughout my Senior Project, and I hope you’re able to take away something from my gallery.

Click on the photo on the left to access my website.