Kerry Fiallo

1. Can you describe what your job is and what an average day at your job looks like? 

My current position is a copywriter at Simon and Schuster, and my main responsibility is writing the retail copy for all the books, both fiction and nonfiction, under two imprints: Atria and Gallery. I write the descriptions of the works, keywords, metadate, and biographies that are then distributed to all the retailers. Throughout the year, I’m constantly getting updates for books, like if there’s a movie adaptation coming out or if a title wins an award, so I’m always updating that information or taking information away. I do a lot of proofreading as well, specifically for ads and marketing material, to make sure all the information we are putting out is correct and easily accessible. 

2. Do you think there are any specific skills that you learned at TCNJ in your English classes that helped you in your career? 

My already good skills at critical reading were challenged when I entered college by the professors and the different schools of thought they imposed on us. Constantly writing, going over my own papers and realizing that I could relate something in a much quicker, simpler way. As I went through all four years of my undergraduate courses and then getting a Master’s degree, those skills got stronger and stronger. Learning to be concise in college has transferred over tremendously into my current field of work, needing to be simple and to the point for consumers is the most important aspect of what I do. 

3. Does your current career line up with your college plans?

For the most part, yes! I went into college with a journalism major, but I realized rather quickly that wasn’t where my heart was anymore. When I graduated, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to do something with writing and editing in some way, and that then led me to books. I went on to get my Master’s while working part-time and had an assistantship at TCNJ so I could afford the degree. I eventually got a job in book publishing kind of randomly because I was working retail and freelance at the time and impulsively applied for larger companies. 

4. What are your current favorite/least favorite tasks at your current job?

I love getting tip sheets, which typically have very basic descriptions of a book and its key selling points, and getting the chance to turn that into something that sounds exciting. On a personal level, I enjoy learning about new books that are set to be released. For the most part, people who work in publishing are people who love books. You don’t really go into this field unless you’re an avid reader. My least favorite part is some of the proofreading projects because they can be very tedious. But even that, once you’re done, you feel as though you’ve accomplished something. 

5. Do you have any advice or tips for an undergraduate who wants to go into the editing and publishing field, possibly copywriting?

The great thing about copywriting is that it’s a universal need. People and companies always need someone who can write strong, understandable, decent copies. With actual publishing, there’s many groups out there for young publishers, but reaching out to those groups and starting to network is important, even if networking seems daunting. Constantly writing and putting all freelance work on your resume. Show the publishing companies that you love books and love the industry, or just have writing experience on your resume because it’ll add that element of caring about what you want to do. Even if you don’t initially get into the department you want to be, there’s a lot of moving around and trying new things out. It’s about what helps with your career and makes you happy. Be open-minded and have patience.