Written by Sarika Karra, Writing Atlas Fellow
Plympton Writing Atlas Fellows recently had the opportunity to speak with Hogarth Editorial Director Alexis Washam. Alexis spoke about the roles and responsibilities of individuals in corporate publishing, what editors typically look for in book manuscripts, and breaking into the publishing industry. Heidi Pitlor, the Editorial Director of Plympton, conducted the Q&A and shared her insight on careers in publishing. With their immense experience and expertise, Heidi and Alexis encouraged Plympton Fellows to think about the ways they can stand out and carve out their own paths.
Alexis began at Viking Penguin as an administrative assistant and later became a founding editor of Hogarth, an imprint at Penguin Random House which emphasizes new literary voices and a global perspective. She has edited books by several notable authors with Hogarth, some of whom have gone on to win or be nominated for honors like the National Book Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Women's Prize for Fiction. The process of acquiring books and getting them successfully to publication is an arduous one that requires tenacity, Alexis noted.
When Alexis reads manuscripts, she typically looks for pieces with strong voices and writing that feels like it could only have been done by one person. With some pieces, Alexis said, it can seem like the author lacked an original idea and tried to mimic other successful authors’ style of writing. She warned that it can be difficult to maintain an individual voice in a large crowd often driven by trends in reading and literature.
She also tends to stay away from pieces that have very showy, lyrical writing, and prefers unadorned, straightforward prose. Manuscripts also have to feel complete; in this day and age, it can be difficult to convince a publisher to take on a manuscript that isn't already highly anticipated and in very good shape, especially at a large publishing house.
When Alexis started as an assistant, she realized that many international writers were overlooked by other editors. By combing through catalogues of international publishers who were selling rights to their books, she made a case for books that were highly acclaimed or had sold many copies in their home countries. Alexis started off with an Australian title, The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, and published it for US audiences with Penguin. She received more international submissions from then on. This method gave Alexis a bit of an edge as she developed her own niche in publishing and went after interesting titles that weren’t huge hits overseas. She learned that some novels translated into English can be successful, even if they hadn’t received much attention in their home countries due to the content of the stories or themes of the book.
The results of Alexis’ efforts have been rewarding; recently, two of the books she brought forth — short story collections by Mariana Enriquez, an Argentinian literary horror writer and the author of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed — received enough attention to garner a review by Francine Prose in The New York Review of Books.
One big challenge of being in the industry, Alexis said, is the sheer number of books that don't end up working out. It's hard enough to push a book through the acquisition process; it’s even harder to edit a book, support the author for over a year, and then watch it not get the reviews it deserves. An editor simply has to keep moving forward in the hopes that something will work in the market. Absorbing that amount of failure requires persistence and grit.
For those who are interested in a publishing career, Alexis’ best advice is to be tenacious in the job search, go for any and all opportunities, and keep a sharp list of contacts. Social media can be a very useful tool in keeping up with the contemporary conversation around books, and has opened up many opportunities to forge authentic connections. Individuals should be able to hold meaningful discussions about books and share insightful opinions that demonstrate how they can bring a unique perspective to the publishing industry.