August in the publishing world means long vacations, a slower pace, few new submissions, and a LOT of reading on the beach. One of the funny (and by funny, I mean sort of sad) truths about working in publishing is that we rarely have time to catch up on reading. Maybe this is because our to-read lists are too long? Maybe it’s that, with all the work-related reading and editing we do, it’s easy to forget about extracurricular reading?
Whatever it is, I can’t seem to ever make headway on my long to-read list. There isn’t nearly as much shutting-the-office-door-and-sitting-with-a-good-book-for-hours as I want there to be. And so, August is going to be all about kicking back with a paperback and forgetting the world. I don’t think I’ve read for 12 hours straight since my Harry Potter days, and that just has to change.
My office during our trip!
With the slower pace in the industry this month, I’m off to Punta Cana for two weeks with my sister. I’ll be catching up on some work projects, editing some proposals, and systematizing a few things. But there will also be a lot of cooking, a lot of sipping cold drinks, some major reading, and maybe even some naps, if we’re feeling really crazy.
Here’s what I’ll be reading on the beach:
I know–a book about the publishing industry sounds totally wonky and like the very opposite of a relaxing beach read. And when I got this book delivered and saw that it was nearly 500 pages of small print, with charts and all, I was sure it would bore me to death. But it’s AMAZING! Really. Anyone in the industry should make this a must-read–it gives such a big picture, 360 degree view of the evolution of publishing, which we sometimes lose sight of in the day-to-day. And it’s written in an engaging, straightforward way, so you won’t find yourself snoozing through it. I promise.
