Name: Amy Nalette
Title: Associate Acquisitions Editor
Website: www.pubint.com
Location: Chicago, IL
Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I double majored at MSU in Spanish and Professional Writing. I plan to pursue a master’s degree next – hopefully soon!
Tell us about your current job.
Publication’s International, Ltd. (PIL) is a privately owned Children’s Book Publishing company in the suburbs of Illinois. We create two different types of Children’s books: Electronic books (with all sorts of buttons that play sound effects, music, voices, etc.) and Quiet books (your typical storybooks without any sound component). We create books that feature licensed characters.
So for example, we work with Disney to create books featuring the Disney Princesses, Cars, Finding Nemo, High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, etc. (the list goes on and on). Additionally, we work with Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, HIT Entertainment (Thomas the Tank Engine), Marvel, Dreamworks, and more.
My title is Associate Acquisitions Editor, but being an acquisitions editor at PIL is quite different than a typical publishing company. We do not accept outside manuscript submissions from anyone, because we create everything ourselves in-house. We have teams of editors, art directors, production editors, sound designers, animators, etc. that are assigned to each project. Every acquisitions editor in my department is assigned a different licensor that she works with daily. I am the acquisitions editor for Disney! Well, actually, since Disney is our biggest account, we had to split it in half. So I am responsible for all of Disney Quiet Books and another girl is in charge of Disney Electronic Books.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I can’t tell you what a typical day is like, because everyday is totally different! This is a major perk to my job, because I’m never bored. My job is sort of like being the middle man between Disney and our team at PIL. Everything that we produce has to be approved by Disney. So I submit every stage of every book to them.
Then, Disney will make comments, changes, suggestions, demands (haha, but seriously), etc. on each submission. I relay that information to our team who then makes the changes and continues on to the next stage of the book.
Of course, I do all kinds of other things too, like reading scripts for Disney/Pixar movies before anyone else does (major perk!), hiring artists to illustrate various books, helping prepare materials for presentations, etc.
What kinds of documents do you produce?
I’d say the number one thing is e-mail. I am constantly e-mailing my contacts at Disney on a daily basis. Other documents would include things like contract requests, project requests, review forms, etc.
What communication skills are needed for your job?
Well, with the constant e-mailing, obviously good writing skills are a must. I had to learn how to write in a professional manner. Sometimes, I even have to argue back to Disney when we really don’t want to change something that they have requested. So I had to learn how to argue professionally! Speaking skills are a must as well, as I sometimes hold phone conferences with the Disney folks and often times present new material to our PIL teams.
How did you prepare for your job?
Well I began working at PIL as an assistant. This really allowed me to learn all the different aspects of the company and absorb everything that the acquisitions editors around me were doing. Once I got promoted, it was a smooth transition!
List three of your favorite professional resources/references/tools and tell us why they’re your favorite.
The internet! There is so much useful information that comes in handy!
How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
I’m constantly reading new information that Disney provides on their various websites about new movies, initiatives etc. There are also a few websites I frequent from time to time that provide updates on what is going on in the licensing world.
How would you define professional writing?
Oh man, this is the question I always dreaded in PW classes! Professional Writing encompasses so much that it’s almost too hard to sum it all up!
Do you have any tips to share with other professional designers/writers/editors?
Don’t be afraid to step up and take on more responsibility. When I was told I was being promoted to work with Disney, I almost passed out. Being in charge of one of the biggest accounts is a lot of pressure, but I am utterly grateful for the chance to prove myself and push myself to learn more and more everyday.
Tags: Editing, In the Workplace, Writing