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Welcome to the November issue, the last of
2005. As I have said before, joining in is the
way to get the most out of the society you get
to meet and socialise with more people, and
earn a few CV points while you are at it. You
certainly dont need to live in London or Oxford
to get involved; in fact, as you will see, some ofthe positions mean you need to live in other
parts of the country.
The SYP currently has over 350 members, and
our main recruitment event of the year, the
Careers Conference, hasnt even happened yet.
Twenty people, living in London and Oxford,
help run the society, taking on significant levels
of responsibility to do so. We dont get paid for
this, but we personally gain a great deal, as
well as benefiting the society. Congratulations
are most definitely due to your hardworking
committee members who continue to build on
the successes of prior committees and create
new events and services, making the society
better than ever.
In 2006 we intend to focus on setting up
sub-committees, lead by the managing
committee members, allowing a far greater
number of people to get involved. So, whether
you want to start off gradually, at a work
experience level, or want to leap straight into amanaging committee position, we want to hear
from you!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Secretary/Sponsorship Officer:
Highly organised and outgoing, this person is
responsible for keeping the committee up-to-
date, and finding all the sponsorship we need
be it money, advertising space, equipment to
increase our scope and the services we offer to
members. Currently aided by the rest of the
committee, this person could very much use
the help of people who can dedicate some time
each month to pursuing the many sponsorship
avenues available.
Speaker Meeting Co-ordinators:
Ideally we need two or three people to take on
this intense and highly creative role. What do
members want to learn about? What do
members needto hear about? And who in the
publishing industry is best to teach us? This
position is a great way to gain contacts in the
industry. We need to construct the main
schedule for 2006 at the end of November/start
of December, so please get in touch as soon
as possible.
Treasurer:
A challenging role that demands meticulous
attention to detail and organisation, and also
allows creativity, providing the opportunity to
help expand the SYP. You will need to process
all the membership fees, 2006 Conference fees,
ensure our suppliers get paid and help the
committee devise relevant budgets. We alsowant to begin accepting online payments, and
look at new ways of managing memberships.
This is your opportunity to help the SYP take
another step up.
Web Manager:
Transformed in recent years, the SYP website
www.thesyp.org.uk is constantly changing and
being updated. How can we make it even more
Issue
111
1
InPrintThe Newsletter of the Society of Young Publishers
JOINING THE SYP COMMITTEE
Joining the SYP Committee 1-3, Join the Oxford Committee 4-5,SYP and SPI on the Town 6-8, The Real American Psych0 9-10,A Vintage Birthday 11-12, A Symphony of Words 13, Mag for It!14, HarperCollins CV Workshop 15, Ads and Events 16
Society of Young
SYPEst.1949Publishers
November
2005
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useful and user-friendly? How can we get our
presence noticed more on the www? Working in
conjunction with the Oxford Web Editor, you
will need to liaise with the entire committee.
InPrintEditor:
2005 saw the SYPs newsletter increase from
eight to twelve pages with bumper 16-pageeditions in September and November. While
there are standard monthly articles about each
months speaker meetings, there is plenty of
scope for commissioning articles on any and all
publishing-related topics. Writers and
researchers, with or without professional experi-
ence, are welcome to join the sub-committee for
this role. Any budding photographers would be
fantastic too, to cover our speaker meetings and
social events.
InPrintWeb Editor:
It is time to take InPrinton to the next level. We
currently fill twelve pages easily, and often there
are more ideas for articles than there is space.
This is your opportunity to work with both the
Web Manager and InPrintEditor to dramatically
increase the versatility of the SYPs newsletter
and website. Writers and researchers, with or
without professional experience, are welcome to
join the sub-committee for this role.
Production Manager/InPrintDesigner:
This could be either one or two roles. We need
to be sure that the posters, information sheets,
other stationary (such as our conference bags)
and InPrintare being produced well and cost
effectively, so sourcing and liaising with
suppliers can either be a role by itself, or
coupled with designing the layout of our
monthly newsletterInPrint.
Jobs Database Co-ordinator:
Pro-active and committed, this isnt a role for
someone who just waits for job adverts to come
in. You will need to contact the major publishers
regularly and have a system so that you
contact as many of the smaller publishers as you
can throughout the year. 2005 saw a dramatic
increase in the number of jobs the SYP
advertised and some of those before they
went into the national press. Dont forget, even
if you dont want to take on this role, do encour-
age your HR departments to send their
vacancies to [email protected], as the service
is free.
Social Secretaries:
Well, we didnt have any in 2004, and what a
difference they have made in 2005! Not only do
we have more events unconnected to our
monthly speaker meetings (we just had a
wonderfultrip to Dublin) but a lot more people
now attend speaker meetings as well as the
drinks afterwards (notjustdue to the socialsecretaries, but significant credit is definitely
due to them). Always open to ideas, and in
need of venue researchers, this is another area
where help is always needed.
Publicity and Marketing:
Moving in leaps and bounds, and enjoying
marked success, there is still a huge amount of
expansion possible in this area. We need to
make sure every book publisher in the country
and eventually beyond (but lets not get
carried away for the moment) has heard of us
and is encouraging its staff to join us. We also
aim to set up Corporate Membership in 2006.
We want all universities with relevant courses to
be singing our praises to their students, and to
vastly increase the number of members from
magazine publishing, agencies, booksellers,
printers and other book-related organisations.
There are many ideas to pursue here, with
clearly defined areas of responsibility, not tomention the scope to devise your own market-
ing and/or publicity campaigns. The success
rate should be relatively easy to gauge, so all it
that remains to say is, What are you waiting
for?!
Membership Secretary:
This vital role involves looking after the most
important part of our society: the members. As
the first contact many new members have with
the society, you need to be welcoming andefficient, quickly responding to queries, and
making sure as many members as possible
renew their membership. You also need to look
after the database with all our members
details, ensuring that they receive InPrinteach
month, publicity bulletins, and jobs bulletins if
they have so requested.
Company Rep Co-ordinator and Company Reps:
We need an ambitious and outgoing individual
to start the process of getting at least one
person per publisher/
bookshop/
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currently working on this event, so more
details to follow soon.
Best wishes,
Victoria Nicholl
SYP Chair 2005
university/agency etc. to commit to putting up
our posters and being a contact for people
interested in learning more about the SYP. And
we need people to volunteer to be Company
Reps! The Co-ordinator position will definitely
involve a substantial amount of work, but the
rep positions can be fairly light, yet have a
hugely beneficial effect for the SYP. So dont beshy, wed love to hear from you
Chair:
You can only hold this position for one year
the lovely Suzanne Collier was an exception for
those eagle-eyed people who read the 2004 SYP
Handbook and you can only hold it after you
have served on the committee for a year, so see
above. A hugely rewarding role, you are respon-
sible for managing the committee members in
both London and Oxford (though naturally
most of the Oxford administration falls on the
Oxford Chair), which currently fluctuates
around the 20 mark, and, with additions to sub-
committees in 2006, this number will hopefully
be even more impressive. You are also
responsible for ensuring that a varied and
comprehensive programme is maintained for
the 350+ members and evolving and expanding
all areas of the society. It isnt easy none of
the positions are but you will learn a hugeamount about management, seeing issues from
as many angles as possible, and develop an in-
depth appreciation of just how fantastic a
concept delegation is.
Feel free to contact the current committee
members to find out more, and join us for
drinks after the next London speaker meeting
(see back page for details). To stand for a
managing committee position, attend the
London AGM on Wednesday 18 January 2006(again, details on back page). I would very
much like to hear from people who are going to
stand prior to this and from people who want
to join a sub-commit-
tee. You dont need to
be elected for the sub-
committee positions,
but we do want as
many people at the
AGM as possible.
Drinks are going to be
provided, for at least
some of the night
our social secs are
Dates for your diarySYP events in London and Oxford in2005 and 2006Monday 21 November 2005London Book Club Meeting
Wednesday 30 November2005London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 18 January 2006London AGM, Party,
Committee ElectionsOxford AGM,Committee Elections
Wednesday 8 February 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 22 February 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 8 March 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 29 March 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 12 April 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 26 April 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 10 May 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 31 May 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 14 June 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 28 June 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 12 July 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 26 July 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 13 September2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 27 September2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 11 October 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 25 October 2006London Speaker Meeting
Wednesday 8 November 2006Oxford Speaker Meeting
Saturday 11 November 2006CAREERS CONFERENCELondon
Wednesday 29 November2006London Speaker Meeting
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, ITS DRINKS
IN NOVEMBER: VINOPOLIS AND
FIREWORKS Saturday 5 November
2005
Join the London SYP for a Vinopolis Wine Tour
(12.50 includes admission, choice of five wines
and Bombay Sapphire cocktail) and then onto the
wonderful setting of Alexandra Palace for
fireworks (open 4:30pm 11:00pm, fireworks
display in park at 7:30pm) including discounted
rate ice-skating, indoor and outdoor funfair, and
a beer, wine and food festival.
Meet at the Anchor Pub, Bankside, 34
Park St, South Bank, SE1 9EF at 12pm.
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LondonChair:Victoria [email protected]
Secretary:Tonia Mamai
Web Mana ger :Toby [email protected]
InPrint Editor:Rebecca [email protected]
InPrint Production Manager:Gurdeep Mattu
Membership Secretary :Doug [email protected]
Social Secretaries:Claire [email protected] [email protected]
Jobs Database CoordinatorMariza OKeeffe
Press Officer:Louise Rhind-Tutt
Speaker Meeting Coordinators:Tej Sood
[email protected] [email protected]
Company Rep Co-ordinator:position vacant
Treasurer:Amelia [email protected]
Oxford Acting Chair:Deb [email protected]
Treasurer:Flora Pui-yan [email protected]
Secretary:Katy [email protected]
Inprint Northern CorrespondentLucie [email protected]
Inprint Liasion:Clare [email protected] Co-Ordinator
Mimi [email protected]
Prom otions Officer:TBA
Web Editor:Jamie [email protected]
Brookes Lia isonRebecca [email protected] k
Any queries please check the SYPWebsite
JOIN THE OXFORD COMMITTEE!
Social Secretary:
This person organises social events in Oxford,
and runs the Oxford book club. Past activities
have included a summer punting party that
brought Oxford and London members
together. There is plenty of room for new
ideas. The co-ordination of the book club
involves keeping people informed of its
meetings, encouraging participation, and
ensuring that books and venues are chosen
and publicised.
Contact: Deb Sanders
Publicity Co-ordinator:
This role involves publicising SYP events,
particularly outside the SYP membership.
Whoever takes on this role will also be
responsible for increasing membership and
events attendance through liaison with
companies and other organisations, and the
press.
Contact: Deb Sanders
Treasurer:
The treasurer is responsible for all financial
matters of the Oxford branch of the Society.
It is their duty to safe keep petty cash, the
chequebook and all bank statements. In
charge of monthly financial records, the
treasurer must report back to committee
members regularly, and deal with financial
inflow and outflow. On the inflow side, the
The Oxford Committee
works alongside the
London Committee to
increase diversity, fun and
networking in the SYP,
regularly holding talks,
social events and a book
club in Oxford. If you are
based in Oxford or the surrounding area and
would like to get more involved, read more
about the fantastic opportunities below and
get in touch with us!
Chair:
The Chairs role is to lead the SYP Oxford
committee, directing the Societys activities
in the city. As well as chairing Oxford
committee meetings and liaising with the
London Chair, this person chairs and
introduces Oxford speaker meetings. They
also sit on the Industry Advisory Board for
the Oxford International Centre for
Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes
University. The post provides the opportunity
to develop new initiatives and shape the SYP
in Oxford and beyond. Good knowledge of
the publishing scene in and around Oxford
would be beneficial, as would lots of fresh
ideas. The Chair supports the other
committee members, and ensures the
smooth running of the Oxford SYP.
Contact: Deb Sanders, Acting Oxford Chair
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treasurer does door duty and collects
payments at every event meeting, and on the
outflow side, is responsible for reimbursing
committee members and guest speakers
expenses.
Contact: Flora Lau
Events Co-ordinator:
In the changing world of publishing, people
want information from the insiders about all
aspects of this industry. The events coordina-
tor gathers suggestions from members on the
kinds of speaker meetings they would like us
to host. Be it music publishing, freelancing, or
science communication, youll have them
covered! The events co-ordinator schedules
speakers and makes sure that the venues and
the technical support are set up properly.
They are also responsible for the publicity of
speakers events and the promotion of the
SYP at Oxford University. In general, this is a
really great opportunity to bring people
together!
Contact: Mimi Mo (mimi.mo@christ-
church.oxford.ac.uk)
Secretary:The secretarys main responsibilities include
organising committee meetings, writing
agendas and taking minutes. Along with the
Chair, the secretary is the first point of
contact for people wanting to know more
about getting involved with the SYP, so you
will often deal with new members or people
wanting to help out on the committee or with
the book club.
Contact: Katy Hawker([email protected])
Web Editor:
Responsible for the Oxford pages located at
www.thesyp.org.uk/oxford, the main task of
the web editor is to keep the site up-to-date,
making sure that the latest speaker meeting is
being advertised with information supplied
by the events co-ordinator. Sometimes new
pages need to be created too, perhaps to
create a feedback form or advertise the nextCareers Conference. During quiet moments
there are always background tasks that can be
carried out, such as improving the sites
ranking in search engines.
Contact: Jamie Shaw ([email protected])
InPrintLiaison:
The role of the InPrintLiaison is to make sure
that Oxford events are both publicised and
reported on in the newsletter each month.
Working closely with the London Editor(s),
the Oxford Liaison is responsible for recruit-
ing reporters, photographers and proofread-
ers, commissioning new articles and ensuring
that all contributions are sent to London in
time for the monthly deadline. There are also
opportunities to write articles yourself, so if
you are organised and would like to see your
name in print, this position could be for you!
Contact: Clare Truter([email protected])
Oxford Brookes Liaison:
The purpose of this role is to provide a link
between the activities of the SYP and the
publishing students and staff at Oxford
Brookes University. Main activities involve
publicising SYP events by e-mail and poster
distribution, and booking rooms at Oxford
Brookes as requested by the events co-ordina-
tor. The person in this role is usually the first
point of enquiry about the SYP for Brookesstudents: they should be enthusiastic in
promoting the SYP among their peer group,
and should understand how the SYP might
promote itself effectively among the publish-
ing student communities by being aware of
the communitys needs and preferences.
Contact: Rebecca Dimery
SYP HANDBOOK 2006
We are currently working on an updated version of last year's
Handbook to bring out in time for a launch at the 2006 London
Book Fair. Once again, the Handbook will serve as a directory of
all our members, as well as featuring several specially-commis-
sioned articles on publishing careers from top industry names.
Whether you are currently working in publishing, studying, or
looking for that all-important first
break into the industry, the guide is a valuable tool for making
contacts and researching roles.
Sarah Roberts and Flora Pui-yan Lau will be contacting youshortly to encourage as many members to sign up as possible.
In the meantime you can fill out the form at
http://thesyp.org.uk/handbook/ or contact Sarah and Flora at
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Doug Wallace gives us a report on the SYP Dublin
trip.
On the first Saturday in October, the Society of
Young Publishers (SYP) flew to Dublin to have a
pint (or two!) of the black stuff with the Society of
Publishers in Ireland (SPI). We were also there to
help the SPI blow out the candles on their second
birthday cake, and see how the two societies could
work more closely together in the future.
Founded in 2002, the SPI is a networking
society for all those working in publishing and
related industries. Much like the SYP, the society is
a non-profit-making organisation, run voluntarily
by a committee drawn from the trade. Reading
the SPI website before I left for Dublin, I was
pleased to find the following raison dtre for their
organisation:
giving people the chance to meet each
other at informal social events will
promote greater understanding through-
out the industry and encourage a sense of
cohesion and cooperation across the
board. It will also, we hope, make working
in the industry even more enjoyable.
We were all looking forward to the trip enormous-
ly, and it was clear that, with the SPIs philosophy
on things, we would have a lot in common, both
in terms of what we wanted to achieve with our
organisations and the kind of people that ran
them.Because of work commitments and varying
degrees of preparation (ahem!), the SYP
committee and members who came to Dublin
arrived over the course of several days and were
scattered right across the city. Some stayed with
friends, others chose backpacker hostels in the
heart of Dublins lively Temple Bar area, and the
late-comers eventually found lodgings some
twenty miles from Dublin airport and a good
eight miles from the city centre. These trifling
logistical problems were laid to one side along
with the best-intentioned sightseeing plans as
some of us stepped into one of Dublins many fine
pubs that Saturday afternoon, for a quick
Guinness ahead of the evenings party.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere of the
Dublin pub cannot be overstated. When one of
our party clumsily spilt his pint of Guinness across
the table whilst busy admiring a picture of himself
drinking the aforementioned pint on his digital
camera, the reaction from the bar staff was not at
all what we expected. The good-humoured
landlord came over and expertly stemmed the
SPI AND SYP ON THE TOWN
Diana, Victoria, Louise, Claire Morrison and Doug
Susan, a founding member of the SPI
A Piece of (Birthday) Cake
Suzanna, Eihblin and Emma
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flow of the black and white frothy tide that was
now cascading over the table edge onto our knees.
He then refilled the upset pint for free, enquired if
we were fine for drinks and asked us to give him a
shout when we needed a cab later on. Needless to
say, had such heroism been exhibited by a London
landlord toward a hapless tourist, his face would
have been splashed across the front page ofThe
Evening Standards West End final!
While some of us supped, others took a sightsee-
ing bus around the city, had a tour of the Guinness
factory, visited the memorial gardens and
bookshops, and had a very pleasant trip to
Haagen-Dazs!
At seven oclock that evening, at the Auld
Dubliner on Temple Bar, the SYP gathered together
before heading en masse for the SPI party at Caf
en Seine on
Dawson
Street. None
of us were
prepared for
the wonder-ful venue
that the SPI
had chosen
for the
party. Caf en Seine is purported to be one of the
most spectacular cafe bars in Europe. Whether or
not this is true, the place was a feast for the eyes
due to its sheer opulence and size. It was, as one
commentator put it, like being transported back
to the heady days of early 19th century Paris: the
decadent art deco interior boasted huge murals,marble busts, enormous mirrors and a 40ft glass
atrium with outsize tropical ferns sprouting up in
between ornate brass chandeliers that were slung
low from the arched roof. Spread over three floors
opening into the atrium, we eventually found our
hosts on a wide balcony overlooking the slowly
filling bar below. With DJs, drinking and dancing
carrying on till 3am, a card behind the bar and
some truly lovely Irish hosts, I couldnt help
thinking that the first meeting of the SPI and the
SYP could only be a roaring success (or become
infamous for all the wrong reasons!).
The guests at this joint
birthday/welcome celebration
came from right across the
trade. From agents, rights
executives and editors to
marketing and publicity people
there was a welcome for even
the most backward of minglers.
The evening started very well,
and so sociable were our hosts
that old university friends Claire
(SYP Social Secretary) and
Suzanna (SPI Committee
Member) who masterminded
the trip didnt get a chance to
have a good chat for quite a few
hours into the party.
Susan Rossney, co-founding
member of the SPI, was delight-
ed to see that so many of us had made the effort
to come and meet them in Dublin. Susan, a
graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Oxford
Brookes University, has worked in publishing for
over six years. She explained how the SPI has
formed close links with the large Irish publishers
and been able to gain financial support and
credibility through their involvement with the
society. Such support is hard to find and we were
all impressed by the way in which the SPI has
achieved so much in just a few years. Another co-
founder, Emma Byrne, has worked in publishing
for five years, and before that she worked on
newspapers. Emma talked about how much the
SPI has benefited from being inclusive in itsmembership policy. As a designer and artist she
was able to bring skills to the society that no one
Old chums Suzanna and Claire
The opulence of Caf en Seine
A view onto the fun
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give several other examples of
this situation. The point wasnt
lost on us, as we are looking for
people with design experience
to help with everything from
SYP marketing to web design.
SYP Chair, Victoria Nicholl, was
seen lost in conversation for a
long time with the SPI co-
founder and secretary, Rachel
Pierce, discussing the future of
the societies and a closer associ-
ation in the near future. Rachel
mentioned that the SPI would
be following InPrints example
by publishing a quarterly
newsletter for its members,
though they will begin with an online version.
After a good few hours mingling, drinking and
mini-sausage-on-stick-munching, it was time to cut
the birthday cake and toast the SPIs good health.
An enormous chocolate and cream cake topped
with silver ball lettering was sliced and distributed
to us all before our glasses were charged once
again for some serious drinking Dublin style. As
3am approached, the SYP were flagging (tired,
drunk or both), while our hosts looked like they
had only just arrived. We eventually took our leave,
thanked our hosts and scattered back across the
city for a well-earned rest.I hope that the SYP can learn from the SPIs
hospitality and from their ideas on sponsorship
and socialising, and put it all to good use in next
years calendar. For those members who didnt
come to Dublin, you missed a great night and I
hope that you will come along to the next social
event in London or Oxford soon. There was much
talk about the SYP hosting an event for the SPI in
London, so watch this space and get actively
involved with helping us arrange a
memorable event.
It may be a clich that the Irish are
an extremely friendly bunch and it
may be libellous to suggest that all
publishers drink like fish, but whatev-
er the truth is we all enjoyed the
craic. I would like to extend a thank
you to all those on the SPI committee
from all of us at the SYP for a truly
wonderful night in Dublin.
Louise Rhind-Tutt, Claire Morrison and Claire Shanahan
Claire S, Tonia, Judith and Toby
Victoria and Louise
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Rebecca Strong meets the man himself.
When I heard that Bret Easton Ellis was giving a rare
reading and interview on 10 October at the Royal
Festival Hall, I phoned up immediately for tickets. I
was curious to discover what he was like in real life,
given his often violent and drug-fuelled writing. The
woman I spoke to on the phone promptly informed
me that she would also be going, and that she
couldnt wait to see what he was like either. I think
he owes all women an explanation, she said.
On the night, the atmosphere in the Queen
Elizabeth Hall is hushed and the lights are dimmed,
with spotlights focusing
on the two white chairs in
the centre of the stage,
and a microphone to one
side. Bret Easton Ellis
enters stage left
accompanied by the critic,
John Walsh, who is
interviewing him, and
immediately his standard
publicity shot appears on a
looming screen. Bret
(were on first name terms
now) is dressed in a smart
suit and looks somewhat
unaffected as he takes his seat. John Walsh begins
with flattery, claiming that all the books up for this
years Booker Prize are old-fashioned and that Brets
writing is refreshing in comparison. They are primari-
ly here, of course, in light of the impending publica-
tion of Brets latest novel, Lunar Park. John Walsh
introduces the semi-auto-biographical work that takes
the reader through his struggles as a writer, onto a
fictional marriage and parenthood, and out through
its main premise a nightmarish ghost story where a
Patrick Bateman doppelganger is committing copycat
murders, at which point The League of Gentlemens
Apocalypsecomes to my mind.Bret sits patiently through the introduction, his
hand nonchalantly on his chin, sometimes staring
into the distance. My first impression is that hes
bored, hes going to be obnoxious, hes heard it all
before, and he doesnt want to be here at all. But
soon the introduction is over, and Bret slopes to the
microphone to read an extract. The audiences silence
is pierced by a clear American accent, which soon
picks up speed and snowballs into the idiosyncratic
monologue so familiar to Bret-lovers. Ten minutes
later he is still reading, and it barely seems like he has
taken a breath, word after word, list after list. Theextract is funny, engaging, and fairly self-depreciating
(though the line between the protagonist and himself
is somewhat blurred). I could never be as honest
about myself in a piece of non-fiction as I could in one
of my novels, Bret later declares.
It is clear that Bret has a lot to say about modern,
suburban society in America. The extract lists all the
things he finds wrong with it: terrorism, Starbucks,
Walmart, subway bombs, dead bodies, bullet-proof
vests on sale, the military everywhere even the
children are prescribed stimulants, ADHD medicine,
antidepressants . Later on he tells us that, although
much of his writing seems far-fetched, a lot of it is
based on reality. In his latest novel, the children
attend a rehearsal party, where many children go
to interact and be observed, and only those who
interact best are invited to the real party two weeks
later; the audience is incred-
ulous, but Bret swears that
rehearsal parties do indeed
exist. He also thinks that
over-medication of children
in the US is terrible, though
Im not going to get all
Tom Cruise about it, he
says, maintaining his sense
of humour throughout.
He resumes his seat
next to the eager John
Walsh, who asks him why he
indulges in such elaborate
fantasy. Because its fun,
says Bret, why does it matter? He says that he hates
it when writers complain, because he cant imagine
anyone writing unless they truly enjoyed it.
Indeed reality and fantasy are clearly blurred for
Bret himself. He claims that he loves the celebrity
world (I got to meet Jackie Collins! he says, with a
cheeky grin) and says that to an extent the public
image is the real Bret.
Brets own childhood or rather the need to
escape from it seems to be the inspiration behind
Lunar Park. He briefly mentions his alcoholic, abusive
father who he says he has since forgiven, but of
whom he was terrified as a child. He has exorcisedthose demons, he says, but he wont elaborate. He
grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Southern
California, in a frightening family home similar to
that in his latest novel. He thought that everyones
father was as abusive as his own, and when he
realised this wasnt the case, he suddenly had a lot
more sympathy for himself and his two sisters. It
becomes evident that he has a lot of sympathy with
children, and whilst the protagonist in Lunar Parkis
the one that most resembles Bret, he himself admits
that he possibly has more affiliation with Robby, the
protagonists son. He was afraid a lot as a child andalthough there were happy times he used to read a
lot in order to transport himself from his fear into
another world. When asked about the writers he
admires, Bret says that he loved Stephen King horror
THE REAL AMERICAN PSYCHO
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stories, especially Salems Lot, as a child, as well as
novels of international espionage, such as those by
Robert Ludlum. He also thinks that every writer is
influenced by film, but says that he does not think of
his writing in cinematic terms, as they are novels
rather than screenplays. His favourite film adaptation
of his work is Roger Averys The Rules of Attraction,
which he says is visually stunning and accurately
captured his sensibility. His favourite book is SeminalEducation by Gustave Flaubert, although he has
recently re-read The Great Gatsbyfor the fifth time
and finally got it.
He also started writing at a young age as an
escape, and accepts that his father may be responsi-
ble for him becoming a writer. When he was old
enough, he ran away to art school in Vermont as far
away from LA as possible but his father refused to
pay the tuition fees. His father was suing his grandfa-
ther at the time, so when Bret approached his
grandfather for the tuition money, he gladly paid
thats how the Ellis men work, concedes Bret. At
university he began to write about the drug-fuelled
exploits of fellow students without changing their
names, in hindsight a big mistake. He wrote his first
novel, Less Than Zerohigh on crystal meth
apparently the only book he has ever written on
drugs and it took him eight weeks to produce a
4,000-word manuscript that then took two years to
re-write! He says that his sisters liked LunarPark but
not any of his other novels, and that his mother liked
the latest novel too, but found the others difficult
somewhat understandable given their content.
And then he comes to American Psycho, his most
famous, and perhaps most controversial, novel that I
think many people in the audience are curious about.
He says that he was shocked when it wasnt the
conservatives that protested against it, but the left
those he describes as my people. His apt words
are, the New York Timeswent on a killing spree and
journalists gained notoriety by criticising the book. I
always believed thered be a time when people got
it,says Bret. Clearly there must have been despite
opposition, the book was a huge success. In carrying
out research for the book, he met and hung out with
Wall Street guys that never talked about their
business, but instead talked constant-
ly about status the best restaurants,
their suits and how hot their
girlfriends were. The protagonist of
American Psychowas originally meant
to be one of these guys, but one
evening, listening to them drone on
and unable to take any more, Bret had
the sudden inspiration to make him a
serial killer. The rage in American
Psychostemmed from leaving univer-sity, he says, and discovering that
society sucks and that you have to
conform to its rules. He claims to
have had a realisation that society
places value on all the wrong things.
By now, the audience is eating out of his hand,
and clearly welcomes the reading of another extract
from Lunar Park. This extract is more personal, clearly
relating to his father, more descriptive. After opening
up in this way, when he sits back down to take
audience questions there is a shift, and he seems to
close up again, becoming evasive. He cracks jokes to
distract the audience: Why is everyone in the backrow wearing blue? he asks, is that a school
uniform? Paranoia, paranoia, tuts John Walsh in
response, and everyone laughs. He avoids discussing
why Lunar Parkmight end on a more positive note
than his other books, and virtually humiliates the girl
that asks him to explain the central themes in
American Psycho.
When asked about his attitude to drugs, he says
that he never wrote aboutdrugs or addicts, but
about people that take them casually, and he also
writes from his own experience.
Bret is asked about his connection to Donna Tartt,
and whether the classicists in The Rules of Attraction
are based on the ones in her book, The Secret
History, and admits that its true. They were once set
up on a blind date and decided to exchange first
chapters before meeting. They remained firm friends
and she subsequently dedicated her book to him, as
he was the one person who had been in on the
project from the beginning.
The questions are soon wrapped up, and the
majority rushes to join the queue to get a book
signed. The queue is more than two hours long, but
clearly worth the wait. Bret looks at his fans with
curiosity, chats to those who ask him questions, and
writes Best Wish in all the books. He clearly favours
the young ladies to the gentlemen, is charming but
cheeky, and continues patiently to sign each copy
presented. When its my turn, I tell him my name,
and he chirps I know that name! before proceeding
to write Becca at the top of the page. No, its
REbecca, I say politely, and he sheepishly corrects it; I
shall treasure the inscription To ReBecca, Best Wish,
Bret Easton Ellis for a very long time.
I dont think we did get the answers to all the
questions, but I think Bret Easton Ellis provided a lot
of explanations to questions we
hadnt thought to ask. He has shifted
in my mind from perpetrator (as
creator of Patrick Bateman) to
empathiser (as victim of troubled
childhood) and not the promoter of
meaningless violence that I supposed
him to be. It could be that he has
found a great literary formula
gratuitous sex, drugs, violence and
satire but I think Lunar Parkwillshed new light on the real Bret Easton
Ellis, even if it is just the public
persona he chooses to display.
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Doug Wallace reports back from a very special
birthday party
On Saturday 17 September, Vintage, Random
Houses predominantly paperback fiction imprint,
celebrated its fifteenth birthday at Foyles, Britains
largest independent bookshop on Charing Cross
Road. The flyers promised bestselling authors,
birthday cake and books and the all-day event
lived up to expectations.
Things kicked off at the unseemly hour of
10.30am with a discussion on Book Politics. The
rather sombre session title didnt do justice to the
discussion that followed. Publishing NewsEditor
Liz Thompson chaired a lively debate that sped
through every contentious issue in the industry injust over an hour 3 for 2s, the Richard and Judy
effect, supermarket discounting, and the Jordan
factor to name but a few.
The best moments of this discussion and
possibly the day came from John Bennett, one of
Vintages bright young authors. Bennett joined
the panel to share his experiences of rising from
redundancy at the end of the dot.com boom to
publishing his debut novel with Vintage this year.
Thompson asked how Bennetts novel, Sea Otters
Gambolling in the Wild, Wild Surf, had managedto avoid the slush pile when he had come to
publishing as a complete unknown. The rakishly
good looking Scotsman replied immediately I
slept with Roger, tipping a wink at Roger
Bratchell, Vintages Marketing Director and
fellow panellist. The truth of matter, as Bennett
went on to explain once the laugher had
subsided, was that his girlfriend introduced him
to an author who read his manuscript and
recommended him to his literary agent. The
agent in turn approached Vintages Editorial
Director, Rachel Cugnoni, who signed him up.
Panellist Sarah Broadhurst ofThe Booksellerwas
incredulous: That all sounds far too easy! she
exclaimed, before pressing him for a frank
explanation of events. Well, it wasnt quite that
easy I actually sent the manuscript to five
agents and none of them were even interested!
Bennett confessed, smiling broadly. Thats it
John! Sell it! Sell it!! interjected Cugnoni, wide-
eyed in mock horror as Bratchell, head in hands,
stifled his giggles.
More on message for this celebratory day,
Cugnoni and Bratchell discussed how editorial
and marketing imperatives went hand-in-hand at
Vintage. Marketing is crucial. Its the kick-start
that gets people reading. Bratchell explained. It
is hard to get people to buy unknown authors
and even harder to get them promoted in
bookshops it used to be the case that you had
to start authors in hardback for the trade to take
them seriously, but the paperback original
format has become very important for us, as
readers often just want something easy to carry
around they dont care if its hardback and
the trade is coming round to this way of
thinking. Switching to the role of editorial,
Cugnoni added that editors should be driven by
their passions, which are not always commercial
ones, so there is a necessary tension between
editorial and marketing From our point of
view, she went on, picking up a proof copy of
Bennetts book, it is not always the best thingfor someone like John to have a huge first book
it is more about author progression over a
number of years. If an author builds up to
success gradually, then there isnt the tremen-
dous pressure on them to recapture the success
of their first novel. Unfortunately, this was the
case with Adam Thorpe and his debut Ullverton
in fact it would be best if Johns book wasnt a
huge success! Now it was Bennetts turn to sit
open-mouthed. Im gonna slit my wrists he
muttered in an aside to the audience. The firstsession drew to a close with an appreciative
round of applause: Debut novelists 1, Publishers
1. A good result all round.
The Daily MailsLiterary Editor, Jane Mays,
A VINTAGE BIRTHDAY
Vintages John Bennett: I slept with Roger
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Standardcolumnist, critic and mother, Alison
Pearson, and asked: how does she do it? Mays led
Pearson into a wide-ranging discussion of the
problems faced by women in society today after
Pearson read from her novel I Dont Know How
She Does It.
Claire Armitstead, the GuardiansLiterary
Editor, then chaired a heated and controversial
debate on Vintages Future Classics, chosen earlier
this year by reading groups across the country.
The session was dominated by comic novelist
Howard Jacobson who dismissed reading groups
as womens groups, going on to say that in the
thousands of reading groups in this country there
is no reading going on! Author Adam Thirlwell
railed against the idea of a classic, arguing that
surviving oblivion does not makes a book a
classic, although this was assumed to be the case
by many readers.
Over lunch there was a break from discussion as
Sebastian Faulks dropped in to sign copies of his
new novel Human Traces. The afternoon session
began quietly with Vintage author Rose Tremain
reading a short story from her as yet
unpublished new book, The Darkness of Wallis
Simpson. Tremain then took questions from the
floor on short stories.
Finally, Audrey Niffenegger and Mark Haddon
joined Suzi Feay from the Independent on Sunday
and Deputy Editor ofThe Bookseller, Joel Rickett,for a discussion on success. Ignoring Dan Brown,
Niffenegger and Haddon were the two most
successful authors in the UK last year in terms of
sales. Both talked at length about their endless
book tours and how success had changed their
outlook on writing and life in general. When I
started writing, said Haddon glumly I wanted to
be someone like Blur but now it seems I am
more like Coldplay! It was a great end to the day,
only bettered by the birthday cake and wine that
followed. Happy Birthday Vintage!
WIN THE VINTAGE FUTURE CLASSICS!
We have one set of the fifteen Vintage
future classics to give away! Simply tell us
in no more than 100 words whatyouthink
makes a classic is it the author, the plot,
the characters, the timelessness of a book,
the genre, the style or a combination of
them all? Email your entry to
[email protected] by Friday 25
November, along with your full name and
address, and the best one will win! Seewww.vintagefutureclassics.co.uk for the
full list of titles.
LONDON AGM/PARTY Wednesday
18 January 2006
Come along and find out what the SYP will be
doing in 2006. Even better, come along and join
the main committee, or one of the sub commit-
tees we are setting up! The more the merrier
there is always plenty to do, and it is a great way
to get to know more people in the SYP and in
publishing in general. Victoria Nicholl would
love to hear from anyone who is interested in
getting involved email her at
[email protected] or turn up to one of our
events and talk to a current committee member.
Turn to the first few pages for details of all
positions.
Wednesday 18 January 2006, venue tbc see
website nearer the time for full details.
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Clare Truter tells us about the last Oxford Speaker
Meeting.
Have you ever wondered about publishing in the
musical sector? Do you want to combine a love ofmusic with a career in publishing? If so, the
Oxford September Speaker Meeting was a great
place to be. Jane Nicolson, PR and Marketing
Manager at Trinity College of Music, and Paul
Cutts, Managing Editor at Impromptu Publishing,
gave up their time to come and enlighten us on
the topic.
Jane began the evening with a talk on the
changing face of the Trinitymagazine. Aiming to
obtain a widespread audience and not just alumni
of the college, Jane and her colleagues have beenworking to change the style ofTrinityin order to
achieve this aim.
Trinitymagazine plays a pivotal role in the
colleges life. Ten thousand copies are printed
twice yearly and copies are sent to schools,
donors, sponsors, alumni and the press. The
magazine therefore works as a marketing and
fundraising tool, as well as an educational and
recruitment aid.
Jane finds that much of her time is spent
arranging interviews with artists who are oftenglad of the publicity and the chance to talk about
the music they so love. Intelligence, enthusiasm
and interest are some of the key skills that Jane
sees as necessary for the job. No formal experience
in publishing is required, yet it is always an
advantage.
Paul then took over and spoke at length about
what he looks for in an employee. He not only
conducts face-to-face interviews, but candidates
are also set a classical music test, as well as a test
that involves guessing the origin of certain
newspaper articles. The pay is not fantastic but the
benefits of the job outweigh the monetary value
of the wage. Travel is a must, and getting to meet
some of the biggest names in the musical world is
surely an incentive for those who have a love of
the subject. Paul does look for people who have
previous experience in writing, and especially
those who have had articles published. A passion
for music is essential and a broad knowledge of
the subject is helpful when looking for work in this
area.
Thanks to both Paul and Jane for their insight
into this specialised area of publishing. The
evening was incredibly interesting and proved that
a job in musical publishing can equip you with
many transferable skills to take on elsewhere.
A SYMPHONY OF WORDS: PUBLISHING IN THE MUSICAL WORLD
WORK EXPERIENCE
OPPORTUNITY
Watson, Little Ltd, a medium-sized and
established literary agency based in North
London, is seeking candidates for work experi-
ence. You should be willing to learn and have
an exceptional telephone manner, be articulate
and enthusiastic. Tasks will include telephone
chases, filing, errands and other basic office
duties, but there will be plenty of opportunities
to ask questions, get involved in all sorts of
areas and generally find out about what agents
do. We provide references and, where we can,
contacts.
* Two-week to one-month placements available
at the literary agency, Watson Little Ltd.
* No remuneration, but Zones 1 & 2 travelling
expenses paid, plus daily lunch allowance of up
to 3.00.
* Opportunity to gain practical experience of
agenting processes at a busy, established
literary agency in Camden.
If you are interested, send your CV to Jim Peake
at Watson, Little Ltd: [email protected].
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Jaimee Biggins reports back from the last London
speaker meeting.
The September speaker meeting on magazine
publishing opened up a lively discussion. The first
speaker was Daisy Prince, who has the enviable job
of PR and Marketing Associate at Vanity Fair. Her
job involves overseeing all the PR forVanity Fairin
the UK, promoting the magazine and also
researching stories for editors. Daisy has no formal
training in PR and got the job after gaining work
experience at Tatler, where her role included
assisting the Managing Editor. She emphasised the
need to have a positive attitude and to be willing
to start at the bottom when moving into magazine
publishing. She also spoke about the importance
of mentioning connections, however tenuous they
may seem, and name-dropping, which will help
your CV stand out from the pile.
The next speaker, Jess McAree, is Editorial
Training and Development Manager at Haymarket
Magazines. Like Daisy, he also fell into magazine
publishing accidentally. After completing a Classics
degree, he began doing some freelance feature
writing, and then progressed to working for
popular womens magazines such as Take a Break,
Bestand Bella which included being responsible
for exciting columns like My Operation and MakeMy Dream Come True (on a budget of 50!). He
then moved on to work forFocus, a popular
science magazine. Jess now works for Haymarket
and is responsible for training journalists in
subjects such as libel and copyright. Similarly to
Daisy, he emphasised the attributes of tenacity and
perseverance (in addition to good literacy skills!)
as essential for those wishing to enter the competi-
tive magazine industry. If I received a CV without
spelling mistakes and with a good covering letter,
Id pick up the phone, Jess said, 80% of the CVs Ireceive go straight into the bin because of spelling
mistakes.
The final speaker, Sara Abdulla, is currently
Editor of Popular Science books at Macmillan. After
a scientific degree, she began her career by doing
a variety of freelance work, including writing for
publications such as Time Outand the Financial
Times, with her income supplemented by
teaching. She made the interesting shift from
magazine publishing to book publishing when she
took on the role of editor forNature, a leading
publication at Macmillan. While there, she noticed
a gap in Macmillans publishing list. Taking
initiative, she advocated the need for a new range
of science books for adults, and she now manages
this successful list.
Having moved from magazines to books, Sara
was in a position to comment on the differences
between the two environments. A major difference
is the importance of advertising in magazines. All
speakers agreed that this could act as a hindrance
to creativity and in some cases the editorial was
described as filling the gaps between the ads,
which generate most of the revenue.
Another big difference is that magazines
operate on a much faster timescale. Sara implied
that magazine publishing is more modern and
dynamic than book publishing. She argued that
this is reflected in the workforce, with journalism
being more diverse than book publishing, in terms
of the male/female ratio as well as ethnicity. While
this may seem like a generalisation, it does make
one wonder whether jobs in publishing are being
advertised in a fair and inclusive way, and whether
they are reaching a wide enough audience.
Another contentious point raised was that journal-
ism is more meritocratic than book publishing,
with jobs in journalism being given based on
talent, while employers in the book industry are
still quite rigid.
The state of the magazine publishing sector was
also discussed, and the question of how to
maintain enthusiasm and passion was raised. Itwas evident from listening to the speakers that
many people work in magazine publishing for a
short time, and then move into a related field such
as PR or training, as Jess did. He mentioned that
this was largely because magazines are generally
aimed at the1835 age group, and once you are
older, you often lose interest in a product that you
yourself would not read.
The speakers also advised us on how to get into
the industry. They argued that while a postgradu-
ate qualification in journalism is quite standardtoday, it is not necessarily a prerequisite. The
varied careers of the three speakers are testament
to the fact that many people get into journalism in
an unconventional way. It was also stated that
training in things such as libel and defamation
could be learnt on the job. Word of mouth and
getting contacts in the industry are important. The
speakers also suggested that writers should tailor
their ideas to the publication they want to write
for, and that only a synopsis or proposal should be
sent in. The consensus was therefore that enthusi-
asm, drive, and a willingness to take every
opportunity are of most importance for aspiring
journalists, in the search for that elusive first job in
magazine publishing.
MAG FOR IT!
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Alex Page bared her CV soul to get some very useful
tips.
Armed with a CV so raw that not even my cat would
touch it, no previous experience in publishing and a
big bundle of nerves, I faced the imposing residence
of HarperCollins, certain that the hefty security guard
waiting at the gate was employed simply to turf
people like me back onto the street. Even if I made it
into the workshop, I was sure to be the awkward odd
one out. How on earth could my CV be moulded into
a work of art that would have all HR representatives
racing to pick up the phone if I didnt have any
experience?
My fears were happily unfounded. Helen Brooks
and Sarah Krukowski, who were facilitating the
workshop, were instantly welcoming. After establish-
ing that I was not alone several of the SYP members
present were still hunting for work experience, we
launched into an informal discussion about the dos
and donts of CVs, covering letters and interviews.
Out of bonhomie and sympathy for all those
struggling up the ladder, I have tried to summarise
the most valuable nuggets of the workshop below.
An important point that was stressed before we
began is that all publishing companies, HR depart-
ments and even individual representatives have
different opinions about how your CV should be
presented. Trust your own judgement and, most
importantly, tailor you application for each job you
apply for.
CVs and covering letters
DO
*Tailor your CV and covering letter for the job
highlight your key strengths and any relevant
experience
*Express your ENTHUSIASM and say why you like
the particular area of publishing you are applying
for
*If responding to an advertisement, make a note of
the key words in the advert and reflect these
back in your covering letter
*Keep your CV simple and concise use bulletpoints, dont use lots of different fonts, colours or
diagrams
*Ask for feedback on your application if you are
unsuccessful get it right next time.
DONT
*Make mistakes! Dont think that rogue comma
will go unnoticed, especially for editorial
positions. Grammar, spelling and punctuation
must be spot on.
*Get the name of personnel wrong
*Make your CV longer than two pages. If you can
fit it all onto one page, all the better
*Leave large gaps between jobs. Ensure you
explain why, e.g. gap year
*Convey self opinion include factual information
or objective evidence and focus on the BENEFITS
of your achievements.
Interviews
*Prior to the interview, find out whether there will
be a test involved
*Ensure you research the company and the area of
publishing you have applied for. Dont rely on
the website read as many of their books and
publications as possible
*Dress smartly dont necessarily mirror what
people within the company wear
*Try to use examples when answering questions
*Always prepare questions to show you have
thought how you would do things if the position
were yours
*Write following an interview to say thanks and re-
emphasise your enthusiasm for the job
*So where do you see yourself in x years time?
Dont panic! Show your ambition (without
coveting the interviewers job), say you would
like to remain in the role for a time, that you
want to learn everything and re-affirm your
enthusiasm.
The main eye-opener that I gleaned from the
workshop, is that experience isnt everything. It is
your enthusiasm and dedication that will dazzle and
convince the interviewer, and hopefully land you thatdream job.
HARPERCOLLINS CV WORKSHOP
Theres was no smiling once the CV task force moved in
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Alex Page
Jaimee Biggins
Rebecca Strong
Victoria Nicholl
Claire Shanahan
Doug Wallace
Claire Truter
EditorRebecca Strong
Contributors
Disclaimer: The Society of Young Publishers would like readers to note that any views expressed herein do not represent the opinions of the
society as a whole and only reflect the opinions of the individuals who have submitted material.
Society of Young Publishersc/o The Bookseller
Endeavour House189 Shaftesbury AvenueLondon WC2H 8TJE-mail : [email protected]: www.thesyp.org.uk
Society of Young
SYPEst.1949Publishers
Printed by:Abbey Green, Old Woking, Surrey
ADS AND EVENTS LONDON BOOK CLUB Monday 21 NovemberJoin us at 7pm in the Basement Caf, Waterstones,
Piccadilly
OXFORD AGM/COMMITTEE ELECTION
Wednesday 18 January 2006
What do you like about the SYP and how can we
offer more? Which activities and events could be
improved? How can we let more people know
whats going on? If you have answers to these
questions, dont just keep them to yourself - join
the Oxford SYP committee and bring your ideas to
life! If youre energetic, enthusiastic, and commit-
ted, give it a go. Its amazing what can be
achieved with just a monthly committee meeting
and emails aplenty!
Well be electing the 2006 committee at our AGM
in January. If you are based in Oxford or the
surrounding area and would like to get involved,
or if you have any questions, email Deb Sanders,
Acting Oxford Chair, at
Details of all positions are in this issue ofInPrint.
Dont hesitate to contact current committee
members for more information.
Wednesday 18 January, 6.30pm, Main Conference
Room, Oxford University Press, Walton Street,
Oxford
THIS IS THE LAST ISSUE OF INPRINTFOR 2005.
THE LONDON AND OXFORD SYP COMMITTEES
WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR MEMBERS A VERY
HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON, AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO SEEING YOU AT SYP EVENTS IN THE NEW YEAR.
Issue
111
Production ManagerGurdeep Mattu
LONDON SPEAKER MEETING
Wednesday 30 November 2005
CONGLOMERATES vs. INDEPENDENTS
What are the differences between the large,
corporate publishers and the small, independentones? What are the pros and cons of working for
each? How and why will your job differ depending
on whether you work for a large or a small
company? Some people are drawn to the wider-
ranging responsibilities on offer in smaller
companies, whereas others choose the giants in
the belief that doing so will help them to progress
in their careers. Join us to discuss company
structures and how the size of a company affects
the experience of working there. Speakers will be
Andrew Franklin, MD, Profile Books,Carole Blake, Blake Friedmann literary agency and
Carol O'Brien, recently retired from Constable &
Robinson.
Wednesday 30 November in the Meeting Room, 3rd Floor, Foyles
Bookshop, Charing Cross Road. 6. 30pm for 6.45pm wine
provided. 3.50 for non-members, free for SYP members. Join us
afterwards for drinks, 8pm onwards in the Pitcher and Piano,
Dean Street, Soho. If youre interested in getting more involved
with the SYP, this will be a great opportunity to meet some of the
current committee members and find out much more!
