Incognito

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I’m now 95% time at work, which means I spend many more hours at work each week. I’m not complaining. I’ve been able to accomplish a ton more at work, including enhancing my division’s online presence. I no longer feel like I’m always playing catch-up during the days I’m there. I feel like I’m doing something more. And that feels good.

But it makes my neglect most everything else in my life while I get adjusted. And this includes my blog. I’ll get better at keeping up. There will be much more fun stuff to write about soon, I’m sure.

Minnesota Children’s Publishers (mostly of the nonfiction variety)

When I explain to people that I want to go “home” (Minnesota) to work in my chosen publishing field, they look at my like I’m bonkers. “Don’t you want to move to New York or Boston or even Chicago or San Fran? Well, no, I don’t really have any desire to move there on a regular basis, but for a job, why would I want to go to any of those? They don’t have nearly as many fantastic children’s publishers as the Twin Cities does. Normally, the laughing ensues on this, and I attempt to convince them by explaining that MN houses three of the largest and most-respected publishers of kid NF lit as well as a great many smaller, stellar kid lit publishers. Don’t believe me, either? Take a look-see at this article by the School Library Journal written in March of 2008.

As many of you know, I currently work in adult scholarly journal publishing, and I love it. I really do. But my heartstrings are still pulled toward children’s nonfiction publishing, and it doesn’t help that I’m writing my entire master’s project on it.

Nonetheless, I thought since I am now the resident expert (or whatever) in children’s publishing, I thought I would put up a list of children’s publishers that are located in Minnesota. Please note that I may be missing some publishers, so if you know of any I’m overlooking, please let me know. I’ll add them to the list. Also, this does not include adult publishers with no children’s books on their backlist or current list. This list would be twice as long if I was to include all publishers in MN.

FYI: I use the term nonfiction loosely. Many of these publishers work in the library/school sector (I can’t think of the correct term right now) where they publish texts specifically for schools and these books will never make it to the local Borders or Barnes & Noble. Some of them publish a combo of trade and school. Some publish nonfiction and fiction. It all just depends. Please also note that when I refer to “children’s publishing,” this includes young adult/teen lit, as well.

• Lerner Publishing Group, Minneapolis
• Capstone Publishing Group, Mankato and Bloomington
• ABDO Publishers, Mankato
  
• The Creative Company,  Mankato (This is one of the most beautiful websites I’ve ever seen; it’s worth it to take a look.)
• Meadowbrook Press, Minnetonka
  
• The Child’s World, Mankato
• Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., Woodbury
• The Place in the Woods, Golden Valley
• Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis
• Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis
• The Oliver Press, Minneapolis
• Teach Me Tapes, Inc., Minnetonka
• Maren Green Publishing, Inc., Oak Park Heights
• Farmer’s Hat Productions, Wayzata
  
• Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis (This is a religious publisher, so they have a very specific audience, but they publish books for youth; I felt compelled to include them, as they do publishing children’s fiction and nonfiction.)
  

Apply: Check. Nervous: Check.

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve finished my application for a position on our city’s Arts and Cultural Commission. I’m told I will hear sometime in January, so I’m going to try to put it out of my mind and focus on the tasks at hand: Christmas dinner with the hubby (not that that’s ever a big ordeal), finishing some old class projects that should have been done a long time ago, getting a good chunk of my master’s project completed, continually editing how-to articles for my freelance work, and the third (and final!) wedding of our “wedding season” in January. Those are my plans for my “winter break” from work.

Oh, yeah, and having a day job. Yeah. That comes into play once-in-a-while.

So, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something from the city council. Wow. That makes it sound so serious. Here come the butterflies again. But I think it’s time to start getting involved again. I’ve lived too long in this state without getting attached, being a commitment-phobe. It’s time to take the plunge.

Printing ‘R’ Us

I’m off to the Thomson-Shore 9th Annual Information Seminar tomorrow and Tuesday. I’m thrilled to be attending my first professional event as a representative of the Press. A little nervous, as well, if I’m being totally honest. It will be a learning experience!

Confession #3

Oh, and I’m also the new Web editor for St. Paul Media, Jonathan Hatch’s super successful and ever-growing business.

So far, it has been nothing but a good time, and I’m sure that will continue as his business grows. He hires great people, like old colleagues from BSU. You can’t go wrong with Beavers!

One more awesome thing to balance out the suckiness of the PCOS.

When God closes a door, He opens a window. (That’s as religious as I’ll get on this here blog, I promise.)

Confession #2

So, you remember that job I declared I wanted but then assumed I had jinxed myself and I wouldn’t get?

I got it.

I’m the new Journals Production Editor for Wayne State University Press.

This is my second week on the job, and I’m loving every minute of it. The learned curve is set incredibly high, but I’m excited about the challenges it holds for me. I actually had to bring home a page proof today because I’m under a deadline, but that’s still OK with me.

There’s a lot of great stuff in the Press’ journals department, and I’m excited to be spearheading it. I probably won’t talk about it much, but I may mention events we’re doing and such.

One of the many amazing things going on in my life right now.

Interview

I received an e-mail today requesting my presence at an interview for the job I applied for (and wrote about on here) a few weeks back.

I don’t want to say any more than that. Don’t want to jinx it.

Wish me luck, please.

Application

I applied for a job today. One that I really, really want. You know what that means?

I won’t get it.

Because I want it too much.

Oh, well. It was worth a shot.

Life, Revisited

I’ve decided I’m going to do the freelance “thing” full-time once I’m completely done with grad school. It’s just going way too well (i.e. more work than I can handle right now) to deny that this is something really good.

I’m considering taking a couple of art/graphic design classes (prob. at a community/technical college because they rock the house) down the road, once we’re settled where we’re going to be, so I can take on graphic design work, too. I might even learn HTML and XML, just in case I need it.

The freelance indexing will continue, for sure, as will the editing/proofreading. I have a couple of opportunities to write freelance, and it’s a strange feeling, knowing that I might go back to my roots once again. It’s been so long since I’ve been there–I’m not sure how it will feel once I’m back.

I would gladly take on a part- or even full-time position editing somewhere, but I’m not going to hold my breath. I’m too happy working from home, having time be my own, to then go and sit behind a desk from 9-5, waiting to punch out. I think I’ve been in college, working for universities on my own time, for too long to go to that. I’d do it, of course, if the right job came along, one that I’m passionate about, one I can’t wait to go to each morning. Why should I settle for anything less?

So, that’s where I’m at. I’ll finish my master’s this summer, taking on projects as I have the time, and once August 15th rolls around, and I’m done, I’ll be my own boss. I’ll let my life continue to be my own.

Today, I have sent something to:

Germany
Sweden x2
UK
Italy
France x2
Japan
India
Switzerland
Israel
Canada

So cool. Love my job.