A Publishing Intern Across the Pond

Moving across the pond is a daunting thing. But after graduating from King’s College London this summer, I decided to take the plunge.

Since moving to Vancouver in October, fresh out of university and looking for an adventure, I’ve learned so much about the book publishing scene in BC.

Book publishing is a competitive industry to work in, especially as a graduate, so interning at Tidewater Press has been a fantastic opportunity for me to get my foot in the door of the industry.

One of the things I’ve been tasked with is keeping on top of the manuscript submissions Tidewater receives, so I’m actively on the hunt for the next bestseller. It has been through this work I feel that I’ve learned a lot about Canadian history and identity, along with just how many great stories are out there.

Another fun project I’m working on has involved delving into the Canadian side of BookTokkers and Bookstagrammers. As an avid user of both platforms, it’s been fun exploring a new side to social media and engaging with users about Tidewater’s titles. Something I’ve learned about the book publishing world is how big of an influence TikTok has on the industry, and the huge power that social media wields. Helping Tidewater utilise this kind of audience has been really fun.

Volunteering at the Whistler Writer’s Festival was definitely a highlight – I got to listen to heavyweights in Canadian publishing talk about their work, and what’s it’s really like to be in the industry. It was also fun speaking to aspiring writers at the festival – I was helping to run the Publishers Pitching session, and so in-between pitches we had the chance to chat.

But my favourite part so far has definitely been working with new manuscript submissions. Throughout this internship I’ve learned that I really love editorial work, and being involved with a title from the very beginning of the process. So hopefully while I’m here, I can discover the next big thing…

My internship with Tidewater Press has been such a valuable experience so far, and I’m excited to bring this new knowledge of the Canadian publishing scene back to the UK!

Alice Watkin, December 2022