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Starting this week, I will be taking this column to a completely different realm-into the publisher's office. Since most writers eventually hope to be published, these glimpses into the publisher's office will hopefully provide you with some useful information (in addition to a good laugh).
My office is blessed with one of the finest secretaries on the east coast. She handles almost anything: answering phones, checking in mail, writing correspondence, making photocopies, and producing top quality coffee. My husband once told me that regardless of where you go, the most important person to know is the secretary. (A true sage, that husband of mine!) Why is it important for a writer to be kind to the secretary? Let's learn by watching her through an average day: 8:30 Arrive after fighting through rush hour traffic to an office where someone has forgotten to turn off the A/C. Prepare coffee 8:50 Listen to the editors complain about their lives as they arrive 8:55 Listen to the graphic designers complain about their lives as they arrive 9:00 Listen to the boss complain about her life as she arrives 9:01 Answer phone and politely tell the person that this is not, nor has it ever been the phone number for the VA hospital 9:02 Reassure the person calling back that you really ARE a receptionist for a PUBLISHER and not a nurse at the VA Hospital 9:04 Explain that you are not qualified to diagnose a medical condition more severe than a paper cut, because this still is not the VA Hospital 9:30 Clear room for the FedEx delivery person to drop 100 pounds of paper, 3 manuscripts, and a case of PostIt notes 10:00 Cause back strain by trying to lift 100 pound box of paper; remedy with coffee 10:30 Answer a dozen phone calls from people asking if you would publish their book because their friends think it is very good 10:45 Apologize to the wife of the person who is in cardiac arrest because you didn't send the doctor from the VA hospital 11:05 Check e-mail. Route the 2 relevant messages to their proper recipients, delete the other 104 that sound boring 11:45 Use forklift to move the day's postal mail to your desk 11:50 Attempt to figure out what to do with a manuscript tied up with string from the local jail that doesn't have a recipient specified 12:00 Time for lunch and a healthy dose of headache medicine.
The copyright of the article No, this is NOT the VA Hosptial in Historical Writing is owned by . Permission to republish No, this is NOT the VA Hosptial in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Julia Buitrago's Historical Writing topic, please visit the Discussions page. |
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