Why I Fear Traditional Publishing
No, I don’t mean I have nightmares about traditional publishing.
What I mean is this: what if the career path I have an interest in takes the joy out of what I love doing?
Summer internship applications are rolling around the corner. This, paired with my newfound inclination to network, has taught me quite a bit. It has also made me consider my future — a daunting topic I’ve found myself thinking about often.
When I spoke with a woman who works at a New York publishing company, she outlined her role and responsibilities in detail. It was exciting, and she even referred me to work with them over the summer. Everything I wanted was right in front of me.
Then I went on TikTok.
I don’t remember the user who posted the video, but the gist of it was that her job at a top five publishing firm destroyed her motivation and creativity to write. And so, she quit.
What if this happens to me? What if, after all my networking and elevator-pitching and cover-page-writing, a career in traditional publishing drags me down?
These doubts scare me, but they haven’t stopped me from applying to these internships for the summer. Even through all the worry and doubt, the question of “What if?” taunts me more than failure.
After all, what if a publishing internship doesn’t derail my plan to publish one day? What if, instead, it puts me on the track to success?
