Author: Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Zakiya N. Jamal (she/her), a senior marketing manager at Atria Books. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Zakiya:

Hello! As a senior marketing manager at Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, we work on a hybrid schedule, so I go into the office twice a week. Today, I went into the office because I was doing a panel, had to send out a mailing, and went to an author event.

9 a.m.

I arrive at our office, which is at Rockefeller Center. One thing I love about going into the office is my train goes directly into the Rockefeller Concourse, so I don’t have to go outside to get to my office. Before I went upstairs, I stopped at Café Grumpy and grabbed an iced vanilla latte, as my treat for going into the office.

11 a.m.

Every Tuesday we have our Ed Board meeting where editorial shares the books they have in on submission. It’s our chance as marketers (and the publicity team) to share our thoughts/excitement for the titles that are being discussed for acquisition. Even though I was in the office, I attended the meeting via Zoom as there’s usually not enough space in the conference room for everyone who’s in the office, and the most important people in attendance are on our editorial team.

 

12 p.m.

My co-workers and I went back to the concourse to grab lunch. I had tacos! I also used my lunch break to post about my events for my debut novel, If We Were a Movie, on Instagram and Threads.

1:15 p.m.

My boss, Morgan, the head of our corporate marketing team, Brandon, and I attended a panel where we discussed discoverability with self-published authors.

3:00 p.m.

Back at the office, we had our weekly marketing team meeting. Our marketing assistant, Heaven, talked to us about our influencer program and how we can improve.

3:30 p.m.

I spent the rest of the day putting together an influencer mailing for one of my titles, Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine. Everyone in the office was really excited about the stickers we made for it. Victoria also created her own fanart!

5 p.m.

Heat of the Everflame, one of the titles my co-worker Dayna worked on, hit the New York Times list so we all celebrated!

7 p.m.

Megan, a publicity manager, and I went to The Ripped Bodice to attend our author’s event for the publication of her novel Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder! 

And that wraps up the day! Typically, my days aren’t this packed, but it was a busy day and I had so much fun spending time with my team and authors.

 

Zakiya N. Jamal is a senior marketing manager at Atria Books where she works on a number of nonfiction and fiction titles by authors like Hannah Grace, Kate Fagan, TJ Alexander, Alison Cochrun, Christine Pride, and more! She’s also the author of the forthcoming novels If We Were a Movie and Sparks Fly. You can find her on all social platforms @zakiyanjamal.

 

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Bezi Yohannes (she/her), assistant marketing manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Bezi 

I work from the office two days a week, so this is a typical Tuesday when I go into the office! But of course, some weeks have more meetings, and some have less like any corporate job.

7:15 a.m.

Slowly get out of my cozy bed and make breakfast. I’m someone who definitely needs food in my stomach to start the day, but that doesn’t mean it has to be fancy. Usually whole wheat toast with sliced bananas and scrambled eggs does just fine.

7:30 a.m.

Do my morning journaling: a few sentences to set my intention for the day. I’m working on reducing my screen time in 2025, which can be tough when I work in marketing and I’m already chronically online for work and for fun. But journaling has helped me step away for longer periods of time while still feeling creative and productive, especially since I do a mix of regular daily journaling, scrapbooking, and junk journaling. 

8:15 a.m.

Leave to take the train to the office. Last year The New York Times ranked the B train as the train with the most delays relative to its number of trains and how frequently it runs (or is supposed to run). So it shouldn’t be surprising that once again, it’s delayed this morning. Fun!

9:10 a.m.

Arrive and get settled! Before I can really dive into my inbox, I have to open the packages that are waiting for me at my cubicle. These are a variety of physical promotional materials for my titles — stickers, postcards, etc. — and they need to be sorted and stored in our promo room.

9:45 a.m.

First “meetings” of the day, both about the marketing and publicity campaign for Oathbound, the third book in the Legendborn Cycle series by bestselling author Tracy Deonn (on sale March 4)! I visit the office of the publicist on the campaign to discuss a few updates and pass along materials, and I also swing by the office of the senior digital marketing manager to confirm the status of an influencer mailing. 

10:15 a.m.

Answer a variety of emails from authors, sales, and the corporate promotions team about my titles and campaigns. This includes reviewing campaign budgets and giving feedback on early designs for various social advertising graphics and upcoming promotional materials, such as a postcard for one of my summer titles, A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury (on sale July 29). I also place orders with the warehouse for any books I’ll need to send from the office.

Noon

Lunch break! My co-worker and I also run over to the T-Mobile location a few doors down from our office for a cute free umbrella.

12:30 p.m.

First scheduled meeting of the day with one of the senior managers on our team, where we talk about everything from work project updates to journaling tips! 

1:30 p.m.

Answering more emails! I also update my Notion with my completed tasks and project statuses; I’ve been using this for my own project management since my co-worker (the aforementioned senior manager) introduced me to it two years ago, and it is so useful and customizable; I can’t imagine my workflow without it.

2 p.m.

My second and last scheduled meeting of the day, with my boss. I always come with an outlined agenda of materials that need approval and project updates for us to discuss, and we also went over my fall 2025 marketing plans. Publishing can feel like a bit of a time warp when I’m working in spring 2025, summer 2025, and fall 2025 all at the same time. (And we just had a launch for our spring 2026 titles last week, which means in the next couple weeks I’ll also begin brainstorming for next year.)

3 p.m.

Write copy for upcoming promotional materials and social ads, and finalize the collation for an advance copy mailing of one of my summer titles, Letters to Misty by acclaimed principal dancer and bestselling author Misty Copeland (on sale May 6).

4 p.m.

More emails, this time mostly me following up to get information and/or feedback I requested before EOD. I use that to inform what can be completed today vs. moved to tomorrow’s to-do list.

5:15 p.m.

Log off and head home! The rush hour commute is always a journey.

6 p.m.

Get home, eat dinner, and watch a few episodes of a comfort rewatch to decompress.

8 p.m. 

End my evening junk journaling with some paper scraps and junk mail I’ve collected, as well as a bit of free-writing for a story idea. 

And that’s the end of my day!

Bezi Yohannes is a content creator, writer, and marketer, and she currently works as assistant marketing manager for Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. After attending William & Mar  for undergrad, she received her master’s from Georgetown University and her graduate certification in publishing from Denver Publishing Institute. She has been featured on Goodreads Spotlight, NetGalley’s “20 Black Women To Follow on Bookstagram,” and The Stripe’s “18 Cool Women in Publishing to Follow.” You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X @beingabookwyrm promoting new book releases by Black authors, discussing the latest fantasy adaptations, and re-watching her favorite early 2000s media.

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Elisha Zepeda (he/him), a book cover designer with Penguin Press. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

9 a.m.

Wake up to Portland rain. Glance emails to see if I’m needed immediately — I avoid any screen time/social media in the morning, it’s a terrible way to start the day. If work isn’t urgent, I’ll usually read a few chapters of a book in bed.

9:30 a.m.

Make coffee. I drink decaf because I don’t like caffeine jitters. Make my breakfast burrito and pastry, have some smoothie.

10 a.m . -noon

Start my Penguin work. Usually this entails designing a new cover for an upcoming book — sometimes I make just a handful of options, though I recently made 70 options for a single book.

Sometimes I’m tasked with building out a full mechanical (biz term for the jacket/sleeve that entails a spine, back, flaps). This is for a cover that’s already been approved, and now is ready to be delivered to our printers.

On days when my workload is low for Penguin, I’ll use this time to check my freelance email and do freelance work. I usually do 1-2 freelance books a month. This is typically my most focused work time. I think creatively I can only produce new ideas in a short period like this. Asking me to work for 8 hours straight on a design will just mean I give you 2 good hours until my brain turns to mush. I try to stare at a screen the least amount possible.

Noon

Sometimes a meeting. These are brief — limited to members of the imprint I’m with. Here we may discuss cover options, revisions, book cover alchemy, etc.

12:30 p.m.

Take a walk. Have to get outside or I feel like a corporate computer animal.

1 p.m.

Sometimes I’ll meet up with friends at a local cafe and we’ll co-work. Some of them also work remotely, some of them are grad students. It’s nice to briefly catch up, then get our busy work done. This is when I’ll do “busy work” stuff that is non-creative, like reply to freelance inquiries, or send out invoices.

3 p.m.

If I am busy, I’ll work out some more cover options for a few hours. Sometimes that means creating a moodboard. I have days where I’ll just browse Pinterest for hours to narrow down what this cover should look like. If my creative brain isn’t coming up with anything, I won’t force it. If I’m not busy I’ll take this time to do other creative hobbies. Or do household chores. Or run errands.

5 p.m.

Figure out the rest of my night — meeting with someone for dinner? Hanging out? Calling a family member? Who knows.

8 p.m.

My creative brain turns on at night, when it’s dark and quiet. I really enjoy making covers at this time, usually around 8 p.m.-1 a.m. I can’t really explain it but my mind is just more at ease, and I can access the “play” area of my creativity, so that design becomes something I’m doing for fun and doesn’t feel like a job. Throw on a podcast or album. Usually my designs come out much more inspired when my brain is in this state. I think as we get older we lose touch with playing for the sake of playing. Productivity is forced on us everywhere we turn, so if I can turn my job into enjoyment, I’d rather do it on my own terms/time, since my job allows for that.

The downside is of course, it being 11 p.m. and sacrificing a healthy sleep schedule. But luckily I can usually sleep in (remote work is amazing, I am very grateful). I think a lot of creatives relate to that night owl technique.

Elisha Zepeda is a book cover designer with Penguin Press. For a few years he worked with Faceout Studio. His process videos on Instagram and TikTok have earned him a virality in the publishing industry and among book/design lovers alike. This has led to many great career opportunities with authors, celebrities, and major companies so far in his short 3 year career — and has helped show the career of book cover design to a wide audience.

The first books he’s worked on with Penguin will hit major retailers this fall. Many others from his time with Faceout are available online. Check his website to stay updated.

Apart from books, Elisha stays busy between Oregon and California. Up in Oregon he plays and records music with friends around Portland and Bend. In California he frequently visits Orange County and the Central Coast where family lives.

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Hawa (she/her), librarian I in Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Hawa

While not included in the day outlined below, my week usually consists of at least one virtual meeting with librarians at other branches in my system, recording content for library social media and putting on programs for various age groups.

Wednesday, Feb, 5, 2025 

8 a.m.

I got to work a little early on this day, so to kill some time, I listened to an audiobook and did some coloring.

9 a.m.

I did what we call the “picklist,” which tells me which books we have on our shelves that library patrons have on hold, either at my location or another location. Once I find the items that are on the picklist, I use the handheld scanner to scan the barcode on the book, and the computer prints out a receipt telling me where the book is going. If the book is going to a different location, I put the items in a delivery bin. If not, I put them on the holds shelf. 

10 a.m.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the “late” days for my library system. On these days, the branches don’t open to the public until 12 p.m. and are open until 8 p.m. During the 10 a.m. hour, I was scheduled to do the opening procedures, which typically consists of turning on all the computers, bringing out the toys for the children’s area, checking the printer to see if it needs paper/ink and unlocking the bathrooms. 

11 a.m.

During this hour I was scheduled to shelve. Shelving is returning the books back to their spots on the shelf, usually after they’ve been returned by patrons or found in the wrong spot. My scheduled shelving time is one of the few moments throughout the week I get to read at work. In this case, it’s me listening to an audiobook so my hands are free to put the books back. 

Noon

As I mentioned before, the library opens at 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At this point in the day, the rest of the staff has arrived and we have gotten the building ready for patrons to come in. During this hour, I was scheduled to rove, which made me back-up for the people who were working on the front desk. Every so often, I walked around to see if there were any patrons who needed assistance. The first hour was pretty quiet so I didn’t have anyone to help.

1 p.m.

This was my first of two hours on the information desk for the day. Depending on how many people we have working on a given day we’ll each have between 2-4 hours on the information desk. This particular day, we were staffed pretty well so I didn’t have to spend as much time out there. While on the desk this hour, these are some things I helped patrons with: 

• Looked up their library card number
• Placed some items on hold for them
• Showed them how to use the printer. 

2 p.m.

Lunch time! I prefer a late lunch so that by the time my lunch is over, I don’t have as much time left in my day. I got some Panera bread sent to my job. I ordered enough so that I could have leftovers and not be hungry before heading off to the author talk I attended later in the evening. 

3 p.m.

I had some time off of the desk so I used this hour to plan some upcoming programming for the library. We have to submit our programming two/three months ahead of time to allow for it to be placed on the calendar and for advertising. I do programming for all ages, but I have a special focus on teens. This week I submitted April programming including a Teen Game Night, our “Black Voices” book club and a Bibliobop Dance Party for the littles. 

4 p.m.

Another hour on the information desk!

5 p.m.

I’m off!

6 p.m. 

I head over to East City Bookshop to attend a book launch event for Kristina Forest (The Love Lyric) and Adriana Herrera (A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke). The event officially started at 7 p.m. and it was such a great time. I got to connect with other fellow book lovers and Bookstagrammers and even chatted with a bookseller who is in the same MLIS program I was in. This was my third bookish event of the year, and I’m looking forward to attending many more.

Hawa Jalloh is a dedicated librarian with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, where she’s passionate about fostering a love for reading. A 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland’s MLIS program, Hawa is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Beyond her work in libraries, she’s a vibrant presence on Bookstagram, where she shines a spotlight on Black-authored books. Follow her journey and discover her favorite reads on Instagram at @hawa.reads.

 

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. Today, we’re getting to know Sara Hildreth (she/her), creator of FictionMatters. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A fairly typical Monday

I am lucky enough to work at home, for myself, and with books! Everyday looks a little bit different, but this is a fairly typical Monday. At the moment, I’m in the middle of several big projects, so my day includes a lot of upkeep work to keep these projects rolling.

7:30 

Wake up. My 3-year-old typically wakes up closer to 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m., but today she slept in. What a gift! But also we have to get moving to get out the door in time for school. My husband and I tag team getting her dressed, making breakfast, and getting lunch and snack packed.

8:15 

My husband takes the kiddo to school while I clean the kitchen. Sometimes, I tune into a podcast while I clean, but I’ve been in the middle of an epic audiobook for over a month and I use this time to chip away at it.

8:35

Open my planner and go through my day and week. I use an undated planner and on Mondays I lay out the entire week, pull uncompleted tasks from last week into this week, and tentatively plan my social posts for the week. I don’t batch my posts (i.e. have a bunch of photos taken and posts ready to go) but I do like to think through what I’ll be sharing for the week so I can make sure to get them done. I aim to post on Instagram three to four times per week and I write three Substack newsletters each week. Once I have my ideas down, I set tasks for specific days as well as putting any personal goings on in my calendar.

9:00 

Read! When people hear that I read and review books for a living, they often ask if I spend all day reading, but it’s actually really challenging to make time for reading during my work day. Typically reading gets pushed to the evening and my days are spent with other tasks, but this year I’m trying to carve out more reading time during the day. I treat this reading like work, in the best way! I pull out my pencil and tabs, set a timer for 45 minutes, and settle in.

9:45 

I’m doing a brand refresh for FictionMatters and I have some new designs to look through. I love what my designer is doing so I don’t have much feedback, but I make some notes and work on editing my old website copy to be more in line with the work I’m doing now.

10:30

I’m in the midst of a big reading guide project and spend a couple hours writing book and category descriptions. This always stretches my creativity because when book descriptions are bound together in one PDF, it’s particularly important to keep them feeling fresh and innovative.

12:30 

I make myself some lunch at home and turn on the TV. I’m finally watching the cult documentary Love Has Won and it is wild.

1:00 

After I eat I spend time adding cover photos and publishing info to my new project. This is very tedious work, but essential to making a guide usable and beautiful. Often I do this kind of work in front of the TV, but after I finish one episode of Love Has Won, I tune back into my very long audiobook.

2:00 

It is Monday and I always put out a newsletter on Tuesday, so it is time to write! It’s January so for tomorrow’s newsletter I’m going to be sharing some of my reading intentions for 2025. I don’t expect this post to take too long to write, but I have more to say than I thought (often the case!) so I get about halfway through my post before it’s time to pick up my daughter from school.

2:45 – 5:30 

Leave to pick up the kiddo, come home, have a snack, play, hangout, all the mom stuff. 

5:30 – 7:00 

Eat dinner (my husband almost always cooks) and give the little one a bath (I’m on bath duty). My husband puts Louise to bed while I straighten the living room and put allll the toys away.

7:00 

Time to finish Tuesday’s newsletter. While I don’t love having to write in the evening, it’s common enough that I’m used to it and I’ve found that writing newsletters in two sittings is actually ideal. It gives my ideas time to percolate. Now I have even more to say and a clearer idea how I want to communicate my 2025 reading intentions. I finish the post, but I decide I’d like to look it over one more time before I send it. Rather than scheduling it to go out early in the morning, I save it. I’ll give it a once over and add photos in the morning after school dropoff and then send it.

8:00 

Sometimes I watch a show with my husband after bedtime, but it’s basketball season for him and summer reading guide prep season for me, so I disappear upstairs to take a bath and read a potential book for my annual Paperback Summer Reading Guide.

10:00

Bedtime! Hopefully we’ll get another late wake up out of the kiddo tomorrow, but just in case it’s another 6am wake up call, I turn in relatively early.

Prior to becoming a full-time reader and writer, Sara Hildreth earned her MA in English Literature from Georgetown University and spent six years teaching English at an all-girls high school. As a teacher and academic, Sara appreciates the legacy of classic literature and loves dense literary fiction that gives her that scholarly feel. In particular, she loves books with intricate structures, complicated characters, and discussable themes.

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and we’re one of the ways we’re celebrating is byshowcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. Today, we’re getting to know Michelle Anne Schingler (she/her), editor in chief of Foreword Reviews. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A Standard Submissions Deadline Monday

8 a.m.

Wake with lines of books still floating in my head. Fifteen-ish minutes scrolling the internet to catch up on the news and perhaps some salacious Bravo-related gossip (It’s not a guilty pleasure if you feel no guilt!). First cup of earl grey for the caffeine. 

8:45

Short drive to the office across Northern Michigan’s snow-covered landscape, remembering wistfully more verdant days. Listening to favorite songs (still on CD!) for an additional wake-up.

9ish

Arrival at the office. Carry straggler books from Friday’s mail up to the office. Lights on, appreciation of the view.

9-9:45

Email catch-up (not much, as I also caught up last night!): filing submissions, responding to clients and colleagues, deleting junk mail, adding reviews to the system, assigning requested titles out. 

9:45-lunch

First edits for Clarion reviews; sending some back for clarifications, sending some on to the copy editor. 

Lunchtime

At my desk — the view is too much to resist! 

Early afternoon

File incoming books. Some are checked in and assigned out; others are placed on the awaiting selections shelf, which we revisit in depth every two months (this week is the week!). For new submissions, this is my second chance to “meet” books (I also open my mail for the benefit of initial impressions) by reading their blurbs and consuming a few pages before they’re stacked. 

1:30 p.m.

Return to editing — Clarion and magazine reviews this week. Sending completed reviews off to customers or publicists and letting my team know how they ranked and that they’re out the door. 

3:05

Revisit email. One response to feedback on a review, letting a customer know that we cannot alter a reviewer’s opinion or language. Another response to a colleague asking about a review in process. Editing department facilitation. “Thanks” sent to a colleague who passed a reviewer-related email on. Once all is complete: return to editing. 

4:15

preliminary selections for an upcoming issue — reading through submissions (beginning with their publication dates, moving on to their tip sheet descriptions, and then reading portions of the books themselves) and imagining where they might fit in the next issue — and who on our extensive freelancer staff is best suited to review them. Slowly begin filling out of our magazine planner — a week-plus process each time. Tomorrow, I know, will be mostly this work! Quite exciting. 

6:30

(Longer days for submissions weeks! It’s hard to stop meeting books once you start)

Head out the door for team trivia. 

10:30

A bit of a magazine book before bed (perhaps preceded by indulgence in Bravo). 

Now the editor in chief of Foreword Reviews — in charge of managing reviewers and curating selections for the magazine — Michelle got her start in libraries, reviewing books on the side. Though both may be considered atypical uses of a divinity degree, she found books to be her calling. She lives in Traverse City, Michigan, with her husband (an amazing chef), three unusual cats, and one quintessential chiweenie.