As Managing Editor for Tule Publishing, Meghan Farrell’s day revolves around authors – just the way she likes it!
Having graduated from the University of Texas, Meghan packed her bags and moved to California on an adventure. “I never thought I would be involved in publishing until I met Tule’s founder Jane Porter and joined the Tule team as an assistant. I got to dip my toes in all areas from marketing to production to editorial, assisting with whatever needed to be done. I worked my way up to managing editor, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!” she says.
How would you describe the job of a book editor, and do you think this differs from common perceptions of the role? I’m not sure if this is a common perception for everyone, but I always imagined book editors sitting on comfortable couches, reading great stories and drinking tea at leisure…. Not true!
The editors that I work with are so hardworking and really push a story and concept to be the best it can be. A book editor’s job can vary, but for us it involves reviewing manuscripts, proposals, series overviews and giving feedback.
Once a book is bought, the editor will work with the author on editing the story to make sure it is in tip top shape for publishing. Our editors help with every step of the process from acquisition to cover design to marketing. They know the story so intimately that their input is always very valuable during marketing and production.
What do you love about your job? The best part of my job is getting to work with different authors and stories every day. I love discussing ideas with authors and watching how they turn it into a story. I’m not an author so I find that part truly amazing. The entire process from brainstorming all the way to holding that physical print book is really magical. I love meeting authors in person as well. I can’t wait for conference season.
What time does your day start? The day usually starts with me fighting my alarm, but once I’m up, I’m up. I try to be an early bird to accomplish more things in the morning, but most of the time, I’m just an on-time bird!
What is your morning routine? I like to drink a cup of coffee and read the news (so old school!) It really helps me ease into the day. Then, I hit the ground running with getting ready for work. I’m not a huge breakfast person so I sometimes drink a smoothie on my commute or bring a quick breakfast to the office.
First thing you do when you get to work? This is probably the worst practice for productivity, but check my email inbox. Our office is located on the West Coast which means we usually get news a little later than everyone else, so I try to tackle some emails first and catch up on things I missed.
What are common morning activities? Much of my morning is filled with meetings with our team, strategy planning for new releases, production team updates, and discussing plans with authors. I try to knock out the big things on my to-do list in the morning when my brain is fresh. And more coffee!
Let’s talk lunch… Our office is located near the beach and downtown that is filled with local shops and restaurants that are easy walking distance, which is a blessing and a curse (too much easy to access ice cream !). On a typical day, you’ll find me stopping at my favourite lunch spot, eating outside if the weather is nice and hopefully choosing a healthier lunch option than ice cream.
The person you email the most? The person I email the most would likely be our senior editor, Sinclair Sawhney. She works off site and is always busy editing but she is a huge resource for me because she knows the ins and outs of almost all of our stories. Sinclair has been with Tule from the beginning and one of the funniest people I know. If I ever need a good laugh, she’s the one to call. I don’t see her everyday, which is probably a good thing – because we would talk too much and not get enough work done!
The person you speak to the most? Great question! Probably Jane Porter. Even though she doesn’t physically work in our office, she comes by or we talk on the phone to discuss strategies, editorial or film development and overall big picture ideas for Tule. Or talk about what happened last night on The Bachelor. All of these topics are very important 🙂
Daily challenges? I think my biggest challenge is getting everything done in a day. The great part about my job is there is always variety, whether I’m discussing editorial overview with our team or going over sales numbers from a special promotion.
There is always something different happening and in the digital age, especially with publishing, we have to be flexible, agile and willing to shift ideas or plans quickly when something changes.
I love the variety, efficiency and challenge but it sometimes creates a longer to-do list than when I started.
What keeps you motivated? This is a tough one. So many things. I think what keeps me most motivated is our team and our authors. I love the idea of leading by example. Our publisher is the hardest working woman I know and leads our team fearlessly. She sets the tone and example to motivate us to be the best we can be. Tule is a small operation but we are mighty and by having a strong team, it motivates me to be better and do better everyday.
We are a very author centric publishing house and view our relationship with authors as a partnership. It is our responsibility hold up our end of the deal in our partnership. When authors trust us with their books, I’m motivated to make sure we do our absolute best to get those books out into the world.
What time do you usually leave the office? It varies, but I try to wrap up and leave the office around 5pm (try is the key word here!). Some parts of the year are busier than others. For example, we usually have a packed publishing schedule for holiday winter books, so coming up May-September we work longer hours to prepare for the volume of those.
After work it really varies, but I like to try to do some type of work out like running on a beach trail, Zumba class or going to a gym. Then usually I’ll cook dinner and hang out with family and read. I’m a pretty boring homebody after work!
When do you find time to read? I hope this never changes, but I think there is ALWAYS time to read. It is really important to incorporate that into my daily routine. Reading typically happens an hour or two before bed. There is nothing like a good book to cap off a busy day.
What are you currently reading? I’ve been trying to listen to an audiobook and read paperback or ebook. Not at the same time, but my TBR list is getting too long (so many books and so little time…)! Right now, I’m listening to The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I’m reading Homecoming for the Cowboy by Nicole Helm. Super yummy hero. I recommend 🙂 ♥
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