Rachel Diebel

RACHEL DIEBEL (2016)
Editor, Feiwel & Friends / Square Fish Books (Macmillan Publishers)

• Major: English, Literature Concentration
• Minors: Publishing and Printing Arts; Communications; and Women’s and Gender Studies
• Graduate Degree: Masters of Science in Publishing, Pace University (2018)

How did your English major establish a foundation for your career path?

My English major laid the groundwork for how I think about and talk about stories, which is an integral part of my job. Loving reading is one thing, but having the critical analysis skills from my time as an English major help me to help my authors in shaping their stories. My PPA minor, on the other hand, gave me the language to talk about publishing, and was my first time practicing thinking about books as not just a creative endeavor, but a business, with a market and an audience to consider. That’s the kind of perspective that can really set you apart as a candidate in an interview for a publishing job!

What do you love about your job?

The best part about my job is the people. From my authors to my coworkers, the people who work in kid-lit are the best. They’re smart, innovative, kind, and funny. Even on rough days, being able to chat with my coworkers or brainstorm story ideas with an author are some of my favorite things. It also doesn’t hurt that my job is basically to make writer’s dreams come true – it’s incredible, but it can be a lot of pressure!

What was your favorite part about majoring in English?

I loved getting to pick classes that fit with the kinds of literature I was interested in, whether that was children’s books, Jane Austen, or feminist Lit. It was so great to be able to revisit books or genres that I’ve loved and read and view them through a more critical lens, and learn more about the context around their publication. It made the stories even more interesting to me!