We’re offering readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the bookmaking process—the people behind the books and the products we create! Through our “Behind the Book” blog series, discover who plays a role in creating a book, what daily life looks like at Norton, and what being part of an independent and employee-owned company means.
Meg Leary joined W. W. Norton in 2017 as the Southern Los Angeles sales representative. After four years in that role, she transitioned to the editorial team in 2021 as a Media Editor covering the economics and astronomy lists. In that position, she plans and implements all of the digital product offerings for those disciplines, and she also serves as cochair of Norton’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
What is your current role, and what part do you play in the book publishing process?
I am currently the Media Editor for Norton’s economics and astronomy lists. Most people know that books have editors, but what many don’t realize is that the digital media for a title also have an editor! More and more, students and instructors rely on rich interactive media products to encourage engagement, increase retention, and track performance on learning objectives. So, to meet those needs, Norton has a rigorous editorial process for these media elements. When existing titles revise, or when the discipline editor signs new First Editions, I plan the digital content for the title, such as the ebook interactives, simulations, online problem sets, and videos, as well as instructor resources like the test banks, lecture slides, and solutions manuals. Then, my team and I hire authors to work on each project, oversee the review process, and work with our wonderful production and project editorial colleagues to see each piece finalized.
For your current role, what does an average day look like?
Every day in this job is a little different, but there are three main tasks that I focus on:
- Research. The way students and instructors interact with media is constantly changing, based on new learning science, campus initiatives, research in the discipline, and even in response to other media outside of the classroom. Therefore, we are always in the process of gathering information by hosting focus groups, attending academic conferences, sending out surveys, and performing data analysis on existing usage patterns.
- Planning. This is the fun, creative part of the job. Once I know what the classroom challenges are, I look at all of our media products and plan the best way for them to meet those needs. During this part of a workday, I brainstorm with my team, make and test prototypes, consult with our amazing colleagues on the Product team, and compile budgets.
- Working with authors and reviewers. It’s important to me that the people authoring and reviewing our media resources aren’t just experts in their field, but are also active instructors with a strong understanding of educational principles and the needs of students in their classroom. So, we put a lot of thought and time into recruiting those contributors, training and onboarding them, and providing feedback on every draft that they submit.
The media editor role is a very collaborative position, so I’m also coordinating with my team, talking to sales and customer success staff about feedback from the field, learning from the business and production teams, and hearing from other discipline teams about what they’re working on.
What skills do you need to succeed in your job? Did any previous work or life experience help you in your role?
I came to Norton with a degree in archaeology, a work history in television and film, and a background in modern languages. Those don’t translate directly into the work that I do as a media editor, but they all taught me skills that I use in this position. Archaeology is a cross-disciplinary field based in hands-on research, so it taught me to combine multiple methods of discovery to answer critical questions. My work in television and film taught me to identify and engage stakeholders, learn new technologies, and balance creative input. And studying modern languages taught me that achieving mastery of a skill frequently begins with looking a little silly. People come to media editorial work from a variety of backgrounds, but one commonality is that we’re curious people who love to learn new things. Because our landscape is constantly changing and we work in such a variety of course markets, the ability to ask good questions, independently learn new skills, and dive into (sometimes intimidating!) academic material goes a long way.
Were there any projects or moments that surprised or challenged you?
One of the most challenging and rewarding times in my career at Norton was March 2020 when I was working as a sales representative. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, every school in my territory closed their campus within three days. Suddenly, hundreds of instructors that I worked with had to transition to online teaching overnight with little operational clarity and limited support. I was able to meet one-on-one with dozens of instructors in that first week to get them set up with support materials, assist with navigating their learning management system, and help to address the barrage of student concerns. At a frightening and overwhelming time, we were able to partner together closely in a way that brought all of us—Nortonians, instructors, students, and administrators—closer together.
What advice would you give someone just starting out in publishing?
My advice to anyone starting out in publishing is to follow your curiosity! There are so many roles that go into making a book, and so many types of books, that it’s truly an industry that has something for everyone.
Have you participated in any extracurricular programs at Norton?
I have been a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for two years now and recently became a cochair. It is really inspiring to come together with colleagues from all over the company and focus on making Norton a place where everyone can thrive.
Lastly, what do you like to do outside of work? Any fun hobbies or recent reads you would recommend?
Outside of work, I am an amateur bird-watcher, a trail runner, and a truly unsuccessful gardener—basically all of the outdoor activities that don’t involve fast reflexes or risk of head injury. I’m also an avid fantasy reader: if anyone reading this hasn’t yet read Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree, I would highly recommend it.
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