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. 

Rachel Goodman has held many roles at Norton since she began in 2014 right out of college, including editorial assistant for the Norton Critical Editions (NCEs) and physical science textbooks and direct marketing specialist for the NCEs. Now she is the academic marketing manager for the NCEs, Norton Library, Norton Shorts, and assorted literary translations from Norton’s trade department. She is based in New York City and can be found perusing the shelves of the numerous independent bookstores throughout the five boroughs.  

What is your current role, and what part do you play in the book publishing process? 

I am the academic marketing manager for the Norton Critical Editions, Norton Library titles, Norton Shorts (a new series that launched this past September), and assorted literary translations. I step into the book publishing process after a title starts into production. Before publication I help with drafting website and catalog copy, creating landing pages, and planning overarching campaigns for the academic year. After publication, I conduct direct marketing campaigns to notify professors about new titles and ensure copies make their way into interested hands, create social media posts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for #PubDay announcements, and manage or assist with our various author events, which include our Norton Critical Editions and Norton Shorts Speakers Series and our Norton Library Podcast. 

For your current role, what does an average day look like? 

My average day can look like many different things, which is something I enjoy! I like having the flexibility to change up my days and take on new tasks. Most days I can be found crafting emails for each book’s unique marketing campaign, configuring novel social media posts to help us stand out in a sea of great literature, and collaborating on projects with colleagues across disciplines and departments. This is definitely a position where you do a little of everything for a lot of titles, so you’re never going to feel like your day is routine! 

What skills do you need to succeed in your job? Did any previous work or life experience help you in your role? 

I think one of the most important skills for a more self-directed position like mine is time management (something I learned during my time in editorial!). When you’re responsible for dozens of titles coming out in new editions or publishing for the first time, in addition to existing books, tasks come and go on a rolling basis determined by publication schedules, and it can be easy to lose track without time management skills—and lots of flexibility. I also think you need to have a strong voice when it comes to drafting both emails and social media posts. Personalized attention is key to direct marketing, and you want people to hear your excitement for these books through the screen. Lastly, I think you need good communication and people skills. This position spans disciplines and departments, so you’re always coordinating with teams outside of your own. Marketing, much like the rest of book publishing, doesn’t happen in a vacuum!   

What have been some of your favorite projects?  

I have worked on so many great projects at Norton, so this is a hard question! However, I’ll mention the two areas that most surprised me: biological anthropology and translations. I had no experience, really, with either before starting at Norton and all of the projects I took on in both areas were engaging, interesting, and just fun. From photos of baby primates and exciting fossil discoveries to lyrical new takes on world literature, it’s all been fascinating, and I love to talk about these projects with anyone who will listen (which is good, since that’s essentially my job now)! 

What advice would you give someone just starting out in publishing? 

If you’re just starting out in publishing, especially at the internship stage, use that time to explore all the paths available to you. It is just as important to learn what you don’t want to do in publishing as it is to learn what you do enjoy. There is so much more to the industry than editorial (which, admittedly, does get much of the attention on page and screen), and those jobs are all interesting and rewarding in different ways. I also recommend taking full advantage of every opportunity to stand out in specific ways! Ask questions during intern education sessions or meetings, ask for projects that interest you even if they aren’t part of your day-to-day tasks, and make connections with the interns or assistants around you. Publishing is also about the people (authors, colleagues, readers, students), and connecting with them is maybe the best part of all. Don’t be scared to reach out! 

Have you participated in any extracurricular programs at Norton?  

Though I have long since graduated from college, I do still love an extracurricular! I am on Norton’s Service Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, plus a devoted Read Ahead mentor and catcher for the Norton softball team. I also am one of three comanagers for the Norton hybrid internship program. I really believe in education and opening doors for the readers, students, and colleagues who will come after us. Whether that’s helping with childhood literacy, conducting informational interviews with our interns, or leading a company-wide Book Club featuring Norton’s diverse front- and backlist titles, there is work to be done to help within publishing and our larger interconnected community.  

Lastly, what do you like to do outside of work? Any fun hobbies or recent reads you would recommend? 

I am a huge reader outside of work (shocker), and I love to recommend books across genres. If you like fantasy (think talking dragons, a falling dynasty, queer romance, and assassins), you should read Priory of the Orange Tree and its recent prequel! If you like dark academia (think Victorian-era Oxford, translation theory, and power with a spot of magic), you should read Babel! And, if you’re looking to romanticize publishing just a touch (think second chance romance, genre vs. literary fiction, and New York City in the summer as a backdrop), try Seven Days in June! 

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