We’ve crossed the threshold into a new year and who only knows the plans that God has in store in the days ahead. I am delighted to say that this post to update you all about my literary internship was postponed (since last month) because the internship is still ongoing! That’s right, the awesome folks at Metamorphosis Literary Agency have allowed me an extension on my internship so I can take some additional time to go at a slower pace and still learn the ropes. And what a fascinating journey this has been so far! It is such a remarkable blessing to be able to see what goes on in a literary agency, from the other side of the desk.
In my own journey — from a reader, to a writer, to a book reviewer and blogger, to a managing editor of a small publication, and now, an intern for a literary agency — I can see the shift gradually moving into more of the publishing industry. What I’m finding is that my experiences, as varied and unpredictable as they’ve been, have been kind of a training ground, preparing me in ways I never realized. I learned about story structure and the fundamentals of writing (in high school and college); being a blogger (originally a book blogger) led to my being a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. This trained me to look at books critically in a market for readers, as well as was my introduction to what is being published in certain genres. Even my background in the library field has well-acquainted me with reading trends (on the ground experience), recognizing self-published titles as opposed to traditional presses and educated me in cover design. All of these are skills I can now draw from as needed in the future, and I am thankful for these experiences.
I am so excited for 2019 and am immensely grateful to Stephanie Hansen, Patty Carothers, and the other great folks at Metamorphosis for being willing to take me under their wing and allow me this opportunity to learn and grow.
Lauren Miller 