I am an English Literature major going into my third year, minoring in Psychology and Marketing. My main areas of interest lie in literature and writing. While writing is my tool of expression, reading is my method of absorption. This is mainly the reason why I chose to intern with the Shoreline Press - a small literary press based in Montreal.
Shoreline functions with the intention of supporting first time authors by giving their work a voice. Its mission is “authors helping authors,” and the money generated from the publication of one book goes towards the publication of the next one. Having opened its doors to local writers in the 1990s, Shoreline has published over 150 books in a range of different genres.
I wanted to do this internship because of my passion for books and to learn how they are made into the final product. There is a course at McGill, called “Materiality and Sociology of Text,” that I was unable to take. Shoreline helped me learn in practical what I was not able to learn in theory. It was also an opportunity to explore potential career options in this industry. Finally, I wanted to be more involved in Montreal’s literary community. Working with my supervisor, Angela Leuck (a member of the Quebec Writers’ Federation), authors such as Anne Hill, Heather Davis, and Josh Quirion (from the Yolk Literary magazine), and attending meetings with the Association of English-Language Publishers Quebec, helped me enter Montreal’s literature world. Although I will not be receiving credit for this internship, it has been a priceless trip in my literary journey.
As an intern, I worked with a collection of short essays, Colouring Outside the Lines: Recollections of a Lifetime, by Anne Hill. I meaningfully ordered 80 of these essays, drafted a design, wrote the back cover blurb, corresponded with numerous people (such as the printers at Rapido and family members of the author), and registered the book for ISBN and Cataloguing in Publication. I proof-read and reviewed Towners and Other Stories by Josh Quirion, and contributed to editing the travel memoir, Are We Lost Yet: A Family’s Journey Around America, by Heather Davis. Finally, I initiated a marketing plan for Shoreline to publicize its books through Instagram.
The highlight for me was reading three books of completely different genres and styles. It inspired me to pursue my own writing. Another highlight was interacting with the people involved in the publishing process, and getting to know the literary community. It was a pleasure to learn from such passionate minds.
It was challenging to correspond with people remotely. I was always wary of my words in emails, trying to avoid miscommunication. Eventually, it was a matter of getting used to. By now, I have gained enough experience to communicate effectively via emails. Second, it was difficult for me to stay on track with completing the assigned work. Not being in a work environment hindered my motivation. The solution was to reach out to my supervisor regularly, update her, and ask for more work. This was useful in keeping Shoreline’s tasks at the front of my mind. Communication was key.
This internship equipped me with some invaluable skills for the future. My main takeaway is the inspiration for fulfilling my dream of writing. Seeing writers in action gave me the courage to say that “I can do it too.” I learnt technical editing and reviewing skills. This strengthened my analysis skills for use in my academics. It also allowed me to apply the literary knowledge that I have acquired so far, to books that are in-the-making. Finally, it directly helped shape my future path because I was offered to remain as Shoreline’s “Communications Director.” This is an opportunity for me to remain part of the publishing industry in Montreal and continue practising my English and Marketing skills. Hopefully, by the time I am ready to publish my own work, I will have an established network in the industry to help accomplish this.
I am immensely grateful to The Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund, the Arts Internship Office at McGill, my alma mater, and the Shoreline Press, for giving me this opportunity. The funding I received helped sustain my living expenses for the four-month duration of my internship, something that I greatly appreciate given the financial difficulty caused by the global pandemic. I would like to express my gratitude and thank all the people involved, including, but not limited to, my donor, the AIO staff, and Angela Leuck.
