Here's to a playful, book-filled summer!

Earlier this week I found myself in a part of my neighborhood I’d never been to before.  At one point I passed an elementary school with a playground full of kids enjoying the spring sun, and I saw something I’d only read about: a Mobius climber—a complex mathematical concept (a Mobius band has one surface and no edges) made into a very cool piece of playground equipment perfect for climbing (and maybe the occasional slide).

As my short time as an editorial intern at Scarletta ends and I look back, interning at Scarletta was kind of like finding a Mobius playground in my backyard.  Scarletta books feature killer design, where form and content meet seamlessly, but most of all spin stories that—whether inspiring kids to get active in their community or to create something new—don’t create artificial boundaries between learning and play.

I’ve enjoyed my time here learning about how a small press can respond to the challenges and changes of modern publishing with innovation and a bit of scrappiness. Just like a kid on the playground or inside on a rainy day, with a little creativity a book can be anything you can imagine it can be. Thanks to the small but dedicated Scarletta staff and here’s to a fun, book-filled summer!

Coffee Boy?

It’s been two weeks in the office and no one—not one single person, not one single time—has asked me to get them a cup of coffee. I’ve yet to make copies of that finance report or pick up lunch down the street for the gang.  It seems to me that Scarletta has no idea how these internship things work.  For now, let’s keep it our little secret.

Instead, I have this whole little routine in the office that seems to go off without a hitch.  I sit at my own desk, with my own stack of mail, with my own (terrible, uncomfortable, utterly the worst) chair, and I do the work of a typical employee in an acquisitions role. Registering all of our submissions—both hard copy and electronic—occupies a good chunk of my morning. It’s fun to sift through our submitted materials and take a first look at all of the titles that come through our doors.  There are picture books, YA novels, memoirs, and even pamphlets—well, a pamphlet—describing the various types of vermin that inhabit our world, most of which we aren’t even fully aware of. After hundreds of paper cuts and under-the-breath questions like “why is this so sticky?” and “who uses this much tape?” it’s off to the Internet to catch up on book news.

Do you know how much information is on the world-wide-web?  

A Note From Lexy, Scarletta's Editorial Intern

So often, interns are belittled to coffee runs or stuffing envelopes. Fortunately, my experience as Scarletta's fall editorial intern was much more valuable, and due to Scarletta's small size and friendly staff, I got to be very involved in many of the steps it takes to take words on a page and turn them into a book.

My first responsibility was to read through new submissions and organize them. I was surprised no only by the huge amount of submissions a small Minnesota press got, but also by the wide range of content that spanned every genre and character imaginable. It was clear that this was a very busy, yet very creative environment, one where everybody's vision and talent helped to create the finished product.

The launch of Scarletta Kids brought piles of picture books to our desks. Envisioning the colorful illustrations and whimsical characters, then brainstorming with the rest of the staff about what the manuscript would allow the designers and illustrators to do, pushed our imaginations. Seeing how words become a playful puppet show or an interactive e-book indicated that books are not remaining static, but becoming more dynamic, creative, and interactive, especially for young readers.

Every detail is considered and re-worked until the color scheme, font, and illustrations come together to bring the words to life. I realized over my four months that the many small steps in this process and the decisions made are what gives each publisher their own specific fingerprint on the books published. That cover, that type, those words-- they have been mulled over and picked for specific reasons. Each of the designers, marketers, and editors at Scarletta make up a team of some of the most innovative and imaginative people I have worked alongside. With the new imprints, a stronger social media presence, a new website, and magnificent spring books, there is an energy in the office that I was not expecting in what so many have deemed to be a dying industry. These books are the final product of so many talented people and their creative vision.

Every time I walk into a bookstore with its packed shelves, or crack open a new book, I will be reminded of the collaboration of bright minds that sparked each one into being. I am excited for Scarletta going forward, and though my time with them is over, it seems like a new direction for them is just beginning!

-Lexy