January Program:
"But I Don't Speak Production!":
Working out communication woes

Publishing companies usually have multiple departments working together to complete a project. They have the same goal: to finish on time and within budget. People from different departments must sign off, approving the progression. However, the presence of multiple departments results in different perspectives, opinions and priorities. This requires communication across the departments at a publishing company in order to get the job done.

To begin the evening, CWIP President Kerry O'Rourke asked the audience to remember a challenging conversation at work and then write down three words that described the situation. These would be shared and discussed later in the program.

Anita Samen, managing editor at the University of Chicago Press and a former editor at Macmillan, Scribner's and St. Martin's Press, provided solutions for avoiding and clearing up miscommunication, being the bearer of bad news and keeping priorities straight. "When you put smart, passionate and creative people together on a project, there will be lightning and thunder."

Some things Samen suggested:

1. Take notes at every meeting and keep a phone log. These are helpful in supporting your opinion and/or understanding.
2. Let people know about problems sooner rather than later, and have a solution or plan B before conveying the problem.
3. Try not to use email to communicate a problem. Email is not for bad news. Your voice and tone may sound brusque instead of professional. No one can really "hear" your voice and tone through email, and you can't hear how the recipient reacts to the bad news either. "Whatever grief you get," Samen reminded, "it's probably not personal."
4. Ask for help and cooperation.
5. Your inbox is not your to-do list.
6. Likewise, what you put in other people's inbox isn't necessarily their to-do list. Bottom line: Priorities may be different. Your priority is not necessarily that of the person you're talking to.

Samen shared her own stories. An editor in her department admitted that she had miscalculated her time and deadlines. As a result, she wasn't able to read an author's manuscript she had accepted. As she presented the problem to Samen, the editor also mentioned that she had already found a freelance editor to hire to finish the job.

The rest of the evening, audience members shared their three words from the opening activity, related their own experiences and requested advice from Samen. Mary Gehl's three words were: frustration, helplessness and bemusement. "Frustration in being kept out of the loop of a decision that reversed an earlier editorial call by the acquisitions editor. Helplessness because there was nothing I could do about it; the conversation had already taken place and been decided without me. And bemusement because my following of the orders caused all sorts of confusion and wonderment about why I would do such a thing."

The topic of communication between editors and authors heated up discussions. What happens when editors don't get a response from an author? What happens when there's a glitch in the publishing process?

Long after the event ended, attendees stayed to continue the channels of communication.

"I am truly looking forward to upcoming meetings," Nikki Gamble commented. "I found Anita to be a dynamic speaker who continued to engage the audience throughout the entire program. Overall, I was very pleased with the event."

Rachel Winokur graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2006. She is currently a Project/Editorial Coordinator at Pearson Education.

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