WELCOME TO GIRLFRIEND FI CTION
Eva Mills
Got
into Publishing after having worked in a totally different field –
survey research – and is now an Associate Publisher at Allen &
Unwin, in the Books for Children and Teenagers department. That means that
her job is to find, assess and then publish books for kids of all ages –
from babies to young adults. With the help of an editor, she oversees each
book as it goes from manuscript to publication, staying in close contact
with the author through the whole process, and often doing some of the editing
herself.
Best and worst things about your job?
'Best – working with books!
'Worst – having so much reading to do that you can never keep up with it all.'
What qualifications did you need to get your job?
'There are lots of ways to become a publisher, though the usual route is to start as a publishing or editorial assistant, then work as an editor, then become a publisher. To be an editor, a general university degree is a good start – I actually did a science degree, but arts is more common – and then an editing course. I studied Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT.'
How did Girlfriend Fiction come about?
'Richard Walsh, a Commissioning Publisher for Allen & Unwin, had contacts at Girlfriend magazine. He heard that they might be interested in working with a publisher on a fiction series for teenage girls. We had already been thinking of starting up a series ourselves, so it seemed like a great match.'
Embarrassing high school moment?
'My most embarrassing moment was the time my best friend tied the arms of my jumper together in the middle of maths class, and then pushed me over, chair and all. I couldn't put my hands out to stop myself falling into the aisle between the desks - right at the feet of the maths teacher! I was laughing so much he thought I was actually crying and had hurt myself. It was the end of our HSC year and we were all a bit crazy.'
Life at school
'I loved school – not so much the social life (I was too busy reading!) but the learning. I’d still be studying today if I didn’t have to earn money! My favourite subjects were probably Art and English – though for some strange reason I ended up doing a science degree at university ... and it took me nearly fifteen years to come back to working with words.'
What did you like reading as a teenager?
'Everything! I was a total bookworm. On school holidays my sister, who’s only fifteen months younger than me, was constantly pestering me to go to the shops with her, go for a swim, watch a movie or whatever – but I always had my nose stuck in a book. Some of my favourite authors – who are still on my bookshelf – were Cynthia Voigt, Robert Cormier, J. R. R. Tolkien, K. M . Peyton, Rosemary Sutcliff, Arthur C. Clarke, Susan Cooper, Noel Streatfeild.'
The best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?
'Do what you love! I had been working in survey research for about ten years when I decided I wanted to become a children’s books editor. It involved going back to study, starting again at the bottom of a career ladder, and taking a big financial risk by dropping my salary by 50%! But it was all worth it. Now I always advise people to take a risk and try something new if they are not happy. As a teenager, you have plenty of time to find the right career for you.'
