Work · Epic Reads Office Hours

Meet the people behind the books.

Aspiring publishing professionals often saw only one obvious path into the industry. I developed and executive produced a digital video series that introduced them to the people, roles, and career paths behind the books they loved.

A hand holding a stack of Epic Reads books — Epic Reads · HarperCollins

Belief

You can’t dream about a career if you don’t know it exists.

My role

Creative strategy
Concept development
Executive production
Talent outreach
Agency management
Editorial storytelling

The Opportunity

I first discovered publishing because a character on One Tree Hill was a book editor. I googled how to become one and suddenly realized there was an entire industry behind the stories I loved.

Years later, after working alongside marketers, editors, publicists, designers, agents, and production teams, I realized how many people outside the industry still thought “working in publishing” mostly meant becoming an editor. I wanted to make those other paths more visible. Office Hours became a way to introduce aspiring publishing professionals to the people behind the books—what they actually did, how they got there, and what their day-to-day work really looked like.

The Format

The idea was simple: candid conversations with publishing professionals about the work behind the titles readers already loved.

Each episode focused on one role and gave viewers a practical look at the responsibilities, career path, skills, and realities behind it. We featured social media and digital marketing, editorial, publicity, literary agents, school and library marketing, cover design, marketing design, audiobook production, and more.

The goal was to make the industry feel less like a closed door and more like a map with multiple ways in.

Featured episode01 / 08

Digital Marketing

What does a social media manager do?

A behind-the-scenes look at the daily work, responsibilities, and path into publishing.

Pulling back the curtain, one conversation at a time.

Making It Work Remotely

I developed the idea and creative brief, partnered with 1021 Creative to bring it to life, sourced and reached out to talent, executive produced the series, and gave creative feedback throughout the edit process.

The challenge was that we made all eight episodes in 2020, while everyone was working remotely. We directed talent over Zoom, had each guest capture their own footage at home, and built a production system that still felt personal and polished despite none of us being in the same room.

What Happened

Eight candid conversations became an evergreen resource for aspiring publishing professionals and expanded Epic Reads beyond book recommendations into career education.

8 episodesAn original video series produced entirely during Covid
Many pathsMarketing, editorial, publicity, production, design, agenting, audiobooks, and more
EvergreenA lasting educational resource for aspiring publishing professionals
More than booksEpic Reads expanded from recommendation and fandom into industry access and career discovery

From the comments

The moment someone sees a path they didn’t know was possible.

“Just graduated w my degree in PR & Social Media Marketing and this is my absolute dream job!”

“Omg!!! I had an epiphany thanks to you!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!! Now I know what I want to doooooo!!!!!”

What Stayed With Me

Office Hours reminded me how meaningful it can be to make something feel less intimidating simply by explaining how it works. I loved spotlighting people whose jobs rarely got attention and giving them space to talk honestly about what they knew.

Years earlier, a character on One Tree Hill introduced me to a publishing career I didn’t know existed. I googled how to become a book editor, and that tiny moment eventually changed the direction of my own career. Office Hours gave me a chance to do some version of that for someone else—and it felt like a fitting way to close my own chapter at HarperCollins.

Sometimes the best way to open a door for someone is to let them see what’s on the other side.

How stories move from the page into listeners’ ears.

Watch →

Next up → Book to Screen

Making adaptations feel like something fans could be part of.

Keep reading ↗