On Wednesday, November 12, students and faculty gathered in the Poetry Center to receive a lecture from Jessica Vestuto, an editor for Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, who earned her BA in English with Honors from SBU in 2018. Vestuto was introduced by the Chair of the English Department, Professor Robinson. In his opening remarks, Robinson spotlighted a few of Vestuto’s academic achievements: she won the Thomas Rogers Prize, an annual award for an outstanding analytical paper, twice, worked for the SBU Press, was the student speaker at her commencement ceremony, and dedicated her Honor’s thesis to imagining Virgil’s Aeneid from the perspective of Dido. Although Vestuto’s undergraduate achievements are certainly impressive, they mark only the beginning of her spectacular career.

Vestuto’s talk began with her sharing that the Poetry Center has long been her favorite spot on campus, a mutual preference among many English students (myself included). She then provided a brief recollection of her introduction to the publishing world. After graduating SBU, Vestuto worked as an intern for FSG, a Macmillan imprint. She then went on to pursue her MFA at Emerson College. While working towards her Master’s, Vestuto worked as an editorial assistant at a publishing house in Boston. She continued to work as an assistant for two years. 

Now, Vestuto is based in New York and working for Mariner Books as an Associate Editor. Mariner has published incredibly renowned writers, including Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and Alice Walker. Vestuto has worked on finalists for Carnegie Medals, PEN/Faulkner Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes. One of her favorite books she has worked on, Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna, released a year and a half ago to critical acclaim. Vestuto largely centered her talk on the lifespan of Evenings and Weekends, working to teach her audience about how a book travels from author to reader. Here’s the rundown: 

1. A literary agent agrees to represent an author’s book. This agent then meets with editors, trying to persuade them to take on the project. Vestuto says this process feels “kinda like dating,” as she can usually tell whether or not the book is a match within the first few minutes. 
2. If the editor is interested in taking on the book, they pitch it in an editorial meeting, hoping to convince their team that the book is worth investing in. 
3. If the team agrees the book is a promising investment, the editor calls the book’s author. During this call, the editor attempts to understand the author’s career goals (i.e., if they plan on writing more books) and whether they are willing to implement some unnegotiable edits from the editor on their present work. If the editor finds the author’s answers favorable, the editor expresses interest in accepting their book.
4. If the author accepts the editor’s offer, PNL sheets are created. These sheets lay out the book’s estimated revenue, the author’s estimated revenue, and the publishing house’s estimated revenue (as well as a few other financial details). If the PNL’s terms and conditions are agreed upon by both author and editor, the book is officially acquired. 
5. The editing process officially begins. For Vestuto, the first stage of this process mainly focuses on big-picture questions, spurring the author to contemplate the inclusion or exclusion of various story elements within their work. With time, the edit suggestions become more and more specific. For Evenings and Weekends, the editing process took roughly one and a half years. 
6. The book is then transmitted and copyeditors go through the book and offer final suggestions. For Evenings and Weekends, this process took about six weeks. The author then reviews the copyeditor’s suggestions and takes what resonates and leaves what does not. 
7. Interior and exterior designers craft prototypes for the book, sampling different cover drafts, spines, and end-papers (among other details). The marketing and sales teams are highly involved in this selection process. 
8. The book is sent to early readers in an attempt to earn endorsements/reviews for the book. One of the reviews used for Evenings and Weekends is from Vogue; it reads “A complex love letter to the city, where chaos reigns but connection to yourself and others grows.” 
9. Marketing and publicity campaigns are developed. Vestuto pitches the book to various advertising mediums, such as magazines, newspapers, and talk shows. 
10. Finally, the book is made available in stores. 

Vestuto’s talk ended with a Q&A session. Many of the questions and answers revolved around Vestuto’s career journey, personal literary preferences, and advice. One sentiment was repeated throughout: “I love my job, it’s a hard job, it’s not a 9-5. It comes home with me, but I love my job.” As Evenings and Weekends contends, love isn’t always easy. However, as an editor in love with her job maintains, it sure can be rewarding. We are so grateful for Jessica Vestuto’s lecture. If she gifts us with another, you should really try to attend— she has a lot of incredibly helpful insight to offer. 

Sydney Tokofsky is an English major with a Creative Writing minor at Stony Brook University. She is in her third year of study, but is set to graduate a year early this upcoming May! Once she earns her Bachelor’s, Sydney intends to pursue her Master’s in Early Childhood Education at Binghamton. 

What’s your favorite area of study/topic within your major, and why? 

My favorite topic to study has been feminist literature. As a woman, I think it’s super important to read and study other female writers and their work. I have learned a lot about gender, race, and sexuality through the English classes I’ve taken. Studying feminism through text has allowed me to see gender differently in my daily life. 

What encouraged you to pursue English as a major? What’s the most fulfilling part of your major?  

I was originally a Chemistry major, but felt I had way more creative liberty and individuality as an English major. I have always enjoyed reading and writing, and wanted to pursue it professionally. The most fulfilling part of the major is the freedom you get in class. Every new idea is welcomed and any approach is acceptable. The study of English encourages originality and outside-the-box thinking. 

How does the work for your minor impact or relate to the work for your major? 

As a Creative Writing minor, I am able to branch out and try new forms of writing like prose poetry and creative nonfiction. My work as an English major is more literature-based, and imposes stricter guidelines. However, they both help me understand the other with different perspectives and techniques! 

Is/are there any lesson(s) you have learned in an English class that have changed, challenged, or shaped your worldview? If so, which lesson(s)? 

Through the English classes I have taken, I’ve learned how to analyze and apply theory to my work and cite it correctly. In my performance theory class, we had to break down different theories about the human condition and apply them to real world scenarios. Through this, I learned to break down nearly every aspect of an event through the lens of performance/behavior to better understand it. 

What advice would you give to students who are interested in becoming an English major? 

I would tell any student who is interested in studying English to take any classes that intrigue them because they might learn something new about themselves. There are a lot of classes that incorporate different media like film or journalism. It’s not just reading and essays! A lot of professors are open to creative responses and individuality. The classes tend to be more personal as well, so you won’t get lost in a 400 person lecture where no one knows your name!