As I look out my office window, the sky is blue and the snow is gone—at last. Winter has been especially tenacious this year. But, spring is finally here (meteorologically speaking, anyway). Spring thaws, rebirth, new energy. Publishing is facing some tough times with layoffs, cutbacks, bookstore closures, and a host of other worrisome developments. Now more than ever is a good time to find some time to attend publishing-related events and get out there and network.



March has a bunch of really good events coming up. Check out the list below. If you have an event you’d like to publicize, send info to us at cpn @ bibliobibuli.com. We’ll do our best to post it in a timely manner (it’s probably best to give us a few weeks’ heads-up).



Too, check out the CPN Profile below of publishing professional Ann Poole. Ann has been in the industry for a good long time, and she shares some unique insight into Chicago publishing. During the course of her long career, Ann has successfully weathered a lay-off or two, which should serve as inspiration for publishing folks going through a rough patch employment-wise.



Helping colleagues learn about new job opportunities is one of the important tasks of CPN. Remember, membership in Chicago Publishing Network is free (join us through LinkedIn). The only requirement is that you help out your publishing colleagues and peers by alerting each other about jobs, events, and other helpful information. Contact us at cpn @ bibliobibuli.com to share information, and we’ll do our best to post it.



Chicago Publishing Events



Saturday, March 7

8:30 a.m.

CWIP Networking Breakfast: West

Pancake Café

1292 Rickert Dr., Naperville

Bring your business cards to this Chicago Women in Publishing networking event. For additional information, visit http://cwip.org/events.htm.



Tuesday, March 10

2–3 p.m. EDT

Spring Book Buzz Live Webcast.

Join Library Journal for a free one-hour webcast event with some folks from HarperCollins, Kensington, W.W. Norton, and Random House as they present their newest, hottest, must-have titles and authors for Spring! Register at http://www.LibraryJournal.com/bookbuzz.



Tuesday, March 10

6 p.m.

IWOC Monthly Meeting

National-Louis University, Room 5008

122 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Speaker Robert Loerzel will explain how to use historical research to enrich your writing. Visitors welcome. Free to members; non-member fee is $15. For information, visit http://iwoc.org/iwoc_events.htm



Sunday, March 15–Friday, March 20

The Columbia College Chicago Fiction Writing Department presents its 13th Annual Story Week Festival of Writers: Writing on the Edge. Held at venues throughout the city, Story Week offers readings, conversations with authors, panels, performances, and book signings that are free and open to the public. Visit http://www.colum.edu/SpecialEvents/Story_Week/2009/ for more information.



Wednesday, March 18

6–8:30 p.m.

Midwest Writers Association Dinner Program

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Old Orchard

4999 Old Orchard Center, Suite G8

MWA’s monthly dinner program features three go-to people in the world of publishing: Sharon Woodhouse of Lake Claremont Press and Jim Kepler of Adams Press will address the state of publishing today and alternatives to the big publishing houses. Danielle Chapman, director of the City of Chicago’s new Publishing Industry Programs, will talk about the many book and periodical publications based in the Chicago area and her department’s programming. $20 members, $25 non-members. RSVP by March 13 to Ada Kahn, adapkahn@aol.com or Janis Guggenheim, guggie1@sbcglobal.net. For additional information, visit http://midwestwriters.com/events.html



Wednesday, March 18

6–9 p.m.

Chicago Women in Publishing: The Freelance Edge: Maximizing Your Potential as an Independent Contractor

National-Louis University

122 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago

CWIP is providing an expanded program for freelance editors, writers, designers, and other independents. The program features two tracks—one for aspiring and one for experienced freelancers—and will offer tips on innovative marketing approaches, managing your finances, and growing your business. For information and details about registration, visit http://cwip.org/events.htm



CPN Profile



Ann Poole has been an editor at Scott Foresman in Glenview for the past year. Previously, she has been with ABA Publishing, Dearborn/Kaplan, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Much of her career has focused on education publishing, but she’s also been in association publishing and reference publishing. Over the years, Ann has seen a lot of changes in Chicago publishing.



How long have you been in publishing?

I’ve been in publishing for over 35 years.



What was your first job in publishing? Was it what you hoped it would be?

My first job was an associate editor at Encyclopedia Britannica. It was a lot like being in graduate school, but with a salary. I loved it. I loved learning, so researching and writing encyclopedia articles was a dream job for me. Plus, Britannica at the time had a very large staff. They were trying to get out a new edition of EB. Most of the editors and writers were young people like myself who were just out of college. We had great parties and a terrific softball team. Lots of socializing. So much so that I met and married my husband while I was there. The managing editors were more experienced professionals with great credentials—people who had been hired in New York or London and transplanted to Chicago. Very heady for a young, impressionable girl from California.



You’ve worked in association publishing and educational publishing. How do these types of businesses differ from one another?

Association publishing lacks the rigor and intensity of for-profit publishing. Production schedules are longer and lack the sense of urgency, if they are not met, that one experiences in a trade or educational publishing atmosphere. Also, there are too many fingers in the development process in association publishing.



How do you think publishing has changed in the past five years? 10 years?

This one is simple: technology. Technology has shortened the production cycle. Also, it has made additional modes of delivery possible. Books are no longer confined to pages bound inside a soft or hard cover. CDs, DVDs, audio tapes, Kindles, downloadable PDFs, online delivery—all are “books” by modern standards.



What do you think is unique about Chicago-area publishing?

It’s dominated by association publishing, which has survived more than any other kind. Very little trade publishing. Chicago used to have five or six big textbook publishers, but most of them have disappeared.



What advice would you give to someone looking to start out or advance in Chicago-area publishing?

Get as much different kind of experience as you can. Start out by registering with one of the editorial temp staffing agencies. You may be picked up by the publisher you have been sent to. Keep your technology skills up to date as much as possible. Take as many training classes as you can. Be prepared to be laid off. If you are working in publishing, it probably will happen at least once in your career. Network like crazy. Buy and read books.