I always dreamed of a publishing job because like so many people who work in publishing, I love books and reading and writing, and when I started working at the University of California Press, I felt as though I stumbled into my job in marketing because I conveyed my passion for books and my belief in the written word and translated in a way that made sense to the person hiring me.
The Robin Seaman Award allowed to me to see myself as a publishing professional developing my career instead of someone working a job.
Working on the application allowed me to reflect how I could advance in my marketing career and how I would want to grow, and I felt incredibly fortunate to be receive the award to attend the American Marketing Association conference and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference. I chose these conferences to expand my knowledge of marketing in publishing and outside of publishing and to learn about concepts and ideas beyond my daily work. I learned about resources I may not have come across in my current role and thought about the skills I wanted to develop to grow in my career.
I also used the Robin Seaman Award to join the Ruby, a San Francisco organization that supports a diverse community of women, trans women, and non-binary individuals including many writers of color.
Through the Ruby, I met publishing professionals, writers, artists, and creatives, but most importantly, being in the space of the Ruby made me think about how I want to be in a community and how I want to support others.
Hearing how people support each other and the Ruby community makes me reflect on how I want to support others in their journey and career, and I feel incredibly grateful to share space with generous people.
Ultimately, the Robin Seaman Award provided me with a new perspective, and rather than focusing on work and my day-to-day tasks, I have taken a step back to see a larger picture and reflect on my career and what community means to me. While so much in my professional life felt like chance, the award has given me the opportunity to learn and think about how I want to grow in my career and the person I want to be. I also realize that I received the award not because of chance but because I decided to apply, and as I continue in my publishing career, I will think about how I have agency to grow and shape my career and community.
About the author:
Sara Fan received her MFA in poetry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her MFA in creative nonfiction at the University of San Francisco. Her essay collection was shortlisted for the 2020 Graywolf Nonfiction Prize. She is the marketing associate for the University of California Press.