EPISODE 16: BALANCING BOOKS AND LIFE WITH MARGARET RILEY KING
Live Date: September 13, 2021
Show Description: In this episode of Make Me Known, Heather sits down with Margaret Riley King, partner at William Morris Endeavor to talk about all things book publishing. The duo dives into the ins and outs of the industry, what drives them as women in business, finding balance as working mothers, and their favorite reads.
This Episode Will Teach You:
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How to get started as a writer
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What makes for a compelling story
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How the pandemic affected the publishing industry
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What makes books stand out to literary agents
Biggest Takeaways:
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Heather and Margaret discuss what it takes to get started as an author. Sitting down to write and being willing to write badly in the beginning allows for growth and courage to share authentic and deep storytelling with the world.
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Margaret walks us through what constitutes a compelling story. It’s different for everyone, it’s very personal, but at the root of an engaging story is the reader being invested in the characters and the pace, identifying and relating with the characters and learning something about themselves along the way.
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Heather and Margaret discuss the business of book publishing and book publicity. It’s always stayed pretty steady. While the way we consume the stories over time will change, the power of literature and storytelling will never go away.
Quotables:
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“When you initiate communication, be detailed in your request. Tell them where you’re looking to improve, then ask for a clearly defined commitment: Would you be willing to meet with me one day for an hour every month for the next six months? They need to understand from the very beginning what it is they are signing up for if they agree.” – Heather Adams, 6:40
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“I think we all, women in particular, hear that it’s critical to have a mentor, but most people don’t have the slightest clue as to how to find the right one. We’re not just searching for a warm body here. We’re really looking for someone who is invested in our long-term personal and professional development. After more than 20 years in my career, I have a few thoughts on seeking, selecting and sustaining a mentor partnership.” – Heather Adams 3:47
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“Who are those people going to be for you? It’s scary to ask someone to be your mentor, I understand. But, think of the woman 20+ years from now. How will she be different if you asked and that mentor agreed and changed your trajectory? Advocate for yourself. Advocate for her.” – Heather Adams 14:15
About the Guest: Margaret Riley King is a partner at William Morris Endeavor, where she began her career after graduating from Princeton University. She represents both literary and commercial fiction, along with narrative nonfiction, memoir and some lifestyle titles in the areas of food, psychology, health, faith/spirituality and well-being. Clients include Chloe Benjamin, author of the NYT bestselling novel The Immortalists, Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick Love Warrior, National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, novelist Laura Moriarty, Ann Kidd Taylor, Cammie McGovern, NYT bestselling author Nadia Bolz-Weber and Newbery Award winner Sheila Turnage among others.
Quotables:
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“I have always loved storytelling. I love books. I love movies. I love television. I love songs. I knew I wanted to be doing something that had to do with culture and shifting culture and big, you know, big, bold ideas and voices and storytelling.” – Margaret Riley King, 3:31
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“You loved the way she did business, and you learned that from her and you, and you wanted to kind of that example for working women like us.I don’t think that can be understated the impact that that has on women coming behind.” Heather Adams, 5:32
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“Writing is about the courage to really express yourself in your most authentic way.” Margaret Riley King, 9:35
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“Allow yourself to write really badly in the beginning. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just get some stuff on the page and it’ll evolve as you go. But I think the perfectionism kills the whole spirit of writing.” – Margaret Riley King 12:43
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“You’re so afraid to get started because it’s not going to be perfect initially. And I tell people, you know, like in order to be a great writer, you have to write all the time, you have to read good writing and you have to write all the time. And the more you write, the better you become, the more you hone your skills. But so many people are debilitated from that fear of it’s not going to be perfect.” – Heather Adams, 12:55
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“There is like a humbleness and a patience that’s required to be a writer. And particularly to be like a professional writer, a published writer.” – Margaret Riley King, 13:36
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“And I think what the pandemic has done when everything has fallen away, that books are still here standing strong. And the way we consume the stories over time, like that will change. But the power of literature and storytelling will never go away.” – Margaret Riley King 17:39
“I represent a lot of women’s voices and women read books. And when they do read books, they talk about them. And I think we’ve seen that in a big way as they talk about them and they tell them when something’s moved and they talk about to their friends and the word of mouth is just so important for getting a book out there.” – Margaret Riley King 18:08 -
“I feel like my two things in my life are balancing like my intense ambition and love for what I do and my like real true desire to live a really beautiful peaceful life.” – Margaret Riley King 26:38
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