Katie Marsico
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved all the Babysitters’ Club books, as well as most anything by Shel Silverstein. As I got older, I also enjoyed R. L. Stine.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)” —ee cummings
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
ee cummings, Shel Silverstein, and Margaret Mitchell
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I previously worked as an editor. I began interning with a packager while a senior at Northwestern, and I accepted a job as an editorial assistant straight out of college. Several years later, I was employed as a managing editor and was pregnant with my second child. At that point, I decided I needed to do something that allowed me to work from home and that would enable me to be with my kids more often. My boss at the time, Russell Primm of Editorial Directions, was good enough to give me an opportunity to try my hand at writing. I also had several wonderful colleagues and friends such as Trudi Trueit who passed my name along to editors who were seeking authors. The rest, as they say, is history!
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way—or, more appropriately, there are a lot of opportunities to break into children’s publishing that don’t all involve writing/illustrating a best-selling graphic novel right off the bat. Never pass up an opportunity to learn, and read a ton in the meantime!
