An Intern Tells It

The Tiny Ghost Newsletter, edition #14, August 18, 2022

Hi Spooky friends!

Hello! Julia here, the Tiny Ghost Press intern that’s been haunting your Tiktok this summer.

Like many elder Gen Zers, I grew up in the Twilight craze. And although none of the Cullen family ever caught my attention as they caught Bella’s, Jacob Black definitely did. Yes, I’m aware that it’s controversial, but I’m still team Jacob (because werewolves are always cooler than vampires, I stand by that)– but more accurately–I’m team Alice. No one was better to Bella than her.

But I digress.

Growing up in the Twilight, Percy Jackson, Hunger Games era, in addition to the Teen Wolf and The Vampire Diaries (still my comfort shows) era, set me on a supernatural-loving path I’ve never looked back from. From fourth grade on, if I wasn’t doing back flips in my backyard, my nose was in a book. Specifically, a young adult fantasy book that I could get absolutely lost in. I would tear through any vampire, werewolf, witch, half-human/ half-literally-anything-else-book I could get my hands on.

I thought that as I grew up and into my classical literature English major, my taste would eventually stray away from the fantasy I loved as a tween. But it never did. There’s just something so magical about mixing the coming of age story with fantasy, like there’s endless possibility in the world. It always made me feel like there was something out there to be explored, that at a moment's notice, my life could fill with machinations of magic and supernatural shenanigans. And once I realised that my fascination with fiction wasn’t going anywhere, any time soon, I set a goal: to be a part of a team that brings the magic that reading has always given me, to young readers today.

But with that goal came another thing too, a less enchanting aspect of the books I read: They always seemed to be about the same type of person. The main characters were almost always cis-gendered, straight, white teens with tragic backstories but secret fortunes waiting for them. And although some elements of that persona made me feel like I too could be swept up to a new realm at a moment's notice, other elements made me feel like maybe I wasn’t designed to be a hero, at least, not one in the stories I read about.

Enter: Tiny Ghost Press.

I follow many book-ish accounts on instagram, one of my favourites being @justforqueerbooks. I noticed one book that kept popping up. (drumroll please)

The Alpha’s Son.

I thought it looked interesting. More than interesting. Enticing.

A book about gay werewolves at summer camp falling in love? That’s literally all my favourite things in one. It felt like the book was made for me.

I instantly ordered three copies.

The run in with The Alpha’s Son was well timed too, since it also hit in the midst of my summer internship search. I’m a strong believer in representation in a kid’s favourite media directly affecting their confidence as they grow up. And it hurt seeing queer characters reduced to “quirky best friend” or “queer-coded villain” roles (if they were present at all). And the first time I read about Tiny Ghost Press, I knew I wanted to work for a company like that. A company that prioritised both the magic of reading and sharing that magic with the readers who rarely get to see themselves as the protagonists. And well, given this post, I’m sure you can assume how it went from there.

Since I’ve been with TGP, I’ve taken on quite a few roles, even ones that I didn’t know existed in publishing but are of utmost importance. Josh, as you all very well know, is awesome, giving me the space to learn about every corner of publishing a book, from development, to marketing, to distribution. A couple of my favourite tasks have been doing editorial work on Against the Stars (seriously, you guys are gonna LOVE this book), reading over submissions (keep ‘em comin'), and of course, Tiktoking. Getting to peel back the curtain on the industry that kept me up until 3am with only the light from my kindle screen illuminating my face feels very full circle. But it’s more than that too.

Tiny Ghost Press truly cares about infusing the world with every colour of magic. Beyond much needed queer representation, we’re pushing to showcase BIPOC stories, neurodivergent stories, and every story of the marginalized with a spooky twist. So keep those submissions coming…

Okay, getting off my soapbox now.

So, now as I start my seventh rewatch of Teen Wolf (in preparation for the movie) and emotionally prepare for Young Royals season 2, I’m also wrapping up my internship. But don’t you worry, I’ll still be gracing your Tiktok for you page to scream at you about how awesome My Name Is Magic is (seriously, go pre-order it right now). I’m not done reading about nervous werewolves, mages with no magic, coven-less witches, monstrous secrets, and glimpses into the future. And I hope you’re not either, because Tiny Ghost Press has a lot more coming your way.

Stay spooky,

Julia the (semi-former) intern

P.S. As we continue to grow it's so exciting to see who's along for the ride but we're also really interested in what people are keen to see more of. What would you like to see covered in this newsletter? What sort of books would you like us to publish? Which communities would you like to see represented? Let us know if the comments, and help us build a reader focussed publishing experience!