Ashante Thomas's Blog

Stepping into a new press can feel a bit like diving into a new novel without reading the jacket copy: you’re trying to learn the lore, memorize the characters, and figure out where you fit in the universe. Happily, our recent all-staff retreat provided the ultimate crash course.

While our daytime agenda was packed with sessions on copyright and author launches, the real magic happened in the chaotic margins. It turns out, nothing accelerates corporate bonding quite like a literal wardrobe malfunction. After a morning coffee run went deeply sideways, I spilled half my coffee down my front. Enter Annie (and another wonderful colleague whose name currently escapes my panic-induced amnesia), who graciously helped me track down a backup shirt before our afternoon project.

Later, we traded our editors’ pens for packing tape, filling charity bags with teddy bears and books. Attempting to decorate the bags next to Julie, one of our designers, was a masterclass in humility. Her freehand illustrations completely outclassed my “masterpiece,” which relied heavily on the provided plastic stencils. I say my bag is for a child who prefers minimalism.

Of course, no team-building event is complete without a collective breakdown in project management. In a tragic lapse of communication, I tasked my teammate Kessa with one crucial mission: remind me to grab my leftover tandoori chicken from the fridge before I left. Reader, she forgot. I forgot. And now, I am 200 miles away from what would have been the perfect late-night comfort food.

Merging the serious business of publishing with these messy, human moments reminded me exactly why I joined this press.