Workshop Fellows

Alumni Placement

Here are a few of the places Workshop Alumni have gone onto gain jobs, fellowships, and internships since 2017:

Fellow Testimonials

“I think what's really valuable is that I am leaving with a lot of homework to do. You want to show that you have a vision and that you know what you want to do with it. I want to start a small publishing press and I learned there are about thirty things you could with this that I had never even heard of."
—Chiseche Mbenge, 2021 Fellow

“The most valuable thing I'll take away from the program is the affirmation that I received. I've spoken to a lot of other graduate students who did the program and one thing that we got here that we don't feel like we get in our programs or home institutions is an affirmation that our skillset is actually useful and transferrable. Getting to meet with people in the publishing industry and have that validated was priceless.”
—Alina Scott, 2021 Fellow

“I think that people look at resumés and see LARB Publishing Workshop and say 'Oh yeah, let's give this person an interview.'”
—Alec Sandoval, 2021 Fellow

“I totally underestimated the power and value of this workshop. It's been helpful in understanding my own skills and learning the language of the industry, in planning projects that I knew I wanted to do, and in helping me prime projects that I hadn't known I wanted to do. It's given me a road map and the confidence to know that you can start something in an industry where you hadn't seen yourself before."
—Adrienne Sockwell, 2021 Fellow

“I come to this Workshop as a writer and I think in general it is good practice for writers to be more informed of what's happening on the other side. Even while being in the Workshop, I was reaching out to other friends from previous writing workshops saying: 'Oh my god, I'm learning so much about publishing that I didn't know before and I wish you were here so we could talk about it.' This is particularly important for BIPOC writers because I don't think access to this knowledge is as widely available for them.”
—Noelle Falcis Math, 2021 Fellow

“If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, come to the LARB Publishing Workshop because it’s going to open doors. [The Workshop] is going to position you to be the person who is going to be able to navigate the publishing industry in ways that someone who hasn’t gone to this workshop wouldn’t know how to do. You’re going to make connections that are invaluable, you’re going to know how to reify ideas that you have, and it’s going to instill confidence in you to recognize that you are the person to do the thing that you have in mind.”
—Anthony Karambelas, 2020 Fellow

“I have a lot of friends who are writers, and who work in publishing, so even though it was very much on my radar, I had no idea how I could be a part of publishing or what that would mean for me. Now that [the program] is done, I feel like I have a concrete plan and concrete connections for what I’m going to do next.”
—Kersti Francis, 2020 Fellow

"The LARB Publishing Workshop was one of the most tremendous and enriching experiences in my professional career. Not only did this program challenge my abilities, it provided a diverse range of knowledge for aspiring writers and publishers of all kinds. The most useful thing I learned, however, is that publishing takes a village. It was a privilege to work alongside a cohort of driven individuals who worked tirelessly to perfect our project, and I am eternally grateful and supportive of this workshop.
—Keanna Garcia, 2018 Fellow

The workshop was definitely one of the best decisions I've made. It was valuable, not only for the academic content but for the amazing people I got to know and the brilliant projects we all worked on and that are still ongoing. It's an experience that goes on beyond that month of shared knowledge and ideas.
—Valeria García Origel, 2018 Fellow
MARCOM and Editor, Tint Journal

The LARB Publishing Workshop is a one-stop shop for all who want to pursue a career in publishing. The Publishing Workshop is a comprehensive program that offers participants networking opportunities with other Fellows and leaders in the publishing industry. Participants will have access to experts in all aspects of publishing, from writing to agenting, to marketing, public relations, website building to starting one’s own small press and much more! Get ready to transform your plan into a tangible reality.
—Beverly Glass, 2018 Fellow
Educator & Writer

As a journalist and MFA candidate in creative writing, the LARB Publishing Workshop was a necessary resource for understanding the writing world and how I can (and do) fit into it. The program fills in the blanks of what many writers like myself wonder about how the industry works, answering questions by connecting fellows with publishers, agents, and other industry persons of note while enabling creative crossovers that lead to their own literary pursuits. The program also brings so much of the literary world to Los Angeles while revealing much more of the literary world already embedded in the city that locals may overlook. Without my experience at the Publishing Workshop, I would honestly be blithely unaware of what the publishing and literary landscape looks like from the other side of an MFA program. For that – and the writerly friends and colleagues I made – I am incredibly grateful for being able to participate in the LARB Publishing Workshop.
—Kyle Fitzpatrick, 2018 Fellow
MFA Candidate, Otis College

The LA Review of Books Publishing Workshop provided necessary momentum to workshop and experiment with my plans for a publishing venture. Participants and speakers offered generous feedback and expertise, while staff members were accessible and available throughout the program. I'm grateful for the more nuanced understanding I now have of the publishing industry, and I look forward to staying in touch with new colleagues and mentors in the future.
—Caroline Porter, 2018 Fellow
Media Strategist & Journalist, The Ralstin Agency

Inspired by the passion of the Los Angeles Review of Books staff, talks from some of the greatest people in the West Coast publishing scene and other participants’ contributions, I felt encouraged to follow up on an idea that I had during a class at MSU – to create a creative writing platform for non-native (ESL) English writers. … At the end of the workshop, we were ready to send out a call for submissions to several schools in- and outside of the USA. When the first emails started hitting my mailbox, I felt that this thing was becoming real. My vision had turned into a mission, and then into an actual project...

The LARB publishing workshop made me listen to my inner voice and helped me to overcome my fears. I am so proud of the work of my fellows and so happy to see Tint evolve. With the journal I hope to ease the way for the diverse crowd of non-native writers to become a well-established part of the English language publishing scene. I am optimistic that this mission will be fruitful, and I am eternally grateful for the support of the LARB team.
—Lisa-Maria Schantl, 2018 Fellow
Editor-in-Chief, Tint Journal