Bringing Books to Life

Today, Katherine is a non-fiction editor at Harmony & Rodale Books, imprints of Penguin Random House. After six years working at the New York City office, she recently relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia, where she continues to work remotely for PRH.

As an editor, Katherine acquires and shapes non-fiction titles ranging from cookbooks and lifestyle guides to wellness and self-help books aimed at Millennial and Gen Z audiences. She explains, “My core role is acquiring and editing non-fiction books for our list, including cookbooks, lifestyle, mental health and wellness, and fun self-help for Millennial and Gen Z audiences. But my day-to-day is mostly spent on email, and I work as the point person for all of our different departments! I communicate with the author and agent, marketing, publicity, sales, production, design, and more as we work to bring a book from an idea to publication.”

Her journey to publishing began as an English major in college, where she discovered the field through internships. “I didn't know much about the publishing industry until I got my first literary agency internship! I had four literary agency internships during college and worked as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble before being hired by my current team.”

The best part of her work? The people. “The best part of my job is working with such talented and enthusiastic people who love books as much as I do! Because I wear so many different hats as an editor, it can be tricky to balance all of the different priorities, but I love that my job is never boring--every day is different.”

Looking back, she credits Chatham Hall with helping her develop the skills she uses daily. “Chatham Hall is really where I developed my love for English and writing, and it gave me so many opportunities to explore my interests (even if I went a little overboard at times!). I was able to explore both technical and creative writing at Chatham by doubling up on English classes my junior year, and my role as a Columns editor and on the Iris board first taught me how to juggle multiple responsibilities. But most importantly, Chatham Hall taught me how to work independently, take pride in my work, and seek out creativity.”

For students interested in publishing, Katherine’s advice is clear: “To anyone interested in publishing, I'd recommend staying open to different options! There are so many different roles in this industry beyond just editorial (including analytics, consumer insights, subrights, managing editorial, etc.), and it takes a lot of different people to make a book. I never expected to work in non-fiction, but now I'm so happy that I focus on non-fiction for work, but mostly read fiction for fun. Internships are still the best way to learn about the industry.”

From classrooms filled with creative writing at Chatham Hall to shaping the books that land on today’s shelves, Katherine Leak ’15 is proof that passion, persistence, and curiosity can turn a love of words into a thriving career.