Welcome to our rebooted “Beacon Behind the Books” series! In these times when readers are responding to our books “more than ever,” when our authors—including Aubrey Gordon, Tanya Katerí Hernández, James Baldwin, Viktor Frankl, Atef Abu Saif, and Percival Everett—are appearing in the media, their ideas going viral on social media, their voices being heard on so many platforms, we thought it would be good to take a break to focus on some of the staff who work hard to find, shape, edit, produce, and promote those works. Our blog series introduces to you a staff member and gives you a behind-the-scenes look, department by department, at what goes on at our office. And not only our staff, but our interns, too.

This month, we introduce you to Mai-Linh Weller, our digital and social media intern! 

What drew you to publishing, Mai? How did you find your way to Beacon?

As many in publishing would understand, I’m a hopeless bibliophile. My TBR is mountainous, and when I’m not reading, I’m glued to podcasts or YouTube videos about books—and trying my valiant best to persuade friends and family to give my newest hyperfixation read a shot (currently: The Wedding People by Alison Espach). However, if we are talking logistics, I discovered this internship through the unmatched We Need Diverse Books Internship grant and was immediately drawn to Beacon’s progressive values and commitment to publishing advocative titles.

What are some of the challenges of being a digital and social media marketing intern? What do you find most rewarding?

Social media marketing can be daunting, notably with the ever-evolving landscape of platforms and trends. And for a publishing house focused on serious nonfiction, there exists a number of challenges. My role involves finding the perfect balance of leveraging current online trends for increased engagement while staying true to Beacon’s core values. Every day, I spend hours analyzing trends and different audiences, exploring niche online communities, to curate engaging content that successfully promotes a title but is authentic to the Beacon brand.

The most rewarding part is when I discover the sweet spot between Beacon’s ideals and this online space. Before I posted a cover reveal video for Michael Andor Brodeur’s Swole, I noticed a TikTok trend with over 128,000 videos with this zinger: “Can I get applause for the dress? And now an applause for the back of the dress.” My post was a playful homage to this to showcase Swole’s front and back cover design. What’s so wonderful about this position is the ability to use all the creative tools of social media to be exuberant about books.

What skills have you taken from previous jobs to help you do your work at Beacon?

I was the YA Programming Assistant at Chicago’s Printers Row Literary Festival in 2021. I began this position at the tail end of the pandemic, when BookTok, TikTok’s online book community, was taking off. As a dedicated BookTok enthusiast, I pitched a panel on the growing online book community to the festival’s directors. My goal was to show people outside my age group the impact BookTok was having. A new generation of readers and young voices was creating a new industry space that was predominantly giving platforms to young women. I organized and moderated a panel of five diverse women, which honed my organizational and communication skills—skills that I now apply at Beacon. Today, when I’m organizing spreadsheets of anniversaries to prepare for promoting different Beacon titles, I pull from my time organizing programming. Also, my experience with BookTok helps me stay attuned to the latest trends in the online book community, allowing me to create content that resonates with today’s readers.

You’ve attended a handful of office meetings. Tell us more about those experiences and how they add to your work.

What has been so valuable to me about interning at an indie publishing house is the opportunity to learn about and interact with every department. Our bi-weekly all-staff meetings, weekly marketing, publicity, editorial meetings, our close-knit web team meetings, and author calls have all given me a greater sense of context and purpose for the work I do. This is my first role within the industry and it has allowed me to understand the inner workings of a publishing house and how each department interacts with one another. I’m able to see how marketing and publicity work from the ground up to create individualized plans for each upcoming title and how we integrate sales into our promotional goals. As a digital marketing intern, I often find myself buried in social media, and attending these meetings ensures that all necessary information is included, like backlist titles, sales, and editorial data.

Favorite food?

As a biracial Vietnamese woman, I’m partial to banh mi, especially in the summertime. It’s the perfect light, fresh, on-the-go sandwich. I highly recommend Seaport’s Bon Me if you’re in the area!

What’s the next queued song on your music player?

The Last Dinner Party’s “The Feminine Urge”

Name three things at your workstation you can’t live without.

1. Coffee (most likely from Beacon’s next-door neighbor, Flour).
2. My notebook is filled with my daily handwritten To-Do lists.
3. My Airpods. As the digital and social media marketing intern, I’m listening to the same audio bites on repeat all day and would never want to subject the office to this.