Cathy de la Cruz hosted our Instagram on July 10th for our weekly #SalaSundays series.
Latinx in Pub (LxP): What do you do?
Cathy de la Cruz (CdlC): I am a Metadata Manager on the corporate metadata team at Penguin Random House. The metadata team is part of the PRH Online & Digital Sales department. While I primarily focus on titles for the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, I also work on special metadata projects and initiatives that can be applied company-wide. Additionally, I am a PRH Inclusion Partner, which means I work with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team to facilitate small employee group conversations related to DEI. I am also an Uncovering Bias facilitator, and co-lead workshops with members of our Human Resources team to my fellow employees.
LxP: How did you get started?
CdlC: I actually got started as a Temp! I was interviewed by a recruiting agency and placed in a temporary role as a Copywriter on a big metadata project at PRH—based solely on my resume and writing samples. My temporary role lasted about 9 months and I loved it. When my PRH supervisors asked me if I was interested in a permanent position, I said “Yes!” and began the role of Department Coordinator for PRH Publisher Services, the distributor of over 50 client publishers. I had that role, where I learned so much about the business side of publishing, for exactly two years before transferring to my current role as Metadata Manager.
LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?
CdlC: That getting my foot in the door was even possible! As someone who grew up in San Antonio, Texas in the 80s and 90s, I could not even fathom what a publishing house looked like. I didn’t visit New York until after college and publishing remained a mystery to me until that temp job six years ago.
LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?
CdlC: I am currently working on many things ranging from optimizing metadata for backlist KDPG titles, reviewing and fine tuning some of our metadata best practices, collaborating with metadata analysts on some of my nerdiest metadata dreams, etc, etc. The book I am currently reading is the upcoming Clancy Martin memoir, which is SO GOOD. It’s called How Not To Kill Yourself and it is slated to come out in March of 2023.
Cathy de la Cruz is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist originally from San Antonio, TX. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Creative Writing MFA program and UC San Diego’s Visual Arts MFA program. She was a member of Sister Spit’s 20th anniversary tour.
