Caritza Berlioz hosted our Instagram, on August 13, 2023 for our weekly #SalaSundays series. Below are a few questions that we asked Caritza.
Latinx In Publishing (LxP): What do you do?
Caritza Berlioz (CB): I am currently an Assistant Acquisitions Editor at Teachers College Press. In this role, I edit and acquire academic books at the intersection of education and social justice across a range of topics and disciplines. I also support the overall department. When I am not acquiring and editing academic books, I write. I graduated from City College of NY MFA Creative Writing program with a concentration in Fiction in 2021.
LxP: How did you get started?
(CB): I started in the publishing industry when I was in college through internships! My first publishing internship was at Valiant Entertainment—a comic-book publisher. Once I graduated, I was hired full-time as a Licensing Coordinator and worked closely with all departments. From there, I knew I wanted to get into editorial, so I made the switch to Teachers College Press.
In other news, I recently accepted an Editor position at another publisher, but more news on that later!
LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?
(CB): Uff! I wish I knew many things, but I'll describe a few top things that I believe are most important:
Be your own advocate—don't feel you're unqualified if you have at least some experience in the profession, and speak up when you want the promotion, professional development, guidance, etc. The editorial career is an apprenticeship, and you are always learning with each new step in your professional career.
Weighing the costs vs. benefits—we are reckoning with the cost of living (especially in NY) versus the notoriously low pay in the publishing industry, especially if you intend to be in editorial. I have stayed in companies for, perhaps, a bit too long in hopes of a promotion that would lead to a higher salary. Ultimately, it was being my own advocate and job hopping that led to my career growth.
Networking—I wished I had networked earlier in my career to have people to rely on for advice when things were tough at the outset.
LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?
(CB): I am currently reading In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I highly recommend it!
Caritza Berlioz is an Assistant Acquisitions Editor at Teachers College Press and a CCNY MFA Creative Writing program graduate. When she is not acquiring or editing books on social justice and equity in education, you can find her reading at waterfront parks in Queens, biking through Brooklyn with her husband, or writing her WIP novel and essays.
