How She Got There: Steph Auteri, Freelance Writer and Business Owner

Name: Steph Auteri
Age: 31
Job Title and Description: Business Owner, Word Nerd Pro: I provide writing, editing, and coaching services to those within the publishing industry.
College/Major: Emerson College / Writing, Literature, and Publishing
Website: stephauteri.com
Twitter Handle: @stephauteri
 
Her Campus: What does your current job entail?
Steph Auteri: I juggle multiple projects at a time, so my days are always different. On any given day, I may be sending out query letters, drawing up a book proposal, working on a magazine article, ghostwriting an e-book, editing a manuscript, or conducting a coaching call with a fellow writer. I also maintain my own blog, manage a monthly e-newsletter and remain an active participant in social media marketing.
 
Since I work from home full-time, it can be difficult to separate my work life from my personal life—or even remember to break for lunch—so I’m careful to schedule in meals, yoga breaks, industry events, etc.
 
HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
SA: My first entry-level job in my field was as a part-time editorial assistant at the Feminist Press. I did a post-college internship there, because I was having trouble finding work, and I proved myself indispensable enough to hire on as a regular employee. I needed health insurance, though, so I leaped when another former intern got me an “in” as a full-time editorial assistant at Routledge, an academic book publisher.
 
HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
SA: That there is no one right path or blueprint for succeeding within the publishing industry. When I first started out in the industry, I only knew of the traditional path: the one where you work your way up the ladder from editorial assistant to associate editor to editor and on and on. As time passed, I realized I didn’t want that. I didn’t know how to find fulfillment within the industry. Once I realized I could make my own path, I became much happier with my career.

HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
SA: Susan Shapiro. A published author, freelance writer, and writing professor, I took her Writing for NYC Magazines and Newspapers class several times, both through the New School, and through Media Bistro. In additional to how much she taught me about querying and the value she brought to every class by utilizing great guest editors, she has also proven to be a generous and long-lasting mentor.
 
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
SA: This is neither a quote nor an anecdote, but one valuable lesson I learned was from a professor of mine (Burton Klein) back in college. He taught me that a cover letter was the best place to showcase my personality and distinguish myself from the competition. I’ve been rocking those cover and query letters ever since, and they have opened so many doors for me.

HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
SA: For the longest time after going full-time freelance, I undervalued my worth. I accepted projects and long-term gigs that paid peanuts, feeling that the experience and exposure they gave me were enough. Unsurprisingly, I quickly approached burnout. Now I know how to ask for what I’m worth, and to walk away when someone isn’t willing to pay it. At first, it was scary to say no to any sort of work. But once I realized that saying no to the wrong clients would only provide more opportunities to find the right ones, it became infinitely easier.
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HC: What is the best part of your job?
SA: I’m tempted to single out my commute (I roll out of bed and shuffle semi-consciously to my laptop in the next room), but I think the best part of my job is the fact that I get the chance to work on so many different and fascinating projects. Just the other week, I worked on an e-book about intimacy after cancer, I copy edited a manuscript for couples on how to get out of a sex rut, I blogged about networking for a new site, I put together an interactive book proposal for a publisher specializing in iPad-only publications, I wrote two personal essays for two different online women’s magazines, I appeared on an online talk show, and more. Work is never boring!
 
HC: How important is it that college students engage in philanthropic work?
SA: It definitely makes for good karma. Not only that, but it can lead to amazing experiences and valuable connections.
 
HC: What do you look for when hiring someone?
SA: First of all, start out strong, both in your cover letter and in your interview. Show that you’ve done your homework and have researched both the company and the industry. Show passion, ambition, and professionalism.
 
During interviews, I also look for a sign that you’re eager to learn, that you won’t need too much hand-holding, that you’ll show initiative, and that you’ll make your work a priority.

HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
SA: Always be seeking to educate yourself further, whether through books, continuing education courses, post-college internships, online forums, informational interviews, etc. And in the midst of this, always be making new connections and—this is crucial—maintaining them. If you can maintain these authentic connections, it can prove to be mutually beneficial.
 
Co-Founded by Natalie MacNeil and Scott Gerber, Y.E.C. Women is an initiative of the Young Entrepreneur Council (Y.E.C.), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The Y.E.C promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

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