2024 Award Winner Sadie Washington on Finding Her Place in Publishing

The Robin Seaman Award allowed an entry point into aspects of the publishing industry not readily available or known to wider audiences without some type of dedicated guidance. As someone who has always been passionate about narratives and the publishing journey, I’ve long aspired to enter the field. However, despite years of effort, I’ve struggled to identify tangible opportunities to scale my growth. With this award, I have been introduced to valuable resources that will have a lasting impact.

Through the award, I attended the Los Angeles Review of Books’s Publishing Workshop during the summer of 2024. The program provided expert insights into the mechanics of the publishing industry, covering timelines, industry-wide softwares, and key themes being discussed at large (hello #booktok and AI!) Outside of the technical, the workshop introduced me to speakers and professionals across various departments, broadening my understanding of what a career in publishing can look like. The course also invited conversation, ideation, and intimate spaces to talk through processes with revered partners in publishing. What was most inspiring during this time was discovering the amount of changemakers actively shaping the industry. This workshop left me with an impression of awe in reflecting on the number of independent authors, publishers, and agents who all connected on driving for diversifying the industry.

I now see success as more than just achieving a set goal. Rather, the richness lies in the relationships and organic learning moments I experienced along the way. I have no doubt that my non-traditional background would benefit an institution, but I have been given the space, through this award, to see the value in aligning with institutions that genuinely value variance in perspectives and recognize my worth as a person—beyond the degrees and titles.

While the industry at large continues to strategize for broader audience engagement and building sustainability by using the same tools reserved for a specific time in publishing history, I am reassured that there is an ever-growing understanding and effort to do differently. I hope to see the very communities identified as a metric reflected at various levels within publishing, with the knowledge that the measurement of academia does not always predicate greatness and skill.

About the author:

Sadie Washington is a dedicated advocate for art, education, and social justice. With a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from U.C. Santa Cruz, Sadie's journey has been a fusion of hard work, creativity, and advocacy. Her passion for community and arts education has led her to work with prominent nonprofits like CREATE CA and the Boys & Girls Club, where she collaborated in efforts to promote creative expression in young minds.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Sadie's interests extend to historical fiction, where she finds inspiration in the works of visionaries like Octavia Butler and N.K. Jeminsin, with their reinforcing narratives speaking to the significance of community care, rest, and creativity as formidable tools of resistance against the backdrop of violent capitalist structures. With a skillful blend of creativity, advocacy, and a profound understanding of the power of narratives, she intends to make a resounding impact in the world of publishing by leveraging her skills within any team she joins.