Intern Spotlight: Meet Elise Damasco!
Cheers to the final post in our intern spotlight series! Thank you for tuning in thus far. We hope these posts have given you a glimpse into who our interns are, but this is not the last you’ll be seeing of the interns. These posts have all been leading up to our intern edition of Bookmarked. There, you’ll find the titles our interns have been reading this summer, music they’ve been listening to, and more. Keep an eye on your inbox this Monday!
“As interns on the Corporate Communications team, we have learned so much about the different aspects of Penguin Random House and the publishing industry. We joined a small, tight-knit team that has allowed us to directly contribute to amazing projects, such as the Creative Writing Awards, San Diego Comic-Con, and OurHouse content. Our goal for the upcoming intern-focused content is to shed some light on who we are and why this next generation is looking forward to working in publishing and with you all. We hope you enjoy the incredible stories of the 2023 intern cohort from their time at PRH!” – Chelsea Kaneshiro & Ciara McKay
Read on as Elise shares about what it’s like being an intern at PRH.
Elise Damasco, Department: Library Marketing
Why did you want to intern at PRH?
Like many people at PRH, books have always held a special place in my heart. Since I was young, I’ve consistently sought out ways to immerse myself in literature: joining my middle school’s “library club”, creating bookish social media accounts, majoring in English/Creative Writing, and now working at the same public library I’ve been going to since I was an infant. With all my book-related endeavors, it finally felt like it was time to dive into the publishing world to see how books are brought to life. And what better place to intern than the biggest publisher in the U.S.?
What are some things you’re working on or have worked on during your internship that have been memorable?
Going to the 2023 American Library Association Conference! This year it was held in Chicago, where I am located, so I got the wonderful opportunity to work beside my fellow Library Marketing colleagues in person. From handing out advanced reader copies at the PRH Library Marketing booth to helping facilitate author signings (and of course, attending some author signings myself), I had so many opportunities to connect with many different types of readers and to be surrounded by my favorite thing—books!
What is one piece of advice you have for future interns?
Even if some of your professional and academic experiences aren’t directly related to publishing, don’t overlook them! Of course, working at a library and having prior experiences such as creating social media content for book promotions have helped me in library marketing. But I also have degrees in Sociology and Psychology and spent most of my college time working at my school’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion; these experiences have truly helped me connect with the world of publishing and libraries. Even my cashiering experience has given me the interpersonal skills I’ve needed to succeed in Library Marketing!
What are your future plans?
I plan to continue to work at Skokie Public Library as an Advisory Specialist. I would also love the opportunity to work at PRH! Because I have a passion for libraries, working on the Library Marketing team has been a blast and I’d love to continue my work there down the line. But otherwise, working with children’s/young adult titles in any capacity would be my dream.
Stay tuned for our newest Bookmarked coming soon!