Publishing Profiles: Meet Katie Fehrenbaker, Penguin Workshop Publishing Associate
Katie Fehrenbaker, publishing associate at Penguin Workshop
Earlier this summer, we shared what it looks like to work as a publicity assistant at Penguin Random House. To shed some light on another important aspect of our business, we chatted with Katie Fehrenbaker, publishing associate at Penguin Workshop!
Katie has worked at Penguin Random House since November 2023, when she pivoted into the publishing industry after spending several years as a 5th grade teacher. In our conversation, she discussed everything from her passion for children’s books, the ins and outs of the publishing world, and an upcoming title she’s excited to share with the world.
If you’d like to learn even more, check out her video interview below!
What led you to this role?
I knew I wanted to work in children’s books since I was in college, but I wasn’t really sure in what capacity or what type of role. The pandemic hit while I was in college, and since it was ongoing when I graduated, I decided to become a teacher. I taught 5th grade for my first few years out of college.
I loved being a teacher, but after those first few years, I still wanted to work in children’s books. My passion for literacy and for making reading exciting had grown—especially as I became aware of all the other things competing for students’ attention. As a lifelong bookworm, I wanted to be a part of creating books that kids were eager to pick up. I entered the industry with an open mind since I was only a bit familiar with editorial, sales, and marketing. A few months later, I made the transition into children’s books as a Publishing Assistant, and now I’m here!
How long have you been at Penguin Random House?
I’ve been at PRH since November 2023.
Can you describe a typical day in your role?
Katie with her fellow Penguin Workshop colleagues at their holiday party.
My average day is a mix of meetings and working on independent projects. I usually have one-on-one check-ins to start the day. I report to all three of our Publishers for Penguin Workshop, and I also work closely with the Mad Libs editor on all Mad Libs. Those check-ins tend to shape my mid-morning and early afternoon depending on what’s most urgent. Then, I am in larger status meetings with the rest of the Penguin Workshop team and working on various projects.
When I work independently, I’m focusing on a variety of things depending on the day. Workshop publishes many books a season, so there are some days where I spend a lot of time handling contract payments, updating our publishing plan dashboard, and tracking other internal databases that I use to keep track of our titles, contracts, and payments. On other days, I am editing Mad Libs and a few other titles, writing TI sheets, or compiling materials for our next launch.
I also play a large role in organizing our group’s launch presentations, and that workload ebbs and flows depending on where we are in the year. Three times a year, I’m gearing up and coordinating for these presentations, which includes tackling various grids, sales materials, and presentation materials. Currently, I’m working on our Fall 2026 launch in mid-September.
How do you work with other departments and teams?
Since I report directly to our Publishers, I’m frequently interacting with different departments. I am usually the point of contact for the Workshop group at large, and often communicate with different people each day across the company.
Typically, I work with editors on launch materials and Instagram captions, and to coordinate contracts and payments. I also work closely with our design team, especially leading up to launch and making sure we have all materials needed.
Katie and colleagues pose for a selfie before an author visit at the 1745 Broadway office.
Depending on where we are in the launch cycle, I am coordinating with the Penguin Young Readers Publishing Office, Marketing, and Publicity teams to get materials over to them in advance of the launch. These items typically include positioning sheets with key information about the title and author and designation grids for the upcoming season.
Is there a particular campaign that you’re proud of?
Something that I’m most proud of right now is the TIME for Kids: Almanac 2027. As a huge fan of the brand as a kid, it’s full circle to get to work with them. I’ve been working on this project since its inception over a year ago. It’s been interesting for me to serve as an editor while coordinating the work with a freelance packager and licensor. I coordinate communication to ensure the book is moving forward in a way that meets the expectations of Penguin Random House, Time for Kids, and the packager.
In recent weeks, it’s been exciting to see the Almanac come together in a tangible way, as many logistics and front-end planning had to be done before we even got started on the physical book itself. Now that we’re in the book review stage, the Almanac is coming to life, and I had the opportunity to present at a launch for the first time. This project has been instructional for all things publishing. I’ve learned so much working with teams on design, editing, scheduling, and photo licensing.
It’s still a little less than a year out from publishing, so I will continue to learn even more. The Almanac is the first book that I’ve been closely working on since the start, and when it finally hits the shelves, it’ll be another full circle moment for me. I’m so excited for that time to come!
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Katie with PRH colleagues at Jewish Connections @ PRH’s outing to Seed + Mill.
I really enjoy being the point person for people, whether they’re part of Workshop or outside of the imprint and want to connect. It’s rewarding to be able to answer a question or help someone figure out a process
I came in knowing basically nothing about publishing, and reaching a point where I can now help others has been extremely gratifying. Over nearly two years in this group, I’ve developed my own methods for streamlining processes, and I enjoy making things more efficient—for both my team and myself. I feel like my role gives me exposure to so many different kinds of work, and being in the middle of it all is something I really enjoy.
How do you feel like your role contributes to Penguin Random House’s mission: to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone?
I think because I’m a part of such a large imprint, I’ve worked on so many different types of books for every single type of reader. In the last several months, I’ve worked on Mad Libs, different types of picture books, scary middle grade graphic novels, and licensed, non-fiction. Even within that range, I think there’s a book for everyone.
Since we work in publishing, I have to ask. What are you currently reading?
I’m reading OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout.