AN INTERVIEW WITH ‘OPEN BOOK’ INTERN REBECCA ZHONG

As a student of publishing and editing it can be daunting to think about where your career will lead after graduation. From understanding where your skills, strengths and interests lie to finding jobs to apply for and securing interviews, this industry can feel overwhelming; it helps to hear from others who are at a similar stage in their career.

Rebecca Zhong is a student in the Master of Creative Writing, Publishing, and Editing at the University of Melbourne. She is also one of four 2025 recipients of the prestigious Open Book internship, a fully paid placement with some of Australia’s best publishing houses. The program takes four interns every year, allowing them to gain industry experience and be supported by mentors, with the program’s overall aim being to ‘foster cultural diversity within the Australian publishing industry’. As part of this program, Rebecca is interning at Oxford University Press and Hardie Grant.

Grattan Street Press sat down to speak to Rebecca about her internship application process, what has surprised her about working in publishing and her advice to fellow emerging publishers and editors.

Hi Rebecca! It’s great to meet you. To kick things off, could you please give us a bit of information about who you are and your work/educational background?

Hello! I’m Rebecca, a second-generation Chinese-New Zealand writer, editor and publishing professional. I graduated with a BA in Māori studies, English Literature and Development Studies. Shortly after graduating, I worked for a few years in magazines covering everything from politics to culture and lifestyle. While I loved journalism (interviewing, writing and forming relationships with freelancers), I didn’t particularly love the quick project turnarounds and filing in articles that I wasn’t always proud of, due to time constraints.

How did you first become interested in the world of editing and publishing?

I was very lucky that during my time working in magazines I was able to interview authors and write book reviews. Having this experience really ignited my interest in the book industry and is ultimately what led me to enrolling in a Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing at UniMelb in 2023.

What was the application process like for Open Book? Is there anything that you believe particularly helped you to secure your role?

The Open Book process was incredibly accessible and approachable. It was clear that the selection team wanted to get to know you as a person above anything else.

After I submitted my application I had two further interviews, one with the program administrator (Rebecca Slater) and the other with the two publishing houses [Oxford University Press and Hardie Grant]. Everyone was so friendly, and all they really wanted to know was why I loved books and why I wanted to work in the industry.

Open Book internship logo. Image from https://www.openbookinternship.org/

Could you please outline your journey with the Open Book internship so far? What kind of tasks do you typically do in a day?

No two days are the same. I’ve had the opportunity to work across sales, editorial, operations, production, marketing and publicity.

A lot of my days are taken up by attending meetings and shadowing staff. It’s been really invaluable seeing how decisions are made and the level of collaboration at each point.

In addition to shadowing the team, I also get to collate reports and complete editorial tasks. It’s been both heartbreaking and quite relieving that no one cares about the hours I spent perfecting my hard copy-editing markup.

What area of publishing would you like to go into? Has Open Book helped to refine this focus for you?

I definitely went into the internship thinking I would love to go into editorial! And while I’m still interested in editorial, I wouldn’t say I’m married to it.

What I’ve realised is that there is a decent amount of movement within a publishing house. I really would recommend that you go in with an open mind and see what aligns with you most.

How has your experience compared to your pre-conceived notions of what the publishing industry entails?

A lot of work is freelanced out. While editors do edit, they’re basically project managers too. Every publishing house operates differently, and each house is subject to different systems and limitations. If you’re working in a smaller publishing house, there may be more collaboration between different departments. However, if you’re working at a larger house your workflow may be more streamlined.

What excites you about the Australian publishing industry?

Honestly the standard of writers in Australia and the breadth of storytellers we have!

What challenges are frequently popping up, both for you and the wider industry. How are you rising to meet them?

The publishing industry, both in Australia and globally, is noticeably white. I think this brings a lot of challenges with representation and platforming stories that are actually representative of the makeup of Australia. That’s why it’s so great to see initiatives like OpenBook and Black&Write.


What is one piece of advice you would give to other emerging publishers and editors?

Read lots and read widely. It’s important to enter the industry with an open mind. While you might be an avid literary fiction reader, it’s also important to understand what other readers in the market want to see too. What romance trends, fantasy trends or craft books are people also eating up?


And finally, what is something you wish you knew before undertaking the Open Book internship?

That the book industry is so much larger than just publishing and editorial. Be open to the idea of other departments, as the whole industry is very collaborative.