Siobhan O’Leary, former Associate Manager, Foreign Rights, Crown
siobhan.c.oleary [at] gmail.com
The Model
Writing projects, translation, and representing US literary agents to German publishing communities
The Background
O’Leary has a special place in this article (and our hearts!) not only because she used to be the International
Editor of PT, but because she did what lots of people have dreamed of but never imagined actually doing—set up shop abroad.
We’d like to think O’Leary’s days in MPI’s offices collecting German bestsellers for PT sparked her interest in Berlin, but in reality, a six-month stint there between her time at MPI and Crown, and her participation in last year’s Frankfurt Book Fair fellowship program, are probably more responsible. She left the corporate world of Random House earlier this year and moved across the Atlantic with the intention of setting up her own business.
O’Leary is now juggling a variety of projects. She is working with the Frankfurt Book Fair to help promote the Tools of Change conference that will take place this October. She’s also been taking on a range of writing projects, most recently for the new Museyon travel guide series, and German-to-English translation projects, “including a brochure for the Jewish Museum Berlin, publishers’ rights guides, an exhibition review from a Berlin-based art magazine, and even part of a technical manual for air conditioners!” She’s also representing several US literary agents to German publishers, including Movable Type and the Indent Literary Agency, and plans to build that side of her business.
“Although many would say that periods of economic downturn are the worst time to branch out on one’s own, and I tend to be a pretty risk-averse person,” O’Leary says, “in a certain sense, the industry-wide layoffs I was witnessing diminished a lot of the fear I had. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a patch of gray hair that I attribute to my lengthy internal debate about whether or not to make the move, but so far I have no regrets. There are times when I feel like a college student again, pulling all-nighters to finish projects, and start-up costs can add up, but it’s a small price to pay for being in the city I love.”
She advises others not to get too isolated. “Even if you are working on your own (or perhaps especially if you are working on your own), it’s important to find ways to collaborate with others and to stay connected with industry developments.” Plus, a more practical tip: “Never get into the habit of working in your pajamas if you work from home!”
