Get Your Own Coffee

You know in movies how interns are always depicted as running to the corner Starbucks to get their boss a nonfat sugar-free caramel macchiato, or in charge of getting their hands on the unreleased issue of the new Harry Potter book (that was so unrealistic in "The Devil Wears Prada")? My internship is not going to be anything like that.

You want me to do what?

The Chronicle Books office is beautiful and contemporary - all brand new and modern and colorful. Everyone who works there seems to be in their early 30's, fashionable, and married or engaged. My two editors, Kate and Bridget, are going to be great. After an hour-long walk/BART ride/walk to the beautiful area of SOMA, I was given a tour of the office, then set to log and mail out rejection letters. You wouldn't believe the ideas for books these people propose: "101 Things to Do on the Back of a Harley Davidson," "The Drugs Are Great! The Upside of Depression." They just got worse from there.

I met a girl who is an intern for the Fiction section, and tried to contain my jealousy. That's much closer to my niche than the Craft / Architecture / Home section I'm working in now. Another great thing about being an intern (in addition to unlimited tea) is the opportunity to sit in on meetings. A couple hours after I got there, I accompanied Kate to her meeting where scones were shared and target audiences were discussed. The woman presenting used the company that owns Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie as an example. Urban Outfitters is targeted toward (supposedly - we all know it's a lot younger) 18-30 hipster types. Anthropologie is supposedly marketed toward 30-45 year old women. In the same style, Chronicle Books has to decide what for demographic each book they market is designed.

18-30?.....................................30-45?

Today G and I are going to Ikea to find furniture. I have a good lead on a desk from craigslist, but I have to somehow rent a truck to move it. Also on my to-do list are go to Golden Gate Park and explore Ingleside (my neighborhood). I hear there's a big mall around here...