by Jessica Luck and
Laura Lemon
From the initial concept to the bound volume, a book’s journey is shaped by many hands.
[This article was published in W&L: The Washington and Lee Magazine v. 101, no. 1 (Spring 2025) and posted on the magazine’s website on 22 July 2025. (W&L is the alumni magazine of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia—my undergraduate alma mater. The university is 276 years old—older than the United States itself [249 years]—and it happens that my first semester there began 60 years ago this month.)
[Readers will note that this is not a process description of the publication of one specific book, but a collection of the profiles of six of the professionals who guide a typical book through that process from conception to delivery to bookstores.
[Since this is the publication for W&L grads, it may not surprise ROTters to find that each of the specialists in the process is an alumna/us of the university (all of them from long after I left Lexington!). Obviously, every book goes through different versions of the steps limned here, but they all navigate a path like this prototype.
[I’m not intending to spotlight my own college’s accomplishments—though that may be the effect. I just thought that the system outlined below would be interesting to readers of Rick On Theater.]
Every book begins the same way: from a flash of inspiration. As it moves through the world of imagination, a team of creatives brings the final idea into existence. Once it takes shape, readers are allowed windows into other worlds that offer new perspectives – and leave an indelible mark on their lives.
THE WRITER – REBECCA MAKKAI ’99
Author of five novels [The Borrower (Penguin Books, 2011); The Hundred-Year House (Penguin Books, 2014); The Great Believers (Penguin Books, 2018); I Have Some Questions for You (Viking, 2023)] and numerous short stories [Music for Wartime: Stories (Penguin Books, 2015)]; teacher of graduate fiction at Middlebury College, Northwestern University and the Bennington College Writing Seminars; artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago.
[nb: Makkai’s published only four novels (not five), plus
one collection of short stories. There are also additional stories in anthologies
of the work of several artists, and Makkai stories published in magazines and
other outlets.]
One of the things Rebecca Makkai ’99 enjoys most about being a fiction writer is the freedom of invention. She gets the opportunity to travel to any time and place and to experience them through her characters. And the required research is part of the fun. She recently ordered a slew of Vogue magazines from 1938 on eBay to ensure the outfits she chose for a character in her current novel are historically accurate.
“I get to live in whatever world I choose,” Makkai says. “When you write a short story, it’s a place you’re visiting for a little while. But when you write a novel, you’re going to live in this world for years.”
Five years, in Makkai’s case. The first year is spent marinating on the concept and turning over ideas in her head. That way, she’s mentally worked through things before she commits anything to paper. After she’s about one-third of the way done with the book, she’ll write an outline to make sure she has a roadmap as she finishes writing, which takes about three years total. Surprisingly, she says her favorite part of the process is editing. She spends around a year copyediting what she’s written and focusing on structure.
“As a writer, you get to ask yourself: ‘What do I want to have happen? Do I want it to be funny? Do I want it to be sad? What do I feel today?’” she says. “It’s a lot of pure freedom and invention.”
Makkai says many of her works are preoccupied with the passage — and layering — of time. Her 2018 novel, “The Great Believers,” which was named one of The New York Times’ Best Books of the 21st Century and was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award, jumps back and forth between contemporary Paris and 1980s and ’90s Chicago, portraying love and loss during the AIDS epidemic.
“I think that if I ever wrote a book that could not get you in a fight in your book club, I would have failed in some way,” she says.
One of the great things about writing is its interiority, Makkai says — the ability to understand what another person is thinking.
“We see again and again the failure of empathy in our
society, in politics, in policy and in the world,” she says. “Fiction is one of
the only things that can really take you at great length into the thought
process of someone else.”
THE EDITOR – PRANAB MAN
SINGH ’05
Co-founder of Quixote’s Cove bookshop and Satori Centre for the Arts [Patan, Nepal]; assistant editor and translator with La.Lit literary magazine; visiting professor at Kathmandu University Department of Art + Design [Patan].
An accounting and philosophy double major from Kathmandu, Nepal, Pranab Man Singh ’05 says his view of the United States had largely been shaped by Hollywood before he came to Washington and Lee University. He started college the same year as 9/11, and conversations in and out of the classroom after the event helped him appreciate the rich and complex history of the U.S.
“It really made me realize how much our present lives are tied to the histories and past lives of other people and generations and how important it is for these stories to be shared,” he says.
After graduating, Singh knew he wanted to return to Kathmandu to start his own business, just as the country was coming out of a decade-long civil insurgency and was in the process of writing a new constitution. He opened an independent bookstore, Quixote’s Cove, and through the store he founded a literary magazine, La.Lit, which started publishing books from the community of writers with whom the store worked.
[Known as the Maoist insurgency, the conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal and the monarchy lasted from 1996 to 2006. It ended with the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy and the establishment of a democratic republic.]
“We had a young population and educational levels were increasing, and there was a lot of curiosity among people to learn about the world and our role in it,” Singh says. “The bookshop was an opportunity to engage in those conversations.”
Quixote’s Cove worked with the U.S. State Department during the Barack Obama administration to bring American artists, writers and poets to Nepal to share ideas and facilitate engagement through the arts. This resulted in the establishment of the nonprofit Satori Centre for the Arts, which managed the U.S. Embassy’s Book Bus program until 2023, and ran mobile libraries across Nepal.
Safu, which means “books” in Nepal Bhasa, is the publishing imprint for Quixote’s Cove. As a small independent publisher, it works with writers, poets, illustrators, artists, editors and translators to produce books in multiple languages that capture diverse voices and experiences.
Singh works as both an editor and translator and sees them as relationship-building opportunities. He’s edited everything from reports to fiction novels to memoirs.
“Normally, as an editor, you get to know the writer through the editorial process and can build trust and familiarity with them,” he says.
“It is necessary for you to put on their shoes and see the
world as they do and understand what they are trying to say. A good editor can
help a writer come to clarity of thought. On the other hand, the act of
translating something is to dwell in the mind of the writer — it requires
empathy and an attempt to embody the writer. Since Nepal is a multilingual
country — we have over 128 different languages — we have always been keen on
bringing out the richness of ideas that this offers and placing them in conversation
with the world.”
THE AGENT – CHANDLER WICKERS ’18
Associate agent at the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency Inc. [New York City]; works with more than 100 authors in all stages of the publishing journey; freelance copywriter and marketing content writer; former freelance film and TV critic.
By happenstance, Chandler Wickers ’18 assumed the role of literary agent during her final group simulation project for the Columbia Publishing Course [Columbia School of Journalism program to prepare students for entry-level jobs in publishing]. As a newly minted W&L grad hoping to pursue a writing career in New York City, she had enrolled in the six-week intensive course covering all aspects of book, magazine and digital media publishing. Through a random assignment in her group of 10, where each person played a different part in the industry, she found the job that captured the relationship to writing she wanted.
“In editorial, you’re reading and copyediting; you’re really deep in the material all day. I wanted to be a little bit more zoomed out,” she says.
“That’s why an agency appealed to me; it’s really the business side of publishing. You’re not only working editorially with authors and helping them get their proposals ready for submission, but you’re also handling their contracts. You’re working on their film deals and publishing deals. I wanted something that’s a little bit more business-oriented and less just editorial-minded.”
She achieved her hope of working with words in 2021 when she landed a gig at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency Inc., after first getting a job in marketing at an advertising agency and then a financial planning startup. She immediately felt a connection to the Krichevsky agency because it represented one of her heroes, New York Times bestselling author Sebastian Junger and filmmaker, who also directed her favorite documentaries, “Restrepo” [National Geographic Entertainment, 2010] and “Korengal” [Gold Crest Films and Outpost Films, 2014].
Based in San Fransisco, Wickers works with more than 100 authors, such as Ashlee Vance — who wrote “When the Heavens Went on Sale” [Ecco, 2023] and is currently writing a book on OpenAI [no title yet; expected in 2026; UK publisher is Headline Publishing Group, but U.S. publisher has not been announced] — and Leander Schaerlaeckens, a sports reporter who’s writing a book about the history of U.S. men’s soccer [The Long Game; Viking, due on 12 May 2026]. All the authors on her long list dwell in various stages of the literary journey — from manuscripts and proposals, to drafts in editors’ hands, to published works, to screen adaptations, to new ideas haphazardly jotted down on paper. And as the life cycle of the book continues to evolve, Wickers’ role as the agent remains steadfast.
“You’re advocating for the author at every stage,” she explains, “and making sure that their work is valued. . . . I really like that — I like being the first touch point.
“Books and reading offer a powerful way to exercise our imagination and critical thinking, which I believe are precious resources for understanding and connecting with each other. These skills feel more essential than ever in an age where technology risks eroding them. I was fortunate to study under incredible professors at W&L who instilled in me a deep love for storytelling, and I’m truly grateful to work in an industry that preserves and celebrates the written word.”
THE PUBLICIST – CRAIG BURKE ’93
Vice president and associate publisher at Berkley/Penguin Random House; oversees publicity campaigns for the entire Berkley list, including bestselling author Emily Henry [writer of books containing elements of the rom-com and chick lit genres; all Henry's adult romance books—she also writes young adult novels—have been optioned for screen adaptations], among others.
Craig Burke ’93 had a clear idea of his career path until he fell in love — with book publishing. As a journalism and French double major, he thought his next step would likely be in broadcast journalism once he moved to New York City. But after someone at W&L’s Career and Professional Development Office suggested Burke submit his resume to a job fair in New York that included book publishers, Burke realized what a perfect fit that field was. At W&L, he served as the publicity chair of the Generals Activities Board and helped bring bands like Blues Traveler to campus while also promoting events among the W&L community.
Six weeks before graduation, a recruiter from the job fair told Burke he was perfect for a publicity assistant role at Random House and that there were two openings at different imprints: one at Ballantine and the other at Knopf. He ultimately chose Knopf, which had published one of his favorite books — Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” [Alfred A. Knopf, 1992].
Burke worked his way up the publicity ladder and joined Berkley as an associate publicist after a few years at Knopf. Now serving as vice president and associate publisher at Berkley/Penguin Random House, Burke oversees publicity campaigns for the company’s entire roster, including bestselling authors Emily Henry, William Gibson, Grady Hendrix and Carley Fortune. Berkley’s expertise centers on women’s fiction, romance, science fiction/fantasy and mystery/suspense.
“What’s not to love about a job that lets me read books and then spend most of my time trying to convince other people why they should read the books that I love or discover the authors that I really admire?” Burke says.
“What makes my job so fabulous is the people I interact with, from the authors, to their agents, to the media folks that I’m pitching, to my colleagues. I work with intelligent, witty, sharp, fascinating people who are up for talking about books and pop culture and what’s going on in the world.”
Depending on the book, Burke will get involved as early as the editing stage to start planning the publicity campaign. Sometimes he can tell from the title alone what the promotional hook will be, as with Henry’s “Beach Read” [Berkley, 2020]. Beyond pitches and press releases, Burke has accompanied authors on press tours, including traveling with musician Ricky Martin for his appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
When not reading for work, Burke is often drawn to commercial fiction, whether that means romance, thrillers or fantasy.
“It’s the best escape money can buy,” he says. “I firmly believe that reading any kind of fiction, whether it’s commercial or literary, improves your ability to be empathetic and understand where people are coming from.”
THE LAWYER – GRAY COLEMAN ’79
Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP [headquartered in Seattle, Washington]; named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s 25 Most Powerful Entertainment Lawyers in New York; represents estates and heirs of Harper Lee, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lindsay and Crouse, Thomas Meehan and Agatha Christie, among others.
Traditional artistic channels never unveiled hidden talent within Gray Coleman ’79, so, he jokes, he set his sights on law school. After double majoring in history and English at Washington and Lee University, he arrived at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1980, hoping to benefit from the field’s reputation of versatility. To his delight, he did.
“Lawyers are the ultimate chameleons,” says Coleman. “They take their color from the rocks you put them on, and I was looking for this real colorful rock to sit on.”
As a lifelong theater-lover, he moved to the artistic hotbed of New York City, and after working for Wall Street firm White & Case LLP for a couple years, Coleman found his colorful geode in entertainment law. As a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, he represents producers for theatrical productions such as “Tootsie” [2018; Broadway: 2019] “Mean Girls” [2017; Broadway: 2018] and “The Color Purple” [2004; Broadway: 2005]; he serves as outside general counsel for institutional theaters such as the Public Theater (New York), the Goodman Theatre (Chicago) and the National Theatre of Great Britain; and he works with authors and owners of literary and intellectual properties.
“We lawyers are the historical memory,” Coleman says. “We keep the agreements; we keep the history.”
For close to 10 years, he’s represented the estate of Harper Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist of “To Kill a Mockingbird” [Lippincott, 1960]. He has served as outside general counsel for the Rodgers and Hammerstein estate for over two decades and has worked on behalf of Agatha Christie’s heirs. He also acts as trustee for the estates of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, one of American theater’s most durable partnerships (the pair wrote the libretto for “Anything Goes” in 1934 and then “The Sound of Music” 25 years later [1959]), and Thomas Meehan, book writer for “Annie” [1976; Broadway: 1977] and co-book writer of “The Producers” [2001] and “Hairspray” [2002; Broadway: 2003]
“The star of the show in my world is the property itself,” Coleman says. “I’m acting for clients, or, if I’m the trustee, my job is to look after the property and try to maximize income and avoid tarnishment for the benefit of the beneficiaries. But, in a way, I think of ‘The Sound of Music’ as my client. I think of ‘Annie’ as my client. When I make decisions, I make them for the welfare of those children.”
From working on the legalities of turning literary works into stage productions to handling the licensing of famed properties to representing theater houses, Coleman has relished a life in the arts.
“If I had had some creative talent, maybe I would have taken a different path,” Coleman says. “But I wanted proximity to the creative arts, and I found a way into it.”
THE TEACHER – MARSHALL BOSWELL ’88
Professor of English at Rhodes College [Memphis, Tennessee] teaching 20th- and 21st-century American literature and fiction writing; author of literary studies [Understanding David Foster Wallace (University of South Carolina Press, 2009); John Updike’s Rabbit Tetralogy (University of Missouri Press, 2001)], articles and two works of fiction [Trouble with Girls: Stories (Delta, 2004); Alternative Atlanta (Delacorte Press, 2005)]; 2002 winner of the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching [for full-time Rhodes faculty members who have taught at least three years at the college].
When Marshall Boswell ’88 was considering colleges, his father, James M. Boswell Sr. ’57, tried to nudge him toward W&L. But the university’s all-male student body made it a no-go. Once his dad showed him a Ring-Tum Phi article that reported the W&L Board of Trustees had voted to admit women, Boswell did an about-face.
“I went to W&L and had a life-changing experience,” he says. “They are still the four years of my life I would relive if I had a time machine.”
Boswell found a litany of mentors in the English Department, but it was professor of English Jim Boatwright who made one of the earliest impacts. In Boatwright’s Introduction to Fiction Writing class, they read “A&P,” a short story by John Updike [1961, New Yorker; Pigeon Feathers, Alfred A. Knopf, 1961] about a young man working at a grocery store. Boswell’s father worked his entire career for Kroger [national supermarket and department store chain], and Boswell spent the summers delivering Pepsi to grocery stores and other shops.
[When I was in Lexington in the second half of the 1960s, Kroger was the one and only supermarket in town; I don’t know if that was still true twenty years later. ~Rick]
“The fact that a famous writer from New York would write so eloquently about the grocery store, which was a place of such significance to me, was a revelation,” Boswell says. “It felt like my brain had been hacked in a really wonderful way.”
After getting his bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing, he went on to get his master’s in English from Washington University [St. Louis, Missouri] and his Ph.D. in 20th-century American literature from Emory University [Atlanta, Georgia]. A professor of English at Rhodes since 1996, he teaches courses in 20th- and 21st-century American literature and fiction writing. He encourages his students to “get under the hood” of a story, to really understand what the writer is trying to do.
“There’s a kind of playful creativity to the way I approach teaching literature and a scholarly expertise that I bring to creative writing,” he says. Although his path ultimately led to teaching, Boswell is an author in his own right; he’s published full-length studies of Updike and David Foster Wallace, as well as short stories and a novel. And he still remembers the moment he realized he was a first-time published author — in a short story collection. He was so proud he didn’t want to put the book down and laid it on the passenger seat of his 1988 green Saab 900 and drove to the grocery store. After shopping, there was his book, waiting for him.
“Writing is the best way that we can take the mess in our brains and give it shape and form,” Boswell says. “It’s not a reflection of what we think, it’s the product of thinking. When you’re writing something down, you’re discovering what it is that was there. Writing brings it into existence.”
[Below is a list of some of the prominent and successful writers who studied at Washington and Lee University. I’ve only included the prose writers of fiction and non-fiction, not the several poets and numerous journalists who came out of the school, and I’ve also restricted myself to students (W&L was a men’s college until 1985), not listing the faculty who had writing careers.
• William Alexander Caruthers (Washington College, 1817-20; did not graduate): A 19th-century novelist known for works like The Kentuckian in New York (Harper and Brothers, 1834).
• Harvey Fergusson (1911): An early 20th-century author, he is noted for his autobiography, Home in the West (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1945).
• Tom Wolfe (’51): An author and journalist, Wolfe was one of the founders of the New Journalism movement. His famous works include The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968) and The Bonfire of the Vanities (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1987).
• Philippe Labro (1954-55): A French writer, journalist, and film director who spent his freshman year at Washington and Lee. He wrote about his year there in his novel The Foreign Student (Random House, 1988; L’Étudiant étranger [Gallimard, 1986]). He received the Prix Interallié, an annual French literary award for a novel written by a journalist, for the autobiographical novel. (The Foreign Student was filmed in 1994.)
• Terry Brooks (’69 Law): A best-selling fantasy author, Brooks is known for his Shannara series (Original Shannara Trilogy: The Sword of Shannara [Random House, 1977], The Elfstones of Shannara [Ballantine Books, 1982], The Wishsong of Shannara [Ballantine Books, 1985]; there are 33 follow-up novels and 8 related books). He attended the university's law school.
• Rebecca Makkai (’99): The author of novels and
short stories (see partial list above), Makkai's work The Great Believers was a finalist for both the
Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
[Readers will notice that the first name on the list graduated from Washington College rather than W&LU. The school was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy and then in 1776, changed its name to Liberty Hall Academy. In 1796, in gratitude for the $20,000 endowment, at the time one of the largest gifts ever given to an educational institution in the United States, made by George Washington, the trustees changed the school’s name to Washington Academy, and in 1813 it was chartered as Washington College.
[After the Civil War, in
the fall of 1865, Robert E. Lee accepted an offer to become president of
Washington College. Lee died in 1870 and
the college’s name was again changed, to Washington and Lee University in his
honor.]
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