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Picture this. It’s a (relatively) warm summer’s day in July, and you’ve recently moved to a new city to start a job in an industry you’ve been trying to break into for the better part of a year. You catch a bus to the office even though you could have walked (and perhaps could have done without the added stress of the first bus not showing up), and the knot in your stomach is equal parts excitement and apprehension – this is your first full-time job.

That was me just three months ago, after having uprooted myself from my parent’s house in the Wirral, where the pandemic had confined me following my graduation. I had packed just enough stuff to allow me to be comfortable for a short three months, and haphazardly settled into a shared flat in the centre of Oxford within a month’s notice. At that point, I don’t think I realised quite how lucky I had been to land this mentorship. I was about to embark on a three-month programme that would not only demystify the world of publishing for me, but also introduce me to more people than I could possibly imagine. And in an industry as small as publishing (where every “goodbye” at each of my placements ended with the phrase ‘I’m sure I’ll see you around’), meeting people and talking to them about their jobs, their journeys, and their favourite books, is probably the best way to get yourself anywhere.

Prior to this, I had had absolutely no luck in any of my applications to entry-level roles and internships across publishing. Not a single publisher shortlisted me for interview, and I never received more than a generic rejection email. The issue was that I needed experience of the industry, so when I saw Felicity Bryan Associates advertising this mentorship scheme on Creative Access, I jumped at the chance, and I couldn’t be more glad that I did. The wonderful team here, especially Aoife, worked so hard to organise placements for the scheme to make it the most well rounded and comprehensive insight into publishing that it could possibly be. And they most definitely succeeded, because everyone I met (ranging from editors to agents to publicists to managing directors of publishing houses) was consistently impressed at the depth and breadth of experience that I was gaining.

From the first moment of my first day, I was made to feel welcome and valued here at the offices in Oxford. The trust that the team put in me to assess submissions, make edits to proposals and manuscripts, write copy for social media and blog posts like this for the website, gave me the confidence that I needed after having been knocked back for so long. From day one, I sat in on meetings, I spoke to the agents about their authors, and I learnt about all the component parts of a contract and the day-to-day running of a literary agency. I never once felt undervalued or left aside, and that is a testament to all the amazing women who work here at FBA, who I can say for sure are friends that I will keep in touch with from now on.

If you’re looking for a bridge into publishing, this mentorship is exactly what you need. FBA is a small agency located in a lovely part of Oxford, and the team will be explicit about their belief in you and your abilities from the get-go. The placements are all tremendously worthwhile, especially if you’re unsure about what area of publishing you might like to enter into, and experiencing the industry from the different perspectives of agents, scouts, editors, booksellers, and more puts you in such a unique position. As a result of the mentorship, I feel much better equipped to apply for entry-level positions than I did three months ago, and I was able to secure an internship at Profile thanks to my placement there. I am incredibly grateful to everyone at FBA (and beyond) that have guided me along this journey, given me advice, and bolstered my self-confidence. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.

To any publishing hopefuls wondering about whether to apply for next year’s mentorship, this is your sign to do it. I can’t recommend a better introduction to publishing than this. I’ll leave you with a final nugget of wisdom that I picked up in my time here: there will always be a bookshelf in need of reorganisation. That’s the blessing (or curse) of working with books.

By Niktaa Amirkhalili