I heard about my first publishing job--as tnh's assistant--because I knew Melissa Singer, and she mentioned that a spot was open, and I was tired to having to hunt for freelance work all the time. My own background (running summer programs at Harvard, working in an investment bank, acting, writing) suggested that I could keep a bunch of plates spinning. I can't say what else she might have seen in me--though we did share a sensibility and sense of humor (always vital in the trenches of production). When I left to have a baby I kept doing freelance work, creating back ads and doing the backlist catalog, and just at the point where I wanted to get out of the house and back to work, Tom Doherty called and suggested that I come be his assistant, which I did.

I should add that when I went to work as an editor at Acclaim Comics, I did so because tnh called and asked me if I was happy in the job I was in at the time (at Metropolis magazine) and suggested that if I wasn't, they were looking for editors at Acclaim. It does help to know people. Still, if you're not the right person for the job, knowing people will only get you so far.