Meet Stacy Shirk

We recently connected with Stacy Shirk and have shared our conversation below.

Stacy, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

A lot of it comes from my parents, and their support throughout my life. I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who were both fierce feminists and never tried to limit me with what I wanted to do and accomplish. I had pretty bad abandonment issues as a child, and they sent me to therapy, which was also hugely helpful in shaping who I am, my confidence, and my sense of self. That came in handy when I had some difficult experiences growing up, and making it through those tough times also made me realize my own inner strength.

My parents also read to me a lot when I was growing up, and stories became so important to me. I found a lot of comfort in books; they really encouraged my imagination, and helped shape how I see the world. I felt connected to the characters in my favorite stories, and they inspired me – made me think, “if they can survive that, I can survive this.” “If they can do that, I can do something amazing, too.” My love for stories never abated, and I’m lucky enough to have books and storytelling be a big part of my career now. So I guess it comes down to having the right people and influences around me to look up to and learn from.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I like to say I’m a professional bookworm! I work as a book consultant for TV and film. I started my own business, The Bookwoman, and right now I work exclusively with HBO and Max, basically reading for a living. (Yes, it’s a dream job!) I try to find books that fill needs on their slate, but also hidden gems that might spark the imagination of a particular writer or producer. If I bring a book in and we start developing it, I will sometimes stay on the project through the adaptation process. I love being creative in this way, helping to shape stories; I worked in publishing before entertainment, and development often feels similar to the editorial process for books.

I also collect rare books. I give talks and have appeared at book fairs and on panels to speak about my collection. I’m actually about to present at the upcoming Rare Books LA Fair this fall. I primarily collect fairy tales; I’m fascinated by the way fairy tales have permeated culture, and often reflect changing social norms while remaining inherently recognizable. They inspire a lot of conflicting feelings, but are often some of the first stories we teach children. They have a rich history, and I love talking about them and hopefully opening people’s eyes to the value in these old stories.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I had a somewhat winding road on the way to my current job. When I was in college I wanted to be an actor, and got a BFA in Drama. I double majored in English Lit, and ended up going to grad school for Literature because I realized I’d rather work in publishing or academia instead. I jumped around different areas of the publishing industry until I found my way to the book-to-film space in entertainment. For a little while I was a bit embarrassed about these seeming misadventures, and what felt like a late start in my career, but I eventually realized that without these various educations I never would have gotten the opportunity to create my business and do what I do. Evaluating character as an actor, shaping and shepherding a book narrative, and collaborating with all the personalities you find in both publishing and entertainment – all these experiences have given me a unique perspective that has been invaluable. Even my childhood reading and personal love of trivia have come in handy as I find myself working on projects that require my knowledge of myth, fantasy, and history.

I always tell people who ask for advice that they should lean into what makes them unique. You never know when some experience that may seem random will become exactly what you need to do a job, or connect with another person. I also think you should always advocate for yourself and what you’re passionate about, because that will shine through; I find that when I truly love a project, and express that, it helps other people fall in love with it, too. Enthusiasm is infectious!

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

One of the difficult parts of my job is that there isn’t really a usual day or week – things fluctuate a lot. There can be a week where I only have one book or a few scripts to read, and the next week I’ll need to read six or seven books plus scripts. It’s definitely easy to get overwhelmed. Organization and self-discipline are key. I often write incredibly detailed schedules, listing out all my to-dos with ideal timing for my day. I also am a hybrid worker; I find that though I focus better while working from home, I function better overall when I can go into the office two or three days a week. It’s really helpful to connect with my coworkers and have that sense of structure to my day.

A unique thing that happens in my job is the feeling that I’m losing my sense of taste when it comes to material. Sometimes I read so many things that aren’t right, I start to doubt that I know what works and what doesn’t. Something I learned while working at a literary agency, when I was often reading from a slush pile, was to have a “touchstone book.” Basically, a book that I know I love and works, that I can pick up any time I start to doubt myself. When I read it, I’m reminded of what I’m looking for, and the standard I want every book to reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebookwoman.org/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyshirk
• Other: Book collection website: https://www.talesasoldastime.com/