Meet Liza DeBlock: Tackler of Tax Forms, Triathlon Attempter, and Sorceress of Scones

What was your journey into publishing?

I actually started out studying the history of publishing during my undergrad at McGill University in Canada, and then for two postgraduates at St Andrews in Scotland. In 2016, I applied for an internship via the SYP website and got my first foray into modern publishing by completing the Frankfurt Book Fair scheduling for Mira Trenchard Literary Scouts. That fall, I completed the inaugural Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford, then returned to finish another degree at St Andrews while interning remotely for a literary agency in NYC. My first job was working for Eccles Fisher Associates, a scouting company in London in 2018. Later that year, I managed to convince Juliet Mushens to let me work for her, and the rest is history.

What are your favourite parts of the job?

Hands down, my favourite part of the job is meeting a new author for the first time. It always makes me smile when I am able welcome someone to the wonderful family that is Mushens Entertainment. This is seconded by watching and learning from Juliet, who is an unparalleled force in the industry. And lastly, I bizarrely enjoy filling out international tax forms for authors. There's something calming in the simplicity of it.

What do you like to read for pleasure?

You mean apart from all the books by ME authors? I'm currently reading Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell, and love anything that is historical fiction in general. I tore through Stacey Halls' books (it felt like reading for pleasure, not work)! I recently reread all of the Folk of the Air books by Holly Black, The Secrets We Kept by Laura Prescott, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and I am dipping into Liane Moriarty's backlist. Basically, anything with great characters, emotional storylines, adventure, and that extra bit of pizazz that gets my heart racing.

What do you do outside of work for fun?

I have been rowing since I was 11 and still go out on the river every chance I get. I recently picked up competing in triathlons and have strategically only entered events that take place on the grounds of old castles or palaces. When I'm not running around, I'm at home baking. I make delicious whisky cupcakes, a great banana bread, and am starting to delve into pies and scones. Authors have benefitted from these goodies in the past!