Aspiring writers in the Penn community should take a hint from Wharton when trying to get into the publishing industry.
Marie Lamba, a Penn alumna, spoke yesterday at the Penn Bookstore about her experiences writing her debut novel What I Meant., published by Random House, and the business traits needed to succeed.
The novel takes place in Doylestown, Pa. and Philadelphia, and it chronicles the romantic escapades and family strife of its biracial protagonist, Sangeet Jumnal.
The premise of the story is loosely based on Lamba's personal experiences - her husband is originally from New Delhi.
Lamba's talk incorporated two excerpts from the book, as well as some general advice for "publishing virgins" regarding success in the literary industry.
Although she emphasized business sense as a crucial skill that writers often lack, she also pointed out, "If an author doesn't have a voice, there is nothing [an editor] can do with that piece."
She attributes much of her success as an author to her skills and abilities beyond writing, such as building relationships with her readers.
Among those who did attend were Casey Morris, a resident of University City, who said that she merely dropped into the bookstore because "it was about to rain, so I had time to kill."
Still, she found the talk beneficial. "I actually have a friend who is trying to get published," Morris said, "So I definitely plan on passing on this information to her."
Lamba's daughter Adria - who will be joining Penn's class of 2012 next fall - was also in attendance.
Adria actually had little to do with the content of the book, despite being a biracial daughter herself.
"All our friends were like, 'Your mom wrote a book about you!'" Adria said. "It's not about me though."
Marketing manager of the Penn Bookstore Caroline Trask said it remains a priority for the bookstore to "showcase the great accomplishments of Penn faculty and alums."
And Lamba is certainly an active alumna. Her next projects include Over My Head and Drawn, two young adult novels with a similar focus on teen drama.
