Zibby Owens on Making Time for What You Love

Zibby Owens is the books columnist for Katie Couric Media; host of a popular podcast; author of two anthologies, an upcoming memoir, and an upcoming children’s book; and a philanthropist who supports libraries and literature (among other things). The common thread that runs through all of these activities is books. In fact, she’s been called “New York’s most powerful book-fluencer” by New York Magazine. So, it’s no huge surprise that she recently announced she’s launching her own book publishing company, Zibby Books.

Here’s what Zibby has to say about her latest anthology, becoming a publisher, and more:

Source: E. Young, used with permission

Jennifer Haupt: What was the inspiration for Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids: A Timeless Anthology?

Zibby Owens: I had so many authors that I wanted to hear more from after compiling my first anthology Moms Don’t Have Time to… and so many topics to cover! In the first book, the categories are moms don't have time to eat, work out, breathe, read, and have sex. For this anthology, I picked five things moms don’t have time to do the most: sleep, see friends, get sick, lose weight, and write.

JH: With four kids of your own, ages 6 to 14, there's got to be a lot you don't have time for. What's at the top of your list these days?

ZO: The gym. I’ve been really bad about working out. If only working out my mind burned calories (sigh).

JH: What is it that you love about editing anthologies?

ZO: Planning an anthology is like hosting an amazing party. The key to its success is inviting the right combination of guests. Everyone has to bring something a little different to the table. I just have to welcome them at the door with a warm smile and a cool drink.

Reading the essay submissions gave me the chills. When Lily King, bestselling author of one of my favorite books, Writers & Lovers, emailed me her work, I giddily opened up the Word doc named, “For Zibby.” From Lily King! Her story was a deep, heartfelt meditation on the health struggles she was having with her daughter. Personal. Poignant. Beautifully written. The backstory. I never would have known what she was going through. I’m so glad she shared.

JH: What books are on your bedside table right now?

ZO: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, Jo Piazza and Christine Pride’s We Are Not Like Them, and Kate Bowler’s No Cure for Being Human are next up.

JH: Tell me about your journey from author to publisher of Zibby Books. How did that happen?

ZO: From author to publisher — that could be a book! But, basically, I saw how publishing worked on the author side working with three amazing publishers: Flamingo, a Penguin Kids imprint; Little A, an Amazon Publishing imprint; and Skyhorse. I saw what worked and what didn’t and began to see what I could actually do myself.

I thought about this idea for over a year, and almost launched an imprint a year ago underneath a traditional publisher, but realized I needed to start from scratch. Now, it’s amazing to be on this side of the fence. And to all the authors out there who wait on pins and needles for word about their submissions, I can tell you it’s not anything personal or a reflection of how you write that will make us accept or not. It’s a lot about what else we have and how the topic will fit into our line up. So don’t feel bad about your work!

JH: What's your advice to parents about how to encourage their children to be voracious readers?

ZO: I wish I had an answer to this because my kids would much rather be on their iPads than read books, and I’m reluctant to force them because I don’t think forcing things down people’s throats leads to the best relationships. I think the best thing you can do, which is what I do, is to model how much you love reading yourself and to share the stories. I always tell my kids about the plot and what’s happening in each book to make it come alive for them. Otherwise it’s boring-looking pages. But what it conjures up is magical. Still, it’s a tough sell. I won’t lie.

JH: What's the One True Thing about motherhood you learned from curating this anthology?

ZO: The importance of doing the things we don’t have time for. Often, those moments are the ones worth living for.