The latest article in mediabistro.com's Book Keeping series (available to AvantGuild subscribers) features Bridie Clark discussing Because She Can, including the decision to leave ReganBooks to work on a novel based (only in part, though, at least officially) on her experiences there:

"I was over the job, I didn't love working there. It was really a positive new step, but it had the added benefit of also being an exit from a job I didn't like very much... I wouldn't say I didn't like the job very much, but it was a challenging place to work."

Clark also explains why working in publishing turned out to be "a great MFA program" for her: "You read so much, you get some sense of what's working in the marketplace and what isn't, and you have to develop opinions about what's working." If you're a young media professional like Clark once was, and you've got an idea for a novel kicking around, you could ask her more about how she made the transition at her mediabistro.com book party tomorrow night.