Standing in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 500 people, Hofstra University alumna Olifor her role as Emily Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls.”
For Kuch, a longtime fan of the show, this moment was more than just an exciting encounter with a celebrity. It represented a major milestone in her career as the events coordinator at Theodore’s Books, an independent bookstore in Oyster Bay, New York.
“I’m a huge ‘Gilmore Girls’ fan, so when her team responded to a pitch I had submitted about having us host her, it was the best day of my entire life,” Kuch said. “It was such a blast getting to work with an icon I adore and put on an event for a bunch of other people who are also huge ‘Gilmore Girls’ fans.”
Kuch graduated from Hofstra in 2023
Kuch graduated from Hofstra in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, concentrating in publishing studies.
“As far as I’m aware, Hofstra is one of the few universities with an undergraduate publishing degree, so getting that insider knowledge about how the publishing industry actually works was really helpful,” Kuch said. “It allowed me to enter [the events coordinator] role already understanding the terminology and the behind-the-scenes processes. Since I work directly with publishers, I can understand what they’re talking about without needing everything explained to me.”
Kuch coordinates with authors, publishers and editors daily to organize and put together book events for Theodore’s Books. She coordinates with bestselling authors, including Bishop, as well as local authors who are looking to gain visibility.
On event days, things are a little more
“On event days, things are a little more chaotic,” Kuch said. “I’m usually running around at the venue, prepping everything and making sure everything is in place. On other days, I might sit at my computer working on logistics, corresponding with publishers and authors and figuring out how best to market an event.”
To host an event, Kuch has to focus on communication with authors and publishers, securing a venue, managing social media and ordering books. She handles all of the logistics that go into coordinating an event.
When securing an event, there are multiple ways authors can be invited to Theodore’s Books.
Publishers send Kuch a list of authors who
Publishers send Kuch a list of authors who will be going on tour in the near future. Then, she sends pitch letters explaining why a particular author on that list should come to Theodore’s Books, along with what events she can host and what she can offer. On the other hand, publicists may reach out without a pitch from Kuch.
“They might know our reputation or have worked with us before and think we would be a good fit for an event,” Kuch said. “At this point, because I’ve built relationships with publicists, I can also follow up if I haven’t heard anything. I might reach out and ask whether an author’s tour has been finalized and let them know we would still love to host them.”
Moving into this position, Kuch had to overcome her own insecurities.
“The hardest thing for me to overcome was my own confidence,” Kuch said. “I’m in a very forward-facing job now, and I recently had to get up in front of more than 500 people and introduce [Bishop], which was terrifying.”
Hosting Bishop during her book’s press tour was Kuch’s favorite event.
She was the first major event that I
“She was the first major event that I booked entirely on my own,” Kuch said. “I wrote the pitch myself, and we didn’t have any previous connections. It was the first time I felt like something happened because of my own work ethic, writing and effort.”
Kuch and the team at Theodore’s Books have also hosted other major events.
The store announced on Sept. 22 they will be hosting MSNow talk show host Rachel Maddow in November. Kuch booked Maddow by reaching out directly to her team.
“For me, every time a big-name author or publicist reaches out to me directly, it feels like an accomplishment,” Kuch said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something right and that I’m respected in the publishing community.”
Kuch never saw herself as an event coordinator.
When she was a student at Hofstra, English
When she was a student at Hofstra, English professor Kelly McMasters introduced Kuch to an internship program at Theodore’s Books. The internship was for a publicity position within the store.
“I did the internship during my last semester of senior year, which was a great experience,” Kuch said. “I’m originally from Illinois, so I moved back home for the summer after graduation. When I returned in the fall, I reached out to the bookstore and said, ‘I interned with you guys, and I’m looking for even part-time work. I’d love to be a bookseller.’”
After working as a bookseller for about a year, the events coordinator position opened up and Kuch applied.
She is technically the only person
She is technically the only person on the events team; however, she has two interns and a part-time bookseller to assist with events. Kuch alone coordinates with publishers, authors and editors.
“As I’ve grown professionally, I’ve learned to trust myself and my knowledge,” Kuch said. “I’ve become more confident in putting myself out there, cold-calling and cold-emailing people, and just being a nice but professional person.”
She struggled some when she made the transition from college to post-graduate life.
“There’s this weird shift from college to the professional world where you think, ‘I’m still a kid, why do you have me in charge of anything?’” Kuch said. “Overcoming that mindset was the biggest thing for me. I had to realize, ‘No, I belong here. I worked my way to be here. I know what I’m doing.’”
Coordinating events alone has pushed her to understand her place in the professional world.
“I don’t have anybody to hide behind,” Kuch said.
Kuch’s advice to students is to try something
Kuch’s advice to students is to try something different and keep connections after they walk the stage.
“Don’t be afraid to try something that isn’t exactly what you were planning to do,” Kuch said. “You might find yourself connected to the field you wanted to enter in a way you never expected. I never would have imagined that I’d be working in events, but it led me to something I really enjoy. Thinking outside the box and being open to opportunities that are adjacent to what you studied can lead you to really wonderful things.”
Although she graduated in 2023, Kuch believes she still has plenty of room to grow professionally.
I’m trying to figure out what comes next,
“I’m trying to figure out what comes next,” Kuch said. “I would love to get into publishing, but I’m also interested in exploring other opportunities in events. I’m not sure yet whether I want to stay specifically in book events or explore events outside of publishing.”
Kuch wants to discover whether she loves the event coordinator aspect of her job or just simply being close to books.
“I think the biggest thing about my journey is that, although I did a lot of work to get where I am, a lot of it also happened because I took opportunities that came my way unexpectedly,” Kuch said. “I never imagined that I would be here, but here I am, and I’m loving it. I think that’s really the crux of my whole story.”
