The University Press of North Georgia is proud to be a teaching press and is committed to providing NGCSU college students with real-life instructions and internship experience in a variety of different arenas of publishing. One of the ways this is accomplished is through the “Intro to Publishing” class offered by the English Department and taught by Dr. Bonnie Robinson, UPNG Director.
When I was thinking about these blogging posts, I asked several former “Intro to Publishing” students to share their experiences and how they have benefited from the class. Taylor Smith was in the same class as I was back in Spring 2011 and graciously agreed to answer the following questions:
What was the most helpful thing you learned in “Intro to Publishing”?
The most helpful thing I learned from Intro to Publishing is how to integrate current technology into self-marketing. As an aspiring author, I found the lectures and side notes on current trends in blogging, internet marketing, and publisher-author communication to be extremely informative. Having a basic knowledge of the publishing process also prepares you for many different opportunities.
What works was the Press working on when you were on the Student Editorial Board?
When I was participating in the SEB the Press was working on The Military and the Monarchy.
If you chose one part of publishing as your future employment (editing, proofreading, marketing, indexing, etc), which would you choose and why (based on what you gained from the class)?
Based on what I learned in the class, I’d choose marketing or a position in the art department. The success of a book nowadays is almost wholly dependent on marketing, and I feel like I would enjoy being a part of that process.
How do you use what you learned then now?
As I said before, I mostly implement the self-marketing strategies and query-writing tips to help with my communications with potential readerships and publishers. Because of the technology available today, anyone can become a force on the internet. This class really opens up a lot of opportunities that you never thought were possible in the publishing world, such as self-publishing on the Kindle. After learning of these strategies and processes, I’ve been making plans for my after-college endeavors.