The last time I wrote one of these self-reflective blogs was at the beginning of my internship. My first week was the middle of September; I was doing a lot of research and writing a lot of “fun blogs.” One of those blogs just so happens to be my “biography blog” on why I wanted to go into publishing that can be found here.
Seven months later I still do a lot of research, even some fun ones with 300+ rows in an Excel spreadsheet (haha). But I really got to see my skillset expand, see my supervisor, the wonderful Amy Beard, increasingly trust in my abilities. As my time here went on, I felt less like a college student playing adult dress up and more like a contributing member of the Press.
In the beginning, in my first blog, I discussed why I wanted to go into publishing. I talked about how I had an ardent belief that authors were the most powerful beings on this Earth. How they were the only ones that could build or level civilizations full of characters they crafted. How I wanted to be a sidekick to these authors I viewed as heroes; editing out their mistakes and helping them bring their worlds into being; how I hoped the Press would help me build the ideal skillset to be the helping hand they needed.
I want to formally thank the Press for doing just that; they truly expanded my publishing related abilities into realms I didn’t even know existed. I learned how to make marketing materials, copy and line edit, and even how to take part in simple inter-office communications. I didn’t realize how in-depth the publishing world went; how it wasn’t just a love for literature that makes you successful but also marketing, an intense attention to detail on multiple fronts, and more than a love for the written word—a respect for those who write them.
My supervisor lovingly enjoyed calling our experience interning at the Press a “trial by fire,” saying that she would rather us fall on our faces here than out in the professional world, so we can succeed when we’re working adults out on our own. She taught me more than I could imagine but also, by being hard on us, made me a self-starter and someone that can teach myself to do what is needed, whether that be making press kits, puzzling out the Adobe Creative Suite, or planning marketing schedules; Google
became a very dear friend.
I know as we grow up the world is supposed to become less shiny—less idealistic and more realistic. I’m sorry to say, even after this experience and experiencing the job application process, a career dealing in the written word still looks pretty shiny, almost magical, to me. If that never changes, if my job continues to seem like a mystical blessing, then I know I chose the right profession.
Thank you, University of North Georgia Press. I’m going to miss our time together! On the other hand, I am so thrilled to announce that my journey isn’t over yet. I’m positive there is more room to grow, and I am so excited to do just that this summer while I intern with Peachtree Publishers right here in Atlanta. Don’t worry; you haven’t heard the last of me yet.