Work Placement with Teaching Fellows

01/05/2012 by Leave a comment

Image © Teaching Fellows 2012

I remember the time when I was browsing the website of MSc Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University deciding whether to sign on the course, hesitant a bit whether I’d be able to manage my studies and my full time job at the same time. There was, however, a piece of information which particularly grabbed my attention – work placement module, where students can experience a real publishing workplace and put to practice the skills they learned during their studies – I believe this might have given that final push and I made my decision…

So you can imagine how excited I was when the time came for us to chose an organisation to do our placement with.  Excited and concerned. Concerned whether I’d be able to take full advantage of the work placement while not compromising my job by being absent during workdays, and at the same time meet expectations of the host company.

I was lucky I was given the opportunity by Teaching Fellows at Edinburgh Napier University to help them put together their March edition of Teaching Fellows Journal. They were very accommodating of my other commitments and let me work from home as long as I would manage to meet production deadlines.

I soon realised I was more then lucky because the work proved to be very interesting. I was a full member of the production team, attending editorial meetings, encouraged to speak up my opinion on matters such as design and layout of the new edition, production schedule or production management. Moreover, my opinion was listened to and some ideas even implemented.

As far as the production of the journal itself, I was working along with my course mate also undertaking his placement with Teaching Fellows, and our day to day tasks comprised actions from typesetting and laying out pages, to liaising with editors and proofreaders as well as printers to make sure the journal was progressing on schedule.

The placement with Teaching Fellows exceeded my expectations and settled my concerns. It was an excellent opportunity to apply relevant skills and knowledge in the work context. The amount of self-initiative we were given felt initially slightly overwhelming but made me to prepare myself to every task very responsibly, carefully evaluate my decisions, and be well organised.

I’m grateful I was given a chance to work together with such inspiring people as the members of the editorial & production team of Teaching Fellows Journal and to fully contribute to the real project – production of tfj March 2012!

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Working at W. Green

28/04/2012 by Leave a comment

Image © Thomson Reuters 2012

Friday afternoons are the highlight of the week at W. Green. Not only is the weekend within sight, but 3pm also brings special reason for cheer. For at this time, everyone in the office gathers as a group, brought together by a love of one thing—cake.

‘Cake o’ clock’ as it is affectionately known by the staff epitomises the friendly working atmosphere at Scotland’s biggest legal publisher. Far from a roster of strict and overbearing personalities that one may expect from those working with legal texts, the team at W. Green have been exceptionally kind and welcoming to me as a placement student. Read more of this post

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Working at the Edinburgh Book Review

01/04/2012 by Leave a comment

Image © Edinburgh Book Review 2012

Carrying out a placement with the Edinburgh Book Review may seem an odd choice for a would be publisher, especially as the company’s output relates primarily to online literary reviews, as opposed to books, periodicals and other printed content. Nevertheless, this would be publisher is of the opinion that as a platform for publicly available content, the Edinburgh Book Review is as much a publisher as any traditional behemoth of the industry. Read more of this post

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Placement at Black & White Publishing

12/08/2011 by Leave a comment

I believe the number one community-building beverage in the publishing workplace is tea. Every day a cup is offered, drank, refilled. And every day the ritual of filling the kettle and delivering boiling cups of tea around the office brings the staff (and intern) closer together.

At Black and White Publishing, tea is the first beverage distributed in the morning (though some days I’m sure we wish there could be something stronger in our cups!) and the last beverage to drain into our mouths before grabbing our jackets and heading out for the day.

I’ve noticed that tea builds our sense of community because it is at these times of the day when we uncoil from the desk, look away from the manuscript or latest cover design on our computer screens, and Read more of this post

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Off to the Printer

11/08/2011 by Leave a comment

Manroland 700 printer at Scotprint

Manroland 700 printer with paper being fed into the printer off a roll

In what could be considered to be one of the stranger decisions of a publishing student, I ventured eastwards out of Scotland’s capital to Scotprint to observe the modern day printing process. You may be asking why this is strange? Well, firstly it seems that this most vital part of the publishing industry, that of actually printing the item you have worked on for a large period of time, seems to be forgotten about. After all, doesn’t the publisher just send the files to the printer and then a few days/weeks later a pile of books come back? Well many would probably be led to believe that that is how the process works. After all, surely the process can’t be anymore difficult that hitting Command+P and waiting for the printer to spew out the relevant number of pages times the relevant number of copies. I.e. fill in the print dialog box, go and grab a cup of tea and relax. This of course bares no similarity to the way an offset lithographic press works. With these, everything is different. Read more of this post

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Work Placement – Informed Edinburgh

04/08/2011 by Leave a comment

Having been unsure about which area of publishing I would most like to pursue, I was pleasantly surprised to find my placement was with an online magazine.

Informed Edinburgh is ‘Edinburgh’s Fastest Growing Online Magazine’ with 52,000 subscribers and over 300,000 views a month. A relatively new company, this hard-working small team was the ideal introduction to the online workplace.

When I arrived to begin my placement I found the team working hard to get everything in place for the launch of a new venture, Informed Deals. This meant I was able to get involved, experiencing firsthand the preparation and problems concerned in launching a new website and business. Read more of this post

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Interning at Fledgling Press

02/08/2011 by Leave a comment

While I was at the London Book Fair in April, I was lucky enough to bump  into Clare Cain, a woman from my undergrad course. Since graduating, she had become CEO of Fledgling Press, a small independent publishers specialising in new authors. After a coffee and a brief insight into the company, I was invited along to the next meeting.

As the Fledgling team are small in number, I was in a unique position where I was given a number of jobs across all areas and was involved in everything from organising an author visit to schools, to helping out with a book launch (pictured is the team after the event) and even editing the first draft of a novel.

Most of my work was done from home but once a week the staff met to discuss any progress from previous meetings. In this environment, every opinion was valued and I soon found myself settling in to lively discussion on book covers and marketing strategies – something I did not expect before I started my placement.

I consider myself lucky to have found a publishing house where my input was valued Read more of this post

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Being an Intern at Fledgling Press

17/07/2011 by Leave a comment

Please note: This placement was carried out by Gaia Poggiogalli, who is also the author of the article below.

© Fledgling Press

For my placement I worked at Fledgling Press, a young Edinburgh publishing house specializing in first time authors. As the new management comes from various backgrounds unrelated to the publishing industry, my relationship with them was very different from the one an intern expects to have with their bosses. I was expected to speak my mind and give my opinion on everything discussed during our weekly meeting – a daunting prospect when you don’t know exactly what you’re doing but it was the best way to dive in the industry. Read more of this post

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Vagabond Voices

09/07/2011 by Leave a comment

Publishing companies function in an industry which is defined by a complex interplay of the creative and the economic. They must be able to recognise and nurture creative talent and they must be commercially savvy enough to turn the creative spark into a profitable product. Too much emphasis on the commercial aspects will stifle creativity and readers will turn elsewhere. Too much emphasis on creativity might mean that a publisher has a fantastic book, but does not make any money from it, thus jeopardising the potential to publish future books.

My time at Vagabond Voices made me think about this predicament. It was an invaluable experience. I sampled many things from rights and contracts to designing websites, from meeting authors to assisting at book launches. I was put in charge of online marketing and introduced the publisher to increasingly potent social media instruments such as Twitter. Yet it was the philosophy of the company that really struck a chord with me. A ‘vagabond’ can be classed as someone who is disreputable or worthless. As a publisher, however, Vagabond Voices is far from disreputable. Testament to its integrity, it has managed in particularly bleak economic times to maintain that which drives people to read and write: an enduring respect for the written word.

Returning to my opening paragraph with this is mind, it must be said that the lasting impression from my time at Vagabond Voices is the notion that the commercial and creative aspects of a business must indeed be in conversation, yet to maintain literary credibility it must be the creative side that speaks with a louder voice.

www.vagabondvoices.co.uk

www.stillnessofthesea.com

www.ilgarrulo.com

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My Placement at Phoenix Science Press

02/07/2011 by Leave a comment

For my placement on MSc publishing course, I worked at Phoenix Science Press and experienced ten days’ office life. Phoenix Science Press is an affiliated publisher of Phoenix Publishing & Media Group. It has been my dream to enter the Phoenix Publishing & Media Group (PPMG) to work, because it is now one of the most influential large-scale Chinese publishing and media groups. Therefore, when they saw my CV and decided to give me a placement chance in Phoenix Science Press, I felt so honoured.

I participated in three issues with my colleagues during placement. Firstly, put forward a proposal about e-book’s production for publisher. Phoenix Science Press’s main publications are agriculture, medical and infant books. Therefore, we selected infant literacy card as e-book content and worked up them into Flash Animation. Secondly, I knew the latest digital publishing’s software, which aims to manage existing publications of publishing house. Lastly, I compiled one chapter of book and knew the basic compile work.

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My Placement at LBF

30/06/2011 by Leave a comment

Among my ten days internship at MaClean Veit Associates in Moffat, the most excited days are 11st – 13rd April when I severed for China Youth Press International. Ltd as a Sales Assistance at stand K610 at London Book Fair 2011. Honestly, this is my first time to visit an international book fair, not to mention to participate in the fair as a staff. CYPI was established in London in March 2007. Now it publishes books in five areas: Travel; Photo Album; Creative Design; Classical Art & Culture; Contemporary Art & Design.

I got the train down on 9th and lived in YHA London Earls Court Hostel, where is 10 minutes walking time from the exhibition centre. On the next day, three staff from CYPI and I spend a whole morning in arranging the stand. When putting books on the selves, they discussed a long time about books’ position since it needed skills to attract more visitors’ attention in limited time. Sometimes, a big deal just starts from an illustration which first catches his/her sight among myriad ones. My task for the first day was to remember every book’s specifications and introduction as much as possible. A simple task for them because they made the books, but became difficult for a new comer. I studied until 11pm and went to bed with an uneasy heart. But when the fair was over, I found surprisingly that I had known every book just like I myself published it!

On the following three days, everything went well as planned. We everyday hold a morning meeting before the fair opened and an evening one after supper. Each of us was assigned with different and specific tasks. It was impossible for me to take part in a formal negotiation or decide which books to buy, but the three staff was so kind that they were willing to tell some details of every activity they made. That provided me with a real insight into publishing industry.

In the second afternoon, we held a small party for CYPI’s distributor in UK. With full consideration of the guests’ number, gender, and party lasting time, we just spend 2 hours to prepare it and at last every guest enjoyed it very much.

In a word, the internship was an invaluable experience. It offered me a great opportunity to know how the copyright trading was carried out and how a Chinese publishing company went out in a book fair although what I did were slight things. Besides, they paid me 100 pounds; it is good, isn’t it?

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New Classic Press

29/06/2011 by Leave a comment

I come from China. Although I have already studied in Napier for eight months, I do not think my English is good enough to find a placement in UK’s press company. I have tried but failed. So I try to find a Chinese’s publishing press in UK to do my placement. I think this may be more suitable for Chinese student who are studying publishing major in UK.

However, it’s difficult to find one. Because there are not too many Chinese press in UK. I have searched website first, but the result made me disappointed. Because most of Chinese press are located in London, England where is too far from Edinburgh. For example, CYPI Press. So it takes me a long time to find a suitable placement.

Luckily, 2011 London Book Fair opens from 11th April to 13th April and I decide to visit it. Before I go to London, I have searched the website and got lots of useful information. I focus on Chinese publishers in London Book Fair and find New Classic Press under Beijing Qiushiyuan Cultural Communication Co. Ltd. owning its office in Stirling, Scotland. I try to contact them by email and search for more details about it at the same time. I know from website that New Classic Press is aimed at “Displaying China to the world”, featured by “Chinese culture-specific publishes”. Until now, it has published over 100 books in English.

The chief-editor of New Classic Press replied me and agreed me to do my placement in their press. They also ask me to work with them in the three days’ London Book Fair. That’s where I start my placement.

After ten days’ work in New Classic Press, I have some experience to share with others especially Chinese students.
1.Before you start the placement, make sure you know what kind of job you want to do.
2.Try to contact the press which you want to do your placement actively. Do not just wait.
3.After being accepted by the press, try to get as more information about the press as you can. Fully preparation is crucial and good start for the placement.
4.When working in press, listen more and do more. Because there is difference existing about culture and custom between China and UK, try to know working ways and respect your staff.
5.If there is uncertainty about your work, do not hesitate to ask. Sometimes, your silence may cause unnecessary trouble.
6.Keep writing work note because they may be very useful for your future job.

Although I just do some research and collect some data during my placement, I think the technique above may be helpful for other Chinese students and hope everyone have a good start.

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Advertising

27/06/2011 by Leave a comment

CMYK Design logoWith a portfolio which boasts clients ranging from the Scottish Prison Service to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, CMYK’s design skills are impressive to say the least. However, my time at CMYK Towers did not involve improving my own design skills. Instead I came to learn about the fast paced world of magazine advertising.
Most of my time was spent on the hunt for potential advertisers for Scotland in Trust (the customer magazine for members of The National Trust for Scotland), and aurora (the passenger magazine for Highlands and Islands Airports). This has seen me on the phone to spectacular country estates, numerous outdoor clothing companies and even the agency which handles the marketing for Duchy Originals – though sadly not to HRH himself.
Working with advertising has been completely absorbing, and the support and enthusiasm of the CMYK team has made this placement a truly fantastic experience.

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Book launches at Word Power

13/06/2011 by Leave a comment

© Word Power Books

My placement at Word Power Books was worth waiting for. In ten days we covered three busy author events, a sales promotion, and all of the admin and stock taking in between. The book launches, readings and sales represent the side of the industry not always thought about in publishing, as it is certainly more of a bookseller’s promotional tool. However, some editors and representatives of the publishing industry joined the family showing up to reserve seats and friends travelling from across the country to support the author.
As to be expected, there were readings from the books, question and answer sessions and plenty of wine flowing, followed by sales of the book. The first of these events was for ‘The Echo Chamber’, the debut novel by Luke Williams, a local author. It had received amazing reviews and sold well. The launch was exciting and informative- there were friends of the owners who offered plenty of advice and were happy to chat about their work in the industry, and the following week saw more guests just as enthusiastic.
Through the ten days I was there, more authors came in offering to do talks over the festival period, and the Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair is hosted by Word Power in October, so there will be lots more people to see and books to hear about. These events are hosted regularly at Word Power Books, so get on their mailing list, check their website and show up. They’ll be happy to have you and you can chat to authors, editors and designers, as well as take some time to browse around the shop and find something new to read.

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Placement with an Indie

24/05/2011 by Leave a comment

© Word Power Books

For a placement on an MSc Publishing course, an independent bookshop might not sound fitting. What could one learn that would be of relevance when applying for jobs with Penguin or Faber & Faber? The answer is: quite a few things. My placement with Word Power Books in Edinburgh has enhanced my knowledge of the book industry, which until now has been very much one-sided (the one side being the publishing aspect).

On the first few days of this placement I was introduced to one rather important activity for this indie: running a bookstall. The occasion was a forensic psychoanalysis conference at the Apex Hotel in the Grassmarket, with the enticing title of Murder in Mind. While the rest of Britain was watching Kate Middleton walk down the aisle, I was selling books with titles such as Pedophilia, Violent Adolescents and Murder and Madness. This experience was further enlivened by the authors present, who saw me in charge of the stall and concluded I had all the answers, especially to why there was only one copy of their book at the stall, and why no-one had bought it yet.

One of my main tasks for my placement was to re-design the signage for the shop, to make customers more likely to pick up a book (which in turn increases the chances for a sale). To familiarize myself with the stock, I took on some stocktaking, a new experience to me, as past jobs have been mainly pub-oriented. I will never again waltz into a bookshop, pick a book of the shelf, for then to casually put it back any old place. For the signs, I worked from home where I had access to InDesign, a sofa, and an endless supply of coffee. To judge the success of these, have a peak into the bookshop on West Nicolson street to make up your own minds.

During the placement, I had the opportunity to observe rep appointments. It was interesting to see the connection between publisher and bookshop first-hand, and eye opening how quickly the manager made her decisions and turned the page to the next AI. The reps were ready with comments and opinions of the books, but knew from experience not to go for a hard sale in this particular shop.

This placement was a very worthwhile experience, enhancing my understanding of the book business at large and the current situation for independent bookshops in a world of chains and online giants.

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