On the 1st of April, 2023, the Society of Young Publishers held its annual conference, Skill Seekers: Navigating the Rollercoaster World of Publishing, here in Edinburgh. As tough as it was to push myself out of bed in the wee hours of the morning — it was more like 8 a.m. but still — for a conference on a rainy Saturday nonetheless, this experience was entirely worth it as I learnt a lot.

As a shy, introverted student whose first language is not English, conferences have always been nerve-wracking. Indeed, although I first thought conferences were only meant to attend presentations in order to listen to and learn from various speakers and professionals, I soon learnt that they actually were mostly meant for an uncomfortable exercise, the dreaded, it that shall not be named, networking. 

Although this conference was mostly catered towards students and publishing hopefuls which considerably lowered the stakes, it is no secret that with this kind of event comes a fair share of awkwardness. After devising a game plan with a fellow member of my cohort — which consisted of sticking together as a way to avoid uncomfortable silences in conversations, the conference started. Lo and behold, the first speakers talked about this very subject. Indeed, the co-founders of the award-winning independent publishing house 404 Ink, Heather McDaid and Laura Jones, tackled this topic. They mentioned being frequently asked questions about how to network, especially so when being shy. The timing could not have been better to make the whole room breathe a sigh of relief. Jones candidly explained that everyone was awkward in these networking meetings, and as simple as it sounded, it really helped put things into perspective. Once this was acknowledged, it became easier to breach a certain level of self-consciousness and discomfort. 

I have thus decided to adopt this mindset in general, and not only when it comes to networking, but especially for my placement and work opportunities. Indeed, although I already had chosen to be less timid at the start of my placement, this conference acted as a reminder to take chances and be bold. These few reassuring words by Laura Jones are what have left the biggest impression on me during this conference and, that is what I have chosen to keep in mind for my future endeavours. 

During my placement with SmashBear Publishing, we were presented with several opportunities. One of the most useful ones, in my opinion, was the editing workshop we had the chance to attend. In small groups, we worked on short excerpts and tried to distinguish what we liked and did not like, what worked and what did not. Putting ourselves into the editors’ shoes, we thus had to make comments on what could be improved and how. I, just as much as anyone else participating in this exercise, was initially uncomfortable giving feedback. In truth, who was I to tell an author that their work was lacking? But Loredana Carini, founder of SmashBear Publishing and leader of this workshop, gave us a really good piece of advice: as readers, we are in the best position to say what we like and do not. Again, as simple as this sounds, it really helped to boost my confidence and remind me that I have ample experience as a reader. 

Listening to the presentations during the SYP Scotland Conference led me to think about all the things I have held myself back from doing because of shyness, anxiousness and fear. The questions always lingering of what is the right way to do something, am I knowledgeable enough to do it, have always plagued me. Both Loredana and Laura Jones, through their words of encouragement, reminded me that this is important to take any opportunity I was presented with. Studying publishing for a year, and getting to meet professionals is a chance that I should take as I now realise that the seconds of discomfort are nothing compared to the opportunities I could benefit from. So my advice to you is to take all the opportunities you can get. What is the worst that could happen? 

Photo credit: Philippe Bout

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[Accessed on 17th April 2023]