First off, if you are like me and are currently scouring through these blog posts to find your future placement provider, take a breath, I can assure you that you are doing great!
The most daunting part of the MSc Publishing course for me was this part right here… finding placement. Then, after securing it and a moment of sweet, blissful relief, my worries moved onto how to succeed. Now, after completing placement, I can tell you not to worry, but I know that won’t do you any good, so instead, I am going to share three tips that helped me throughout the duration of my internship with Luna Press Publishing.
Tip 1: Ask loads of questions
According to Huang et al. (2017), people are viewed as more responsive when they ask more questions, and I agree. When I started in Luna Press Publishing I made sure to never leave a meeting without asking some sort of question. I also utilised the email chain I had with Francesca Barbini, Luna Press’s Director, to ask whatever questions I needed answered and it really helped me build a good work relationship with her. It also helped me complete my tasks effectively leaving both myself and Francesca happy with the work I would complete.
Tip 2: Be open to every opportunity given to you
Whatever tasks or opportunities you are offered on placement, take them! This mindset made a huge difference to me and made my placement a more worthwhile experience. I ended up learning how to use multiple different software to complete tasks, something I wasn’t confident in before.
During my placement, I got the opportunity to design multiple book covers. This was something I was interested in, but didn’t really enjoy when we did it in trimester 1. However, this time I approached it with a completely different mindset, and it changed my entire experience.
I started taking feedback on board without overthinking it and picked up new techniques along the way. For one cover, I learned how to use photoshop to edit a photo and combine elements from different places, which was really fun. A comment that stuck with me was when Francesca said, “I really admire how you are challenging yourself in trying new techniques.” It made me realise how much progress I’d made just by saying yes.
Tip 3: Enjoy it!
Now you may not come out of your placement with the same experience I had. For me, I enjoyed every minute of my placement, but something I will advise is even if you are not fond of your placement find an element that you enjoy. This makes placement easier and also gives you insight into what direction you wish to take in your future career.
I hope I have eased your mind a bit regarding your placement. If not don’t worry! You are definitely not the only person feeling this way. My final piece of advice for you would be to talk to your lecturers and fellow classmates, reach out to past students, cold email everywhere you can think of, and breathe… You are doing great!
References
Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A.W., Minson, J. and Gino, F. (2017). It doesn’t hurt to ask: Question-asking increases liking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, [online] 113(3), pp.430–452. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000097.
Barbini, F. (2026). Direct quote from email chain.
Image Credits
Image 1: McDonnell, S. (2026). Illustration by Shauna McDonnell.
Image 2: Luna Press Publishing’s Logo (Permission to use granted) found on Bookfox (2018). 30 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Publishers – Bookfox. [online] Bookfox. Available at: https://thejohnfox.com/2018/04/30-sci-fi-and-fantasy-publishers/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2026].
MSc Publishing – Industry Accredited Postgraduate Degree 