Category: Press News

Beginning college, I aspired to go into the medical field, but a year later I was undeclared and without a clue of what I wanted to be. Another year—along with my pestering advisor—showed me I wanted to be an English major, but then I needed to overcome the unclear career path English majors tend to have. Do I become a teacher; do I go into marketing; do I write books and live life in poverty? The options were endless. Finally, I decided publishing was the route I was going to take. The next step was to gain experience, and through hearsay, I found the UNG Press.

My first day at the Press, I didn’t know what to expect. But now that my internship has been completed, I can say I’m proud of my work. I edited documents and created social media posts. The Press even trusted me enough to interview an author. The experience I have had at the Press was encouraging. I realize, now, I was correct in my choice of wanting to go into the publishing industry, and I can thank no one other than the Press for showing me what I can expect from a publishing house. I have enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities, but more so, learn new ones that will be beneficial to have as I move on to the working world.

From the Press, I’ve learned the importance of reaching out with social media and how to work as a team member, not to mention becoming a more versatile writer. Working at the Press hasn’t always been easy. The most difficult thing to overcome during my internship was the proclivity to write academically about topics which didn’t need a high degree of specificity and explication to be comprehended—oops. But anyways, the Press has showed me a different side of writing—a more practical side that I’m glad to have discovered and used.

To the Press: Thank You and Farewell!

As my time here draws to a close, I can’t help but think of my first day of work. I had just completed my introductory blog post virtually and, although I was excited to see my new workplace, I was anxious about many things. Would my supervisor and coworkers be friendly? Would the work prove to be too challenging for me? Would I somehow manage to cause a major catastrophe simply by walking in the front door? Thankfully, all of these nagging worries were dispelled the moment that I stepped into the office.

From the very beginning, Jillian and the other members of the Press have done their best to create a workspace where I can put forth my best effort every day. If there was something I did not know, Jillian or her office library could quickly fill the gaps in my knowledge. Additionally, any mistakes that I made were treated as part of the learning process which encouraged me to improve with confidence. As I learned more about the publishing industry, I knew that everyone at the Press was committed to my success.

The assignments that I worked on during the course of the internship all related directly to the industry, such as my blog post on manuscript submissions and my report on levels of copyediting. In addition to these assignments, I also created content for the social media platforms of the UNG Press. By far, my favorite project was a month-long marketing project celebrating the 200^th anniversary of Frankenstein’s release. Along with my fellow intern Josh, I put together two blog posts — one on the origin of Frankenstein and a general author profile on Mary Shelley — as well as a series of social media posts relevant to the horror genre. Be sure to keep an eye out for it this October!

As I put together my post-internship portfolio, I can see a marked difference in my writing. I have always tended towards wordiness. However, with Jillian’s editorial assistance, I have made great strides towards becoming a more concise and clear writer. As I get ready to step out the door one last time, I would like to thank Jillian, Mrs. Parson, and Dr. Robinson for taking me on as an intern and helping me to grow as a writer. My dream is to work at a publishing press that specializes in translated literature. With my completion of this internship, I am one step closer to that goal.