‘Who was tallest: Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin or Leon Trotsky?’
‘Where in the UK has the highest concentration of witches?’
The answers to these quiz questions from MUP’s #HiveIsFive were amongst many of the things I learnt during my month at Manchester University Press.
Frankly, there were jobs and practicalities I didn’t know existed or hadn’t contemplated before. Breaking down this big abstract idea of ‘publishing’ during my time in production and operations was the biggest surprise for me. There is so much hidden labour behind each physical book, such as the creation of abstracts and keywords, and decisions surrounding its size and editions.
How did I get the internship?
In April of this year, I received an alert from the university’s system CareersConnect announcing this year’s Student Experience Internships (SEIs). I’d always been interested in publishing, and it seemed like the most practical application of my degree (English Literature and History), so I took my time, did my research, and sent off my CV hoping for the best but not expecting too much. Publishing internships are extremely competitive, and rare to come by outside of London. Fortunately, after a round of interviews and a presentation I was contacted to say I had got the job. As far as I can tell my well-researched presentation into social responsibility was why I got the job.
I was pleasantly surprised to say the least, and optimistic at the weeks ahead of me.
The internship:
The internship was four weeks over summer, based in the MUP office. I spent a week in each of the press’ departments: marketing, operations, productions and editorial. Marketing is responsible for the book launches, operations handles the digital side, production handles the practical aspects of book production, and editorial is the most stereotypical role: commissioning and editing books.
I most enjoyed my weeks in marketing and editorial. Marketing was the role that surprised me most. I hadn’t appreciated the level of creativity and skill required to encapsulate the essence of something, and then attempting to communicate that to a buyer.
Essentially I started at the end of a book’s lifecycle and worked my way backwards. MUP is a medium-sized publishing house with both trade and academic titles, so it was interesting to spend time in different departments, yet see the level of overlap in some roles. The press’ size also means that the personal aspect of publishing (which can so often be lost in large corporations) was prevalent. It was easy to see how people’s personalities were reflected in their tasks.
I was most struck by MUP’s social consciousness, which I saw reflected in the tasks I had to perform. A large amount of my time across all departments was spent working on or celebrations for the ManchesterHive, the press’ digital and open access platform, which turned five years old this June. Open Access is a big step for socially conscious publishing, reducing the need for emissions from physical books but also, making content cheaper, free or accessible for more readers. For example, online books have alt text (which one of my jobs was to write), and are more accommodating for partially sighted readers.
MUP also publish a diverse list of titles, which felt representative of a wider authorship and readership.
My research projects enabled me to engage with books and reading on the Holocaust, Hanif Kureishi and James Baldwin. I have left the press with a wealth of knowledge and an assurance that minority voices are consciously being heard.
What did I learn?
As well as all my book or subject specific research, the internship allowed me to see the internal workings of publishing.
As my internship was a Student Experience Internship, I was afforded proper guidance in each department, my colleagues all accommodating, asking me what I was interested in, and if there were any tasks, I wanted to specialise in. Time in the office meant I slowly picked up the cryptic jargon of publishing and I was allowed to sit in on a commissioning meeting, giving a viewpoint into handovers and the collaboration between departments.
To anyone contemplating a career in publishing I’d say the only way to know is to try.
I wasn’t sure I’d get the internship and I did, I took a chance and stuck around in Manchester over summer, and I feel really rewarded for my choice. There are so many things about working I never would have realised without coming in and physically being a part of the press. I see myself working in publishing now; it’s given me a realistic view on the industry, its challenges and perks and allowed me to see the type of work I enjoy – which I now know is focused predominantly writing-based.
As well as all the staff at the press, I’d like to say a special thanks to Becca and to Jen, who organised the internship and warmly guided me through the whole process.
And for now, I return to third year, with hopes of finding a job in the industry when I graduate.
Written by Annabel Holland, intern at Manchester University Press
Find a link to Annabel’s article on James Baldwin here: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2023/08/02/celebrating-james-baldwin-at-ninety-nine-mups-guide-to-the-activist-and-writer/