On August 15–18, 2022, the University of Notre Dame Press and the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development Graduate Career Services hosted the first ever Publishing Boot Camp for graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The intensive, four-day program was held in the Hesburgh Library and provided a rigorous program, hands-on activities, and guidance from publishing professionals to enable grad students to explore career options beyond the faculty track in scholarly publishing. Experts from Notre Dame Press and guest speakers conducted sessions on:
- Acquisitions and peer review
- The history of the book
- Permissions and subsidiary rights
- Book editing, design, and production
- Marketing and sales publication strategies, costs, and margins
- The role of social media and author engagement
- How to find a publishing job
Publishing Boot Camp participants found the sessions informative and valuable to their future career goals. Here are some of their comments about the program:
“Learning from the experts of academic publishing during the boot camp helped me to better prepare my dissertation as a book and furthered my understanding of academic publishing.”
“The Publishing Boot Camp will provide a foundation for effectively communicating my research.”
“I was interested in gaining experience in publishing because I am passionate about sharing academic work with researchers and the general public. The boot camp enabled me to acquire skills and knowledge necessary for this career path.”
“Upon graduation, I plan to pursue postdoctoral research that once completed will allow me to serve as an editor of a scientific journal. This boot camp offered a vital opportunity for me to expand my understanding of the editorial aspect of scientific literature submission. As I continue to consider a career path in scientific editing, this experience proved to be extremely beneficial to my professional development.”
The program was designed by Notre Dame Press Director Stephen Wrinn, Assistant Director Michelle Sybert, and Managing Editor Matthew Dowd. Sponsors included the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, The Graduate School, Hesburgh Libraries, and the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development Graduate Career Services.
For more information, contact: Michelle Sybert, Assistant Director, University of Notre Dame Press, msybert@nd.edu, (574) 631-4910.
This piece first appeared at undpressnews.nd.edu.