Publicist Quinn Baumeister shares how Notre Dame Press continues to #StepUP after celebrating its 75th anniversary. She highlights some of the efforts the Press makes to support its authors and community beyond the publishing process.
The University of Notre Dame Press had the joy and honor earlier this year to celebrate its 75th Anniversary as an academic publisher. It is hardly an understatement that publishing is a tricky industry. It is constantly evolving alongside new trends, rapid changes in technology, and more. To be able to celebrate 75 years is a testament to our wonderful books and authors, but also our ability and readiness to adapt and grow with the industry.
We as a Press often speak of our mission, which recognizes the power of books to connect scholars, students, and readers around the globe. We hold that mission sacred, and it goes beyond just finding and publishing excellent books, though that is certainly a large part of it. The dedication to excellence also extends to support our authors and to connecting with our community and institution.
One of the ways we as a Press seek to support our authors is with our First-Time Author Fund. This fund helps underwrite the publication of a first book by a promising scholar each year and provides an award directly to the author to aid their scholarship, professional development, or the promotion of the book. For first-time academic authors, it’s harder to acquire the funding and support that others with a more established career or audience might have. This fund is a way that we as a Press can support our authors not only in their publishing journey, but also in their career as a whole. It’s especially close to our hearts, with nearly 70% of our team donating to the fund.
Notre Dame Press also doesn’t take for granted that we are a part of an incredible educational institution like the University of Notre Dame. Every year, we hold our Book Festival and Dirty Book Sale on campus to share our Press with students, faculty, and community members. Open to the public, the Book Festival is a celebration of the Press’s work through the years and serves as a way to give back to the university. Hundreds of books are listed at a significant discount, we host educational panels, and we even have a prize wheel! The community of Notre Dame is so important to the university, and the Book Festival is a fun and special way to connect to the students and scholars on campus.
It’s in our author fund, our Book Festival, and a thousand other small things every day that we as an academic press dedicate ourselves to what’s beyond the book. There is a level of responsibility that university presses face when it comes to academic publishing, both to their authors and readers. It is this responsibility that pushes us as a Press go above and beyond for all our books, authors, and our community. Looking forward, Notre Dame Press is poised to continue serving as a powerful force for good both on campus and around the world.