MLitt Publishing Studies

Courtney Murphy, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014-2015

November 14th, 2014 by Courtney Murphy | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Courtney Murphy, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014-2015
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cemI am a self-confessed librocubicularist  (n., a person who reads in bed), I am guilty of tsundoka (n. buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up unread on shelves or floors or nightstands), and I take bookshelf organization very seriously (for inspiration check out bookshelfporn.com).

I am a dual US-Canadian citizen and I’ve spent most of my life in Virginia and Ontario. I hold a BA (Hons.) in Psychology and Philosophy from Queen’s University at Kingston and an MLitt in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow. After completing my studies in Glasgow I returned to Virginia where I taught Philosophy at Bryant and Stratton College in Hampton, VA and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. After a few years of lecturing I decided to leave academia and pursue a career in publishing. I leapt and the opportunity to return to Scotland and pursue the MLitt in Publishing here at Stirling. It’s interesting to learn about the process whereby a book goes from a manuscript to a novel on the shelf at Waterstone’s, and it’s great to be surrounded by like-minded people who share the same passion for books and reading.

Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Hannah Roberts, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15

November 10th, 2014 by Hannah Elizabeth Roberts | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Hannah Roberts, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15
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10458845_10152568751381522_6342255735242906730_nMy name is Hannah Roberts and I am a recent graduate of the University of Stirling. I graduated this year with a BA (Hons) in English and Journalism and found myself, like most graduates, thinking about where to go next. I had always dreamed of obtaining a Masters degree so I decided to become a postgraduate student and of course, there was no other place for me but Stirling.

I had looked at the MLitt in Publishing course a number of times throughout my third and fourth years of my undergraduate degree and couldn’t shake this feeling that this was the course for me. This was down to a number of factors; reading and literature have always been a passion of mine, I saw the MLitt as a chance to develop my analytic and technical skills from my undergraduate degree and also,  I saw the course  as an excellent chance to gain a qualification in a new vocational field. So, I applied and here I am!

In terms of experience, I worked with Stirling University’s student newspaper Brig from 2012 until 2014, eventually becoming Opinion Editor in my fourth year of my undergraduate. During my time at Brig, I was nominated for ‘Best New Writer’ and ‘Best Feature Article’ in 2012 and the opinion section was nominated for ‘Best Section’ in 2014. I’ve also tried my hand at starting my own blog and  will be starting to do PR and Social Media for a well known British supermarket in the near future.

Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year will bring  in terms of building relationships within the publishing world and in the classroom.

Marion Sinclair, Publishing Scotland

November 4th, 2014 by Emma Margaret Brown | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Marion Sinclair, Publishing Scotland
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­The fourth speaker to come and visit us this year was Marion Sinclair, Chief Executive of Publishing Scotland.

Marion Sinclair Source

She spoke to us about the overall state of publishing in Scotland and shared her perspective on the future of the publishing industry. She also shared a few stories about some of her early experiences working in the publishing industry. After graduating from the University of Stirling from this very same Publishing course (albeit, by her own admission, a number of years ago!), Marion’s journey in publishing began in a bookstore in Glasgow. One of her tasks was to sandpaper and polish down the covers of books that were to be returned to the publishers. Not exactly a glamourous start to a career! Yet Marion moved on from there to become one of the most prominent figures in Scottish publishing. Marion’s attitude towards publishing was wholly positive, telling us that by being on the MLitt we “are doing the right thing to get into publishing”.

After sharing some of her own experiences, Marion spoke about where Scotland currently stands within the larger publishing world. Marion shared that the Scottish Publishing industry is worth somewhere in the region of £350m, which, to help put this number in context, is the same value as the cashmere and smoked salmon industries. She stated that around 3,000 new books are published each year in Scotland alone, not including reprints or new editions. Publishing Scotland employs around 1,700 people directly and employs countless others indirectly. It should be noted here that these figures are rough estimates as trying to get the actual statistics on creative industries in Scotland is rather difficult. This difficulty is due to the very nature of the publishing industry, along with the problem of defining what counts as a publisher and what does not.

On the subject of publishing in Scotland, Marion shared that the very nature of Scottish publishing is that it is a niche market. But does this status as a niche market mean that if you publish in Scotland you need to identify as a Scottish publisher? It seems as though many of the larger houses avoid Scotland for this reason. Marion spoke about how there seems to be a pull towards London: many authors are drawn south sooner or later and major names in Scottish publishing sometimes leave to join the larger houses. Marion also mentioned the ongoing debate of whether being labelled as a ‘Scottish’ publisher is a good or a bad thing; it seems that the label can have both positive and negative effects for publishers. But as Marion said in her presentation, publishing has become a part of Scottish culture, particularly in Edinburgh, where “print and publishing go hand in hand”. The sheer size and volume of participants in the Edinburgh International Book Festival (to name just one of the many festivals which takes place each year) is a testament to Scotland’s strength and determination to remain prominent in the industry. Publishing Scotland is there to help Scottish publishers stay on track and continue to thrive.

Publishing Scotland turns 40 this year! Source

Speaking about Publishing Scotland, Marion explained that the organisation is there to support the “professional practice of publishing in Scotland”. With the help of Creative Scotland, Publishing Scotland is able to support a number of publishers of different sizes to ensure their on-going success. Publishing Scotland enables publishers to carry on with their work as they are supported and guided by a larger umbrella organisation that has the interests of the publishers at its heart. It is important to note that Publishing Scotland itself is not a literary organisation but a publishing members’ association. The organisation is there to support and encourage publishers.

The message that Marion left us with was, on the whole, a very positive one. Her outlook on publishing (not only in Scotland but worldwide) is that the industry is looking up. She said that while it can be difficult to get into, this is a very exciting time to be entering the industry. She encouraged us all to jump in and get involved in any way we can and to embrace any opportunity that comes along.

Lara Gascón, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-2015

November 4th, 2014 by Lara Gascón | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Lara Gascón, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-2015
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10644737_10204869050711906_3492403795415800044_oMy name is Lara Gascón and I’m a Spanish, responsible and active girl who is very eager to work and learn new things. Having concluded my last year in the Faculty of Humanities at Pompeu Fabra University, I recently started a Master Degree in Publishing Studies at Stirling University.

During my previous studies, I had the opportunity to benefit from a syllabus based on knowledge of history, thought and aesthetic experience. Upon completing the training process, I acquired competences that made me suitable for being a critical reader.

On the one hand, the large amount of multicultural readings I worked with made me an open-minded person, an essential ability to take into account any proposed project without being influenced by the literary genre, the author or the manuscript source.

On the other, I learnt to appropriately summarize and integrate information contained in written texts, oral discourses and visual documents. Efficiency in finding and comparing information that reinforces the meaning of a text is important in documentary and graphic research, as well as an essential requirement for ensuring project success.

Particularly interested in marketing management, I want to focus my professional career in the publishing industry. Personally I’m really interested in becoming a publisher since I was an intern at Ara Llibres. Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to take part in various stages of the editorial process (design, layout, correction, editing). The Master covers all the publishing procedures in a practical and specific way, which is another reason why I choose Stirling’s MLitt in Publishing Studies.

In a future, I would like to have the opportunity to contribute to the creation, design, editorial realization and production of reference works in the field of culture, history, territory and gastronomy, as well as the development of digital projects. And realizing this Master will be ideal to complement my acquired knowledge and work experience which will provide a great value to my professional career.

Rutangye Crystal Butungi, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15

October 27th, 2014 by Crystal Butungi Rutangye | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Rutangye Crystal Butungi, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15
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crystal.photoOn my first day at the University of Stirling, Scotland decided not to be independent by voting “NO” in the referendum. On this profound day in history (of both of Scotland and of my life), I also got to meet my personal tutor, Frances Sessford, who inducted me into my new course; MLitt Publishing Studies. I have since interacted with the most amazing lecturers and classmates, and confirmed my earlier notion that Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling is one of the most exciting experiences a book-lover could have.

Yes, I am one of those cliché book-lovers. Well, I love words in general, but I love them most when they are well put together in a beautiful book. I suspect this is the reason I was driven to study how to publish books; it’s worth a shot trying to convince the rest of the world that they need to fall in love with reading. Especially when you come from a country whose systems put emphasis on getting good marks in exams, rather than on being transformed for the better by just reading things that change people’s lives, souls, mind-sets, attitudes, beliefs, – it’s astonishing what the power of words can do to the simple mind. Well, I still followed the government’s system;- joined the bandwagon and secured an A-level certificate in the sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Maths), in preparation for a ‘more professional’ degree, like medicine. This was despite the fact that my friends and I founded the school writers club and took up all the editorial positions in the school magazine. My talents and interests won over the nation’s expectations fortunately and I was instead sponsored to do a degree in Tourism.

It was on one of those typical days in the life of a Ugandan job-seeking graduate that a friend asked me to proof-read his dissertation because ‘I had relatively good English.’ Then all my friends were giving me work to proof-read, then I was being invited to attend writer and editor workshops with African Writers Trust and the British Council Uganda, then getting more training, and before I knew it, I was a recognised practising editor in my city – and loving it. I landed an administrative job with Moran Publishers  – Uganda (the former Macmillan-Uganda), where I learnt more by volunteering with the publishing department. Then I was asked to be chief editor at World of Inspiration Uganda, one of our first ever publishing companies to publish, and sell for profit, non-academic books on a large scale. By this time, I had started convincing the Commonwealth Scholarship Committee that it was I who needed to study more about this business if someone was going to help my country produce better books. They finally agreed. They awarded me the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship. Without batting an eyelid, I had selected the University of Stirling as my choice scholarly destination, and I now wake up everyday marvelling at the wisdom of this decision.

I suppose I will be a writer/grand editor/publisher some day, after all.

 

Sarah Elizabeth Webster MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-2015

October 22nd, 2014 by Sarah Elizabeth Webster | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Sarah Elizabeth Webster MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-2015
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Me!My name is Sarah Webster and my home is the Peak District in Derbyshire, a.k.a. the home turf of Mr Darcy.

For the past four years I studied on both the BA in English Language & Literature as well as the MA in Romantic Literature & Culture at the University of Leeds. I am now studying on the MLitt in Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling.

During my time in Leeds, I volunteered as an archivist in the Special Collections of the Brotherton Library where I worked on the Simon Armitage, Tony Harrison and Melvyn Bragg collections and I also listed audio records for the library. This opportunity allowed me to handle a variety of literary materials and projects, whilst giving me invaluable experience in arts archival research.IMG_7317411

For the past couple of years I have worked as a theatre journalist for The Public Reviews, covering shows predominantly in the Yorkshire region including ballet, puppetry, drama and musical theatre. The role has demanded a great deal of organisation and the ability to write to very tight deadlines in a succinct and nuanced style.

With my firm foundation in literature and theatre journalism I would now like to make the transition from content provider to editor and from journalism to publishing. As a creative person who plays the piano and enjoys sketching and drawing I am also interested in the design and production aspects of the publishing process.

Kerry McShane, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014–15

October 21st, 2014 by Kerry | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Kerry McShane, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014–15
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McShane Blog Image

It all started with a single book. I couldn’t put it down. Every moment that I could spare, I had that book in my hands. I would watch the clock at work, eager to be back home and immersed in those pages once again. I had never been so affected by a book, but I just couldn’t get enough. That book was Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. The book is notoriously difficult to describe, but it has just about anything you could ever want in a story. Romance, politics, history, action and more—all set in the Scottish highlands, a world away from my home in Ogden, Utah.

I had long dreamed of visiting Scotland, but I suddenly wanted more than a vacation. I wanted to live in Scotland, to be part of it. I know it sounds a bit clichéd, but it really isn’t. I didn’t come here expecting cattle raids, kilts, and haggis as far as the eye could see, but I did expect to find history, peaceful countryside, and kind people. I’ve found everything I expected and more. As a good friend of mine put it, Scotland is magic.

As for how I decided to study publishing, that was mostly by chance. In 2012, I started researching postgraduate offerings at universities across Scotland. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study, but I wanted something practical to complement my English undergraduate degree. I wanted to study for a master’s that would teach me skills that I could apply directly to a career. As I scrolled through the list of courses on the University of Stirling website, the MLitt in Publishing Studies immediately stopped me. Publishing? Why had I never thought of that before? It was the perfect career to combine my affinity for books and my habit of correcting poor grammar! (Ok, that is a very simplified version of the thoughts running through my mind, but you get the idea.) From that moment, everything I did was in an effort to make it here.

I began by serving as the Editor-in-Chief of my alma mater’s undergraduate research journal.  Then, I changed my course plan to include classes in Adobe programs such as InDesign and Photoshop. But most importantly, I worked as an editorial intern and later as an editorial assistant with Gibbs Smith, Publisher. I can’t recommend that enough. Start internships as early as you can. Not only will it help you decide if publishing is right for you, but it will prepare you for further study better than any amount of reading ever will.

So, after a lot of dreaming, planning and working, I made it. My studies are just as fascinating as the country, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store over the next year. If you’d like to see what I’m up to, you can follow me on Twitter @kerrberr_books.

Emma Brown, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014-2015

October 20th, 2014 by Emma Margaret Brown | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Emma Brown, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2014-2015
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UntitledHello! I’m Emma and I am from Glasgow, Scotland and I am studying the MLitt Publishing Studies course at the University of Stirling.

I originally did my undergraduate degree at the University of Strathclyde (which is in Glasgow) in English but before the course was even over, I decided that I would like to pursue a career in Publishing. It took a while to decide, but eventually I came to the conclusion the Stirling was the best place to do this, especially for someone whose previous experienced only went as far as to edit friends’ essays and short story pieces!

While I am most interested in entering the Editorial side of the business, I am also intrigued by copyright laws and all the issues that surround it.

I’m looking forwards to seeing how this particular chapter in my life plays out and am excited to learn more about the inner workings of the publishing industry. Given the rapid changes publishing is currently undergoing, it shall certainly be interesting to be a part of the future of publishing and to see what new advances may be made! As Buzz Lightyear may say: “To infinity! And beyond!”

You can follow me on Twitter

 

Behind the Digital Scenes at Faber & Faber

October 17th, 2014 by cs48@stir.ac.uk | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Behind the Digital Scenes at Faber & Faber
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FFAs the incredibly honoured 2013 winner of the Faber & Faber prize for Digital Innovation, I travelled down to London for an incredible two-day tour behind the digital scenes at Faber.

I visited three amazing departments with digital publishing at their core: Digital, Faber Factory and Marketing. And what was surprising was how digital was intrinsic to each, and yet, they were completely different.

The Digital department made the nerdish inner me very happy. Running through Faber’s app history, from the innovative The Waste Land app through its infamous Malcom Tucker and stunning Shakespeare apps, we arrived at its newest release The Animator’s Survival Kit. Faber took the teaching aid for animation and cartoon drawing by renowned artist Richard Williams and translated it into a digital format as only it could, once again breaking the mould for digital. The Survival Kit uses digital to teach, introducing features that add to the text, such as controllable animation sequences to see frame-by-frame movement, grasping a truth that not many understand: digital cannot simply be a copy of a paper product. The best bit, however, was when I got the chance to give feedback on the digital brief for an upcoming app… very exciting.

Suitably geared up from a morning in apps, I moved on to find out more about Faber Factory and its digital services for publishers. I was a starstruck in a different way, as I’d seen Faber Factory, one of the driving forces in the UK behind digitalisation among the smaller publishers, first-hand in my internship and repeatedly in my digital-focused dissertation. While gains of digital can be immense, the cost is prohibitive for small publishers, and increasingly large players in the market leave little room. And that is where the incredibly enthusiastic Factory team come in, managing, converting, and negotiating on behalf of their clients. I had a great time finding out more on what they did, and left very much convinced that one of the very few publishers offering services is doing it right.

A screenshot from Claire Jeffery’s prize-winning Jekyll & Hyde app

The next day I ventured further up the stairs to find out more about digital marketing. I’ll admit I expected to hear the usual vague buzzwords: ‘social media’, ‘online presence’, ‘SEOs’, etc. So when I actually arrived at the department it was refreshing to discover more about digital marketing beyond social media and videos. I saw how the traditional eclectic Faber was balanced with a new digital approach based on big data. Faber is one of the publishers just beginning to explore big data and it is amazing how much can be revealed. A search for my favourite author Jasper Fforde revealed key phrases, new releases, who was talking about him, which websites they visited… It was incredible and showed the impact that digital innovation is having on marketing. What I appreciated in my visit to marketing in Faber was the shift to a targeted approach based on statistics and information with the same heart and passion underneath, exactly as I’d always thought the process should be.

I saw three different sides to digital in my visit, each different and each needed. But what also really struck me was how, in little under a year through the Publishing Studies course at the University of Stirling, I’d gone from knowing a little about the publishing process to having a in-depth understanding not only of traditional publishing but also of the challenges and opportunities of digital publishing. I found myself debating all sorts of related issues with very passionate people and that was what struck me. To get into publishing you have to be absolutely passionate for what you want do. Every comma in every book, every new innovation, every campaign and every interaction along the chain is driven by people who care deeply about publishing.

On a personal note, there are a couple of things I will take away from this.

(1) Always say yes to a free book.

(2) There is only one way a literary trip to London should end: an Agatha Christie play, a visit to Baker Street and the exploration of many bookshops.

(3) Be completely and utterly passionate in everything you do.

I’d like to thank all the people from the University of Stirling and Faber & Faber who made the trip possible and everyone on the two-day tour who were so welcoming and encouraging.

Claire Jeffery now works at Prepress Projects in Perth.

 

 

Kena Longabaugh, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15

October 16th, 2014 by Kena Nicole Longabaugh | Posted in Student Profiles | Comments Off on Kena Longabaugh, MLitt Publishing Studies 2014-15
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pubblogHello there! My name is Kena Longabaugh and I hail from the United States. My journey to the MLitt programme at the University of Stirling wasn’t a typical one. I received my BA in Political Science from Western Washington University–however, somewhere along the way, I realized a life in politics wasn’t for me. My English courses were the ones that inspired and motivated me the most during university and I eventually decided to pursue my literary passions. I’ve always had a deep love for books, reading and writing and a career in Publishing seemed like the perfect fit.

One of the reasons I chose Stirling’s programme is because of the broad and introductory nature of the course. I’m excited to jump in and try my hand at all of the different aspects of the publishing industry. I’m particularly interested in design and production and I’m eager to learn the ins and outs of InDesign and Photoshop. Photography is another passion of mine and I’ve been fortunate enough to win several awards and host my own exhibition. As such, art and design has been a part of my life for some time. I’m also eager to learn about marketing.

Other things I love include traveling, hiking, dessert, Harry Potter, cider, cats, Greek food (I studied abroad in Greece for a semester and it might be my favorite place in the world), yoga, coffee and camping.

You can find me on twitter here.

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