“This is your future I’m about to talk about,” Michael Clinton, President of Marketing and Publishing Director for Hearst Magazines, said to a group of 122 eager and excited recent college graduates hoping to break into New York’s publishing industry. What followed was just one part of a day full of inspiration and direction from three industry professionals speaking at the opening of NYU’s 2014 Summer Publishing Institute. [Read more…] about SPI Day One: “Don’t Follow, Lead”
As we prepare to welcome the Summer Publishing Institute class of 2014, we thought we would reach out to last year’s students for some first-hand advice about how to make SPI the best experience ever. For inside advice about how to get the most out of the lectures, workshops, amazing industry experts, visits to publishing companies, and more, read on: [Read more…] about SPI 2013: Revisited
What makes a book sell? It’s a question that we’ve grappled with for the last three weeks of NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute as we’ve refined ideas for our hypothetical book imprints. Regardless of our allotted role in the imprint creation process–whether in art direction, marketing or editorial–the prospective reader was always on our minds. Perhaps that is why our visit to Barnes & Noble’s Union Square flagship store was so gratifying. As we listened to veteran B&N buyers Edward Ash-Milby and Sallye Leventhal discuss the specifics of their profession, much of what they said sounded familiar. They, however, really could answer that question of what makes a reader buy a book.
[Read more…] about Barnes & Noble: Judging a Book by Its Cover
“I was fortunate, but it’s not impossible.” That sentiment, shared with us by Paige Doscher, Editorial Assistant with Harper Design, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, was the overarching theme of our industry visit to one of the top publishing houses in New York. Actually, it might be the big takeaway from all six weeks of the NYU Summer Publishing Institute: while it definitely takes a little luck to break into the book and magazine industries, it’s also definitely possible. [Read more…] about SPI Visits HarperCollins
Touching on everything from Clifford the Big Red Dog to Gossip Girl, the amazing conversation at the annual children’s publishing panel captivated the NYU Summer Publishing Institute (SPI) students. Every detail counted for the audience that was quick to clap and gasp at the mention of a cherished series, an interesting fact, or an upcoming new release from authors like Matthew Quick and Cassandra Clare. We were so fortunate to listen to a lineup of children’s publishing rock stars. Jonathan Yaged, President, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, moderated. The panel consisted of Megan Tingley, Senior Vice President, Hachette Book Group USA and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Deborah Forte, President, Scholastic Media and Executive Vice President, Scholastic, Inc.; Judith Haut, Senior Vice President and Associate Publisher, Random House Children’s Books; Jennifer Loja, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group; Sara Shandler, Senior Vice President for Editorial, Alloy Entertainment; and Justin Chanda, Vice President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and Margaret K. McElderry Books. Each panelist presented us with five slides in five minutes about their surprise successes, challenges, and strategies.
[Read more…] about Children’s Publishing: Alive and Thriving
As the second half of the NYU Summer Publishing Institute opened, students eagerly awaited the keynote address from Carolyn Reidy, President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For many, this introduction was to be inspiration for earnest dreams and professional aspirations. For others, it was a glimpse into the world of books and their ability to influence how we—and the world—think. [Read more…] about Simon & Schuster’s Carolyn Reidy: Keys to the Future of Publishing
As 20 members of the NYU Summer Publishing Institute Class of 2013 stepped off the elevator to the offices of New York magazine, they were presented with a giant red wall and the New York logo inscribed in white. Oohs and aahs filled the air, and the tour had yet to begin. This was just one of six magazine and digital publishing company visits taking place at this year’s program and a highlight of our summer. [Read more…] about SPI ♥s New York Mag.
NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life is humming with a mix of nerves and excitement. The crowd is comprised of everyone who’s who in book and magazine media, including leading publishers and editors. And there are plenty of students sitting there in anticipation: the NYU Summer Publishing Institute’s class of 2013, SPI alumni, and students in the NYU M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media program. It’s a big night for SPI, which is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the program. A star-heavy panel discussion (The NYU Media Talk) is coming up. And then, yes, there’s an anniversary party hosted by the Center for Publishing, of which SPI is a part. [Read more…] about NYU Summer Publishing Institute: Star Power at 35
Visualize this: an auditorium full of resolute and eager students who had just graduated from college. There they were, seated and patiently waiting to embark on a six-week journey that will lead them all into the same industry – publishing. It sounds potentially competitive and sinister, perhaps, but hardly so. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, an indication of the terrain that lies ahead for members of the NYU Summer Publishing Institute (SPI) class of 2013, the class that marks the 35th anniversary of SPI. We all sat in chatty harmony awaiting the arrival of the morning’s editorial keynote speakers: Brandon Holley, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky, and Bill Phillips, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Men’s Health. [Read more…] about SPI Day One: Dos, Don’ts, and Diving Right In
Students wearing neon green T-shirts with the slogan “Keep Calm and Read On” seemed to be everywhere last week at Book Expo America. There they were in the autograph area controlling crowds, at publishers’ booths helping with signings, at conference sessions, and at author breakfasts. Forty-nine Master of Science in Publishing: Digital and Print Media and 2013 Summer Publishing Institute students were roaming the massive BEA space at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center serving as volunteers and picking up industry knowledge—and plenty of great swag as well. Advanced reading copies anyone? ARCs were there for the picking from bestselling authors like David Baldacci, Scott Turow, Lisa Scottoline, Cassandra Clare, and more. All in all, getting the chance to volunteer at the largest book conference in America was a great treat for students and an awesome way to kick off a summer of studies—and reading!
[Read more…] about BEA 2013: Volunteers and Voices of Change