This month I attended the Publishing & Editing Institute at Susquehanna University, a week-long summer program for high school students interested in book publishing.

During the week, I attended various workshops and sessions on digital media, marketing and promoting a book, retail and wholesale distribution, graphic design, and the cultural impact of books and publishing. We heard from guest speakers in the industry on what their jobs entail and learned about the different career paths in publishing, whether in editorial, production, design, marketing and publicity, or sales. 

We worked in teams to create a presentation in which we pitched an idea for a book, acting as our own independent press. Each person had a staff position, and we worked together to come up with a name for our press and create our mission statement, book title and cover, author biography, catalog and flap copy, marketing strategy, and social media campaign, reflecting key aspects of the industry in our book launch. 

Throughout the week, we visited local bookstores while learning about the bookselling business, toured the rare books room in the university library and learned about the history of the book, and took a trip to a local amusement park.

I loved being surrounded by people who shared my passion for books, and it was especially gratifying to hear from industry professionals who are incredibly passionate about their jobs and recognize the significance of telling important stories. The program confirmed my dream of working with books and pursuing a career in the publishing industry.

The week concluded with a book launch and presentation where we presented our book and marketing campaign to our families, celebrating the work we accomplished over the course of the week and demonstrating the knowledge we gained.

Overall, the Publishing & Editing Institute was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about the publishing industry, and I would definitely recommend it to any high schoolers who are passionate about books or might be interested in a career in publishing.