An important part of our nonprofit publishing mission here at the University Press of Florida and UF Press is our internship program, which offers students the opportunity to learn about the publishing industry and obtain workplace skills related to their academic goals. Our student interns play an integral role at the Press as valued staff performing meaningful tasks throughout the entire publishing workflow, and they have gone on to join diverse industries and companies.
On February 16, 2023, for the University of Florida’s Gator Nation Giving Day, we will be asking for support for our internship program. This Giving Day, gifts to the Press will enable us to offer paid opportunities for students to explore publishing as a career and gain employment experience that they will draw on in their future professional lives.
Below, we’re highlighting reflections from students who have recently interned at the Press. We hope you will consider donating on February 16 and helping us share the work we do with more students in the future. To make a donation on Giving Day, click here.
“In my two semesters with the Press, I have learned so much. The practical skills I gained working with the Acquisitions Department will provide me with the opportunity to continue working in the publishing world. I appreciate the efforts university presses make towards bringing diverse voices and histories to print, and it has opened up a world for me to continue to explore.”
—Murielle LeMaire, acquisitions student assistant, Spring and Fall 2022
“I came here to learn publishing and I did learn a lot about the business—but I learned the most about my own potential and the possibilities that publishing presents. . . . Through observing the work done in acquisitions and by the editors throughout the publishing process, I was able to see a team invested in scholarship that stands out and stands up for minority communities and consistently pushes forward conversations surrounding them.”
—Chad Lobo Munteanu, acquisitions student assistant, Fall 2022
“This experience gave me a glimpse into the relationships between collector and objects—in this case, the press team and the acquired works for publishing. During my time at the Press, I broadened my understanding of labor in the production process of a book. One of my first discoveries was that while many of us have an idyllic impression of the finished product, manuscripts are not perfect, and there is a whole nuanced project that brings them to publication.”
—Maricarmen Torres Medina, acquisitions student assistant, Summer 2022
“Academic publishing combines many of my interests and passions—books, of course, but also being part of a team of colleagues that share similar ideals about amplifying diverse voices and areas of study. I am grateful I had this opportunity to learn about the industry, fall in love with it, and gain so many practical skills that have already proven useful in my professional pursuits.”
—Ivette Rodriguez, marketing student assistant, Fall 2022
“I was able to try my hand at writing copy for some forthcoming books on Latin America, for example, Revolutions in Cuba and Venezuela. This was a great learning experience because it forced me to think as a consumer of these books—rather than as a scholar who wants to share her research by highlighting only its findings—and what information I would want to read before deciding whether or not to buy/read the book.”—Prajakta Gupte, marketing student assistant, Spring & Summer 2022
“Seeing firsthand unpublished and published works that spoke to my subject of interest for study offered me the chance to see what is being done in the field already, introduced me to scholarly sources, and exposed me to the expectations that exist throughout the life cycle of a book, leaving me with this takeaway: Knowing what scholarship is already done and having credible scholarly sources is essential to the process of publishing at an academic press.”
—Kiara Thompson, acquisitions student assistant, Spring 2022
“As an undergraduate, I read endless journal articles and books, but the process between having an idea and publishing it seemed to be an enigma. I’ve written countless papers and even had the opportunity to do my own research, yet I didn’t know what made a work publishable or appealing. The Acquisitions Department answered so many of my questions about publishing and good academic writing. . . . This experience has reaffirmed my interest in and love for writing, research, and publishing. I feel so much more confident in my knowledge and abilities. This position was an excellent transition from undergraduate studies to graduate school and more professional work environments.”
—Emily Fradet, acquisitions intern, Summer 2021
“This opportunity allowed me to see the full depth and inner workings of a press as I got to experience time with the acquisitions team and the editorial, design, and production teams; attend subcommittees and watercoolers as well as a webinar on digital publishing initiatives (featuring Furnace and Fugue); sit in on sessions of the Association of University Presses 2021 Annual Meeting; and gain access to more resources about jobs in publishing. From researching media outlets and possible event venues for publicity to creating digital assets and promotional materials, I have a greater understanding and appreciation for an aspect of business that I (as someone who was in business management for years!) had very little expertise in.”
—Brandon Murakami, outreach assistant, Summer 2021
“I worked with a number of fascinating titles as an intern in the Editorial, Design, and Production Department. I was constantly impressed by each author’s rich contributions to their field, as well as the insight and innovation of their editors and collaborators. I enjoyed reading about things I’d never thought of before. . . . It was rewarding to be able to see books so close to their final versions. It reminded me that all of the projects I had been working on would eventually see the finish line—they would be published, on shelves and in libraries, advancing knowledge bases across the world.”
—Kaylyn Ling, editorial intern, Fall 2019
“After spending so much time with the finished product in my academic work, it was humbling to witness and contribute to the production process. While I used to view a book as an author’s singular creation, I now know that behind every cover there is team of dedicated editors, designers, finance managers, marketing coordinators, shipping managers, and others doing the invisible labor that makes book publication possible.”
—Sydney Whiteside, editorial intern, Summer 2019
“I couldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the University Press of Florida. I got to do a lot of interesting things, like review book proposals, draft letters to authors, draft an index, and attend various interesting meetings. I really loved everyone I worked with at the press.”
—Nazli Islam, acquisitions intern, Summer and Fall 2019
The Florida Bookshelf 