Written by Madison Miguelez, Acquisitions Intern
Coming into college, I knew that reading and writing were my passions, as well as skills I wanted to devote myself to expanding. As to how I would apply those skills towards a career, that’s where I drew a blank. A career in publishing sounded as equally enticing as it did daunting. I didn’t know the first thing about what working in publishing entailed, nor how to go about finding that information, let alone where to even start. To make a long story short, like most first-year college students, I had a lot of burning questions and a disconcerting lack of answers. That was, until I learned about the University Press of Florida and the Press’s internships my first fall semester. This opportunity, with a publishing house right beside my campus, sounded as good a place as any to start my journey. Eventually.
Having just begun my college journey with an evidently bare resume and a healthy dose of self-doubt, I initially decided to just focus on my studies and gain experience writing, editing, and publishing my own work. Finally, in the fall of 2022, I decided it was time to take that step I’d left sitting in the back of my mind these past few years and apply for a UPF internship. I was fortunate enough to be selected to join the Press that following spring as an intern for the Acquisitions Department, as well as to be granted the opportunity to continue interning for the Press throughout the rest of the year. To say I felt and continue to feel an abundance of luck and gratitude would be an understatement.
My time this past year with UPF has been invaluable to say the least, and this blog post can only begin to describe all that I learned and gained from my experience as an intern. Working with the Acquisitions Department, I was constantly given the chance to grow and build upon the skills I was being taught. I was taught the foundation of tasks executed by the department and slowly learned how all these moving parts came together to prepare a manuscript for publication with the Press. Thus, throughout the year, I not only witnessed projects from the department from beginning to end, but also learned to fully complete each step of the process on my own. I’m immensely appreciative of the trust given to interns by the Press to truly take part in its work and journey of bringing books to life. Truthfully, what I gained most from this responsibility was confidence in myself and my abilities. The extensive teaching and guidance is what helped me take on so many new tasks with the self-assurance that I was capable of accomplishing each and every one of them.
I was also able to gain a better understanding of what makes for a strong manuscript. One of my favorite parts of working with the Acquisitions Department was getting to learn about the role of an editor and how that can vary across persons and projects. Working closely with the wonderful editors within the department, I was able to learn how to properly evaluate manuscript proposals, discerning various factors from the different lenses editors must use when considering projects for publication. It was an incredible opportunity to be able to provide my own insight and perspectives on proposals and witness how my evaluations expanded as my knowledge and experience with publishing grew. Being encouraged to contribute my opinions and have them be heard and listened to was also instrumental to my internship experience.
I am beyond grateful to have ended my time as an intern with such positive and impactful experiences. I can say without a doubt that UPF has set the bar incredibly high for the publishing opportunities I will pursue in the future. The passion, dedication, and compassion I encountered at the Press and within the Acquisitions Department are incomparable. These qualities are what I aspire to emulate and carry with me in my personal and professional future. This internship has created a pathway into the world of publishing for me. The first-year college student that felt so buried beneath the pile of questions she once had definitely has had that weight lifted. I now feel empowered with a whole new set of questions, about the possibilities that lie ahead and opportunities to continue to learn and grow within the world of publishing. UPF has gifted me the foundation and confidence to not only continue seeking those answers, but to keep forming new questions for myself and those around me.
Madison Miguelez is a current undergraduate student at the University of Florida, continuing to expand her experience in the world of publishing.
The Florida Bookshelf 