The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) was pleased to award a number of grants to support attendance at its 2024 Annual Meeting in Montréal, Quebec. The Early Career Grant, covering registration fees as well as up to $1,000 in travel expenses, were awarded to seven attendees who each have more than six months and less than three years total experience in scholarly publishing and have not attended an in-person Annual Meeting in the past.
Grant recipients James Chan, Via Justine De Fant, Rachel Laney, India Miraglia, Amanda Muscente, Kristin Rawlings, and Andrew Webster offered the following brief descriptions of their experiences.
James Chan, Sales Specialist, University of Nebraska Press
My experience at the AUPresses Annual Meeting in Montréal was enlightening. I learned more about the current state of our industry, met people from other university presses, exchanged ideas, and bonded with my colleagues at the University of Nebraska Press.
As this was my first year at the AUPresses Annual Meeting, I had much to learn about the essential topics in our industry. The various panels I attended gave me a better idea of the landscape and our challenges. From the opening plenary “A Conversation on AI and Publishing,” to panels like “AI and Publishing: What’s Keeping Us (and Our Authors) Up at Night…?” and “Content Marketing in the Age of AI,” it was clear that Artificial Intelligence would have a presence at AUPresses. While these sessions talked at length about how AI models work, what changes we can expect to see in the future, and how it can help or harm academic publishing, I thought the strategies on how best to use AI in a university press setting was the most applicable. Some strategies included incorporating AI into daily workflow tasks and summarizing information while making sure there is someone to supervise and edit where needed. There were also multiple useful panels to help me navigate my career in publishing, from how to work successfully at home, foster strong relationships with independent bookstores, and use social media effectively.
Along with attending informative panels, I got to know more people in the industry. I met up with other sales specialists, attended their panels, and connected after the panels. I also had the opportunity to be a panelist on fostering more robust relationships with independent bookstores, allowing me to interact with other salespeople and book enthusiasts.
My publisher, the University of Nebraska Press, could send multiple coworkers to the Annual Meeting because the grant covered my registration fees. The grant gave me the opportunity to interact and get to know my colleagues at the University of Nebraska Press since I work remotely and only get a few chances to collaborate with them in person. The event was an enormous success, and I plan to attend next year.
Via Justine De Fant, Publicity and Development Manager, University of Guam Press
Attending the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting was an enriching and stimulating experience, offering several opportunities for professional growth and cross-collaboration. The chance to engage with peers from presses such as Brown University Digital Publications, University of Hawaii Press, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, and University of Florida Press (to name a few) facilitated necessary dialogues around the evolving landscape of academic publishing and the unique challenges university publishers face.
One of my key highlights was the opportunity to share University of Guam (UOG) Press’s distinct mission, emphasizing our commitment to promoting Micronesian cultures and the talented communities we serve. Everyone I met was incredibly kind, and they showed a genuine interest in learning more about UOG Press, just as I was eager to learn about their own work. I took great joy in the mutual sharing of resources and knowledge regarding publishing.
A particularly compelling session I attended was the opening plenary, “A Conversation on AI and Publishing,” led by Dr. Guillaume Lajoie and Dr. Peter Schoppert. Their discussion on the future of AI within academic publishing challenged my preconceived notions about platforms like ChatGPT or Jenni AI. Initially hesitant about the role of AI, I left the session with a more nuanced understanding of how these tools can streamline routine tasks, allowing for greater focus more substantive and creative aspects of my job. Though the integration and power of generative AI still unsettles me, this panel affirmed that university presses and partner organizations—especially those that uphold and promote Indigenous knowledge and, by extension, Indigenous communities—should be at the forefront of these discussions and efforts in the realm of generative AI. I came home with a renewed desire to ensure that stories from Micronesia enter this uncharted digital space with care, intention, and necessary engagement from our community. I am grateful for AUPresses facilitating these necessary conversations, and I am honored to have a seat at this table.
The AUPresses Annual Meeting was a deeply rewarding experience, offering a wealth of knowledge that I am eager to apply to my efforts at UOG Press, and I look forward to continuing my conversations with my AUPresses colleagues.
Rachel Laney, Editorial, Design, and Production Coordinator, University of Virginia Press
Attending the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting in Montréal was an amazing opportunity. Spending two days immersed in sessions and discussions helped me to learn more about university publishing as an industry, create connections with other publishing professionals, and develop practical new ideas that I could take home and share with my colleagues at the University of Virginia Press.
While at the meeting, I tried to attend as many sessions as possible, including those outside of the duties of my job. For example, I attended a session on the topic of alt-text and one on regional trade books. I learned a lot in both sessions, and I was able to take some notes that I passed along to my colleagues on my return like adding alt-text to cover designs and new ideas on acquiring regional trade books.
One of my favorite aspects of the in-person meeting was the easy networking and socializing between sessions or during the shared breakfasts and lunches. Sharing a meal and discussing topics both within and outside of publishing was a great way to break down barriers between institutions or expertises. Through this, I was able to connect with several press directors, marketing and publicity managers, and fellow early career professionals at different universities.
Above all, I left the Annual Meeting feeling empowered and inspired. I attended several early career events, and I was excited to hear from other presses on their plans to help early career individuals. Since I primarily work in design and production, the most helpful session to me was on production workflows and strategies. It was a relief to find that many other presses experience the same difficulties and struggles as my own press. Having many production professionals in the same room all sharing their experiences was enlightening, and I took many ideas home with me to work through them with my manager and colleagues.
I am grateful that I was able to attend the meeting in Montréal. It made me enthusiastic about my path in university publishing and helped reignite my confidence in my own talents and skills. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year’s virtual meeting offers.
India Miraglia, Acquisitions Assistant, Cornell University Press
The experience of attending the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting in person in Montréal was incredibly educational, inspirational, and fulfilling. As someone who has only worked remotely in publishing, the in-person meeting gave me the opportunity to be a part of the scholarly publishing community in ways different to the paths available digitally. I met current and past colleagues, made connections with people in the same stage of their careers as me, and found mentorship and support in other publishing professionals I met throughout the conference. The publishing network is an important one, and the meeting brings together people from different presses and backgrounds to discuss, in real time, the issues, successes, questions, and possibilities that affect us all. I learned so much being a part of that this year, including through the many panels I was able to attend. Panels related more closely to my current position—such as successful list building and scholarly fiction publishing—shared new skills, strategies, and perspectives for me to bring back to my work. Other panel topics, including book sales in the United States and Canada and relationships with independent bookstores, presented invaluable insights into different but interconnected corners of the publishing world, and I am grateful to have been able to gather so much knowledge and experience with scholarly publishing while surrounded by my peers. That sense of community—finding it, growing it, and building on it to support individual, press-wide, and publishing-wide work—was present throughout all the panels and throughout the whole conference.
Previously, I had attended the AUPresses 2023 virtual meeting. It occurred relatively soon after I started my current position, and I remember feeling thankful for the opportunity to experience so many different conversations, debates, teachings, and collaborations related to this field I am passionate about and want to be a valuable contributor to. This year’s in-person meeting expanded that feeling, and I took from it a greater sense of the publishing world, of my place in it, and of the ways we can all work to better share, support, and elevate the important scholarly publications we see each day.
Amanda Muscente, Journals Coordinator, Catholic University of America Press
Attending the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting in Montréal was an incredible experience. Being in my first year as a journals coordinator, I was eager to learn from and connect with other professionals in my field, while learning more about the university publishing industry. The meetings exceeded my expectations.
The main benefit of attending the in-person meeting was the ability to meet with other university press staff, specifically those who work with journals. The journals networking event on day one was incredibly helpful, allowing me to meet a large number of journals staff and have some great discussions about what is going on in the field.
I was able to attend some interesting and informative sessions, such as “Building New Lists.”. I appreciated how the discussion involved both books and journals. I also really enjoyed the session on “Diversifying Journals Content.” This was a fun session and it was exciting to see what other presses and journals are doing to engage with readers across different types of media. This session also happened on the third day, so there was a larger sense of camaraderie among the journals folks, who had met during previous journals sessions. I also enjoyed “Practicing What You Publish,” which had a great and open discussion about how to publish some more controversial topics and deal with backlist books that may not be seen as appropriate by today’s historians.
I certainly feel that my press will benefit from the ideas and conversations that I brought back from the meeting. After returning to Washington, D.C., I volunteered to join the 2024-2025 Journals Committee to help plan journal sessions in future AUPresses meetings, among other charges. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend and excited to continue to be involved in the AUPresses community.
Kristin Rawlings, Senior Editorial Associate, University of Chicago Press
I am grateful to have attended the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting in Montréal thanks to generous funding from an AUPresses Early Career Grant and the University of Chicago Press. Having just celebrated three years in acquisitions, I came to the conference eager to build on the foundations of my knowledge of university press publishing and make connections with folks at other presses. I was able to do just that, attending sessions that included a balanced mix of larger issues facing the industry alongside topics that are directly relevant to my day-to-day work.
In the former category, much of the conversation centered on the opportunities and challenges AI poses for our industry. It was fascinating to learn how university presses are currently experimenting with AI—both the opportunities that exist and the vigilance that exploring these opportunities requires—through the opening plenary “A Conversation on AI and Publishing,” the session “Streamlining Acquisitions and Developmental Editing with AI,” and conversations with colleagues at other presses that have been working on AI initiatives. AI was a recurring theme throughout the conference; however, I also participated in conversations and sessions around issues of diversity and decolonizing the list, sustainability, accessibility, and hybrid/remote workplace equity.
Among the sessions that are more directly relevant to my day-to-day, I attended “Practicing What You Publish: Presses, Authors, and Controversial Topics,” “Evolving Approaches to Alt Text,” “Building New Lists…Successfully: Perspectives for Books and Journals,” and “Building UP Leadership Skills: Advancing Careers at a University Press.” The latter two sessions resonated with conversations I’ve had with my mentors at Chicago as I think about starting to acquire my own titles. I came away from the conference with a well-rounded introduction to the many considerations facing our industry today. Being able to learn from presentations and conversations with experienced members of the university press community was an invaluable professional development opportunity at this stage in my career.
Andrew C. Webster, Electronic Publishing Production Specialist, Johns Hopkins University Press
My experience at the AUPresses 2024 Annual Meeting in Montréal was overwhelmingly positive. AUPresses hosted a diverse group of professional speakers and panelists, showcasing several subjects important to academic publishing from a variety of perspectives. The opening plenary, “A Conversation on AI and Publishing,” provided an in-depth, frank, and enlightening conversation on the growing role of artificial intelligence in academic publishing.
I came away impressed with the numerous panels I attended throughout the week. The range of subjects covered allowed me to tailor my schedule to my professional and personal interests, including digital publishing strategies, artificial intelligence, and professional development in publishing. For example, attending “Benefitting from Global Multilingual Strategic Partnerships” and “Understanding E-Book Distribution, Sales, and Usage” gave me a better understanding of my role at my university press, and the challenges and opportunities in digital publishing.
Some panels were interactive, such as “Career Progression in Academic Publishing” and “Conferences 101: How to Survive (and Thrive) at Your Next Academic Conference.” These involved discussions between small groups of attendees alongside moderators to guide the conversations. This format afforded us the opportunity to share our own perspectives in academic publishing, leading to some fascinating conversations and viewpoints. I particularly enjoyed these opportunities to have new discussions and meet fellow attendees.
As someone early in their publishing career, I felt the support of AUPresses and my press as a first-time conference attendee. There were numerous opportunities to network and meet people from university presses from around the world. It was always enlightening to hear about someone’s current role or how they found their way into publishing. I was also able to attend panels with my Johns Hopkins colleagues from other departments. I am grateful for these opportunities to learn more about my colleagues and peers in the academic publishing space.
Finally, I commend AUPresses for selecting Montréal as the host city for their 2024 Annual Meeting. As someone who had never traveled internationally, this was an excellent first experience outside the United States.