Last week The Office of Career Planning & Professional Development hosted a Careers in Publishing Session on the 9th Floor of The Graduate Center. Al Bertrand, Associate Publishing Director of Princeton University Press was the guest speaker, and the stage was set for an informative afternoon, centered around what we should expect from a career in academic publishing. Ultimately we know that academic publishing may lack the lure of mainstream publishing, but in contrast we discussed the bright spots that come along with working in an academic environment as a publisher.
As we began the session, Bertrand explained why academic publishing remains important to the growth of scholarly learning. Points of growth, knowledge, and research continue to serve as key points in regard to presenting new content for the academic marketplace. We also took a look at textbooks, which are slowly becoming extinct. It seems that each semester more students are looking to print copies, or download their text digitally. Intellectual property, the growth of science publications, and the shift from American to European publishing ports also enlightened us on the diversity that may accompany a career in publishing for scholars. After all was said and done, it was obvious that academic publishing will remain relevant to the academe. We should expect technology to alter our way of presenting content, which should open the door for career opportunities in alternative areas of academic publishing.