In this episode of SSP’s Early Career Development Podcast, hosts Meredith Adinolfi (Cell Press) and Sara Grimme (Digital Science) speak to Dawn Durante, the Wyndham Robertson Editorial Director at the University of North Carolina Press, about the role university presses play within scholarly publishing. They discuss a range of topics that include how the university press model and structure can differ or align from the traditional for-profit model, what books and journal operations look like in this environment, and a “typical” day as an Editorial Director.

Dawn takes listeners through her journey within the university press world, from discovering an internship on her undergraduate English department listserv and learning the ins and outs of the industry in a scholarly publishing certificate program, to working her way up the editorial ladder across several presses across the country. Dawn then outlines the general mission-driven tenets university presses have in common as members of the Association of University Presses, as well as the differences they can have in their portfolios, initiatives, operations, and reporting lines. She discusses the balance required in her job as Editorial Director that makes every day different. Dawn concludes by stressing the importance of work life balance and the opportunities behind saying “no.”

A wonderful feature of this episode is the plethora of resources listed below that Dawn shares to gain more insight into the university press space and underscore her advice to those interested in working within it. She encourages early career professionals to refer to these resources often to stay in the loop about the types of roles available and join community conversations.

Resources from this Episode:

• Feeding the Elephant– a place for conversations about scholarly communications in the arts, humanities, and social sciences (hosted on the H-Net Book Channel)
• Early Career Resource Guide to Book Publishing– compiled by Amy Sherman of University of Pittsburgh Press
• Paths in Publishing (PIP)– produces and publicizes resources and professional development opportunities for a scholarly publishing audience, including mentorship opportunities and an Open Inbox to questions, cover letters, and mock interview requests
• Association of University Presses (AUP) job board

Background on this podcast series

SSP’s Career Development Committee launched this podcast series in 2019 to offer advice and discussion on how early career publishing professionals can add to their skill sets, develop networks, and take advantage of new opportunities. The series presents interviews and insights from experienced professionals on how to navigate one’s career in a diverse and ever-changing landscape of scholarly communications. If you have any feedback for the hosts, creators, or for future episodes, please email info@sspnet.org