Interview with Helena McNish

We are very excited to announce that we have an UCL Publishing alumni here on our blog today! Here’s some of the questions we asked Helena McNish:

Why did you choose to do the Publishing MA at UCL?

I knew I wanted to be in Publishing but I had absolutely no idea where in the industry I wanted to go. Everyone knows the big three departments – Editorial, Publicity, Marketing – but I knew it was more complex than that. The best way to not go into it in the dark, I felt, was to do a master’s degree first. I also knew it would be a great way to make contacts, find work experience and internships, and the course itself sounded interesting beyond just being professional training. It has a bit of an academic dint too!

What was the main thing you learned from the degree?

The main thing I would say that I learnt was experience and exposure to the publishing industry. Having contextual knowledge and experience of how the industry works, like how they hire and what the market looks like is invaluable. You get immersed in that world which is the most useful thing about the degree, I think. I also met some really awesome people who are now doing cool things!

What was your dissertation about? Do you have any tips for us about writing 10,000 words?

I did my dissertation on medieval women and their access and usage of books, focusing on the period around the 15th century and two women specifically: Margaret Paston and Elizabeth Woodville (the one from ‘The White Queen’ by Philippa Gregory). I actually had a different idea in mind when I first started thinking about what I would like to do – an ethnographic study of bookshops based on what I’d done for Booksellers and Bookselling – but that’s the great thing about a publishing MA: you can be really creative with your topic choice. Publishing is a wide-ranging academic discipline with a long history, so don’t be afraid of pursuing something that might at first glance seem a bit irrelevant!

Another key tip I have, that has helped me through two 10,000 word dissertations, is to really enjoy the topic you choose. It’s really hard to work for four months on a project that you don’t enjoy and don’t want to constantly pursue around the other things you’ll be doing while researching and writing! And give yourself at least three days to edit before you hand it in. You will be super glad that you did.

What have you been doing since graduating?

After going through about three months of job applications and interviewing, I now work for a media company called Kantar Media as an Entertainment Researcher on their forward planning service. Every day I use skills that I gained from the Publishing MA (though I’m not technically in Publishing right now!) and the job itself acts as great experience. I’m hoping to move back into Publishing in the near future, but it’s definitely a tough industry that you have to work hard to get into. I took the job I’m in to help me towards that.

Other than that – and I only really finished my dissertation two months ago – I’ve been enjoying living in London, and considering what I’m going to do next. Currently I’m starting the process of applying for a part-time PhD in History, using my Publishing dissertation as a basis for a doctoral project. Sam is very kindly helping me out! That’s definitely some advice I would give here: stay in touch with your course friends and with the course itself. They provide great support, networking opportunities, and, let’s be honest, keep a twitter feed really amusing

Finally, do you have any advice about entering the publishing world?

First thing is not to being disheartened by rejection – it happens to everyone! Next is to be prepared for any cover letter or CV you write, or interview you attend. You need to know what the company you’re applying for does, what they want from candidates, how what skills you have apply to the role. Essentially, don’t batch apply! Tailor everything you submit to the specifics of the job advert, and prepare for each interview as specifically as you can. Also remember that every application and interview is practice, and you will get better at it! I definitely did.

Also, if you don’t follow @PubInterns you should be. They are fabulous advocates for people starting out in publishing and are a great resource for job adverts and advice! Twitter is also a valuable resource, so make sure you get really familiar with the key voices on there (the SYP accounts, publishers, and The Bookseller are good to keep an eye on too).

Helena can be found on Twitter @helenamcnish.