MA in Publishing
MA in Publishing
Posted by oh355
27 April 2024An interview of Emma Stonehouse by Becky Miles
Working together over the year, the Exeter MA Publishing cohort created a book; Publishing and Literary Networks in the South West. Our work didn’t stop there, and we were soon considering how to market and promote it. A LinkedIn page was suggested by Emma in the early stages of discussion, and it is something that has blossomed into a really useful tool both for the publication, and for the cohort more generally. Emma and the team have worked diligently to ensure content is posted in both a timely manner and to an incredibly high quality. As someone who wasn’t well versed in LinkedIn, it shocked me to see how beneficial the site has been throughout the marketing of the book, and I couldn’t wait to ask Emma about it to gain some insight.
Becky: Why was making a LinkedIn page a priority when it came to the book launch?
Emma: LinkedIn was a major priority for the book launch due to the subject nature of the publication. As a non-fiction anthology focused on exploring the publishing industry in the South West, it was clear our target market was industry professionals and publishing hopefuls. Therefore, LinkedIn, as a professional platform, provided us with the necessary means to directly connect and advertise the publication to our target audience.
Becky: What has been your favourite part of marketing the book?
Emma: I’ve really enjoyed the marketing campaign as a whole; I’ve loved experimenting with different strategies and techniques. Although the majority of my work was online marketing, creating the LinkedIn page and its content, my favourite parts of the campaign have been the in-person networking events we’ve held. We had a stall in the forum on the University of Exeter campus and a networking stall at the launch event. Both events were extremely rewarding in providing opportunities to passionately talk about the publication face to face with individuals interested in our work and the publishing industry. We also received some amazing feedback on the LinkedIn page from the panellists, Sophie Dickenson and Anna Cohn Orchard, which was really positive, and they were extremely proud of the team’s work.
Becky: Outside of promoting the book, what benefits does LinkedIn have generally for both the Publishing Masters and for its current cohort?
Emma: One of the biggest benefits of the LinkedIn page for the Masters course is the exposure the course can now have. The more attention and applicants the course receives, the more funding it can potentially receive from the University, meaning future cohorts can make bigger publications. It also means that future cohorts already have a pre-established page on the platform to market their publications more effectively.
For current students, we have created a place where we can find and network with industry professionals. We have also created an alumni group on LinkedIn which both alumni and current students of the course can network, post job and placement opportunities, and share advice. It is also a page which creates value to the degree by showing employers the work that we have created, acting as a portfolio which includes the marketing campaign, the eBook of the publication and other experiences we have had.
We have also created an alumni group on LinkedIn which both alumni and current students of the course can network, post job and placement opportunities, and share advice.
Becky: What would you say have been your biggest successes regarding the LinkedIn profile?
Emma: The biggest success is the substantial following we have gained in such a short amount of time. Currently, we have amassed over 600 followers in two months, so I’m proud of that. Many of these followers are influential industry professionals not only in the South West but also across the country, which has built a great foundation for our students to easily connect with these professionals. We have also had many students from across the country message us on LinkedIn with an interest in what we are doing and looking for advice about undergoing a Masters in publishing; it has been a rewarding experience talking to them.
Becky: What have been the hardest challenges within your group for the LinkedIn page?
Emma: There are definitely issues with maintaining consistency in posting content. Some weeks we would have lots to post, with a post almost every day, whereas other weeks we would have maybe one key post. The other challenge is ensuring the content is relevant and valuable to the target audience. The platform’s analytics could only tell us so much about the audience we were reaching. We knew what demographic groups the individuals who were viewing the posts were in, but not the specifics about them, and LinkedIn does not include students as a demographic for its analytics.
Becky: If you had to do this again, with the knowledge you have now, what would you do differently?
Emma: I would have pushed harder to pay for LinkedIn premium so we could personalize our connection requests and have unlimited requests to send. This aspect would have definitely helped grow our network and make those we are less involved with more engaged in our content.
I would also invest more time in content planning and strategy which would have avoided issues with post scheduling or missed post opportunities. I think a longer time dedicated to planning scheduled content, with update meetings as we went, would have been beneficial. There’s a lot of posts we wanted to create but didn’t and this was down to issues with scheduling posts and the limited time frame we had for the campaign. I would also like to have seen us experiment with different types of content formats, namely videos. I think if we had the time and budget, working with the graphics team and social media team, it would have been great to create a video advert of some form.
Becky: What are your favourite aspects of the Masters course?
Emma: My favourite aspect of the Masters course is how diverse the course content has been and how practical it is. To plan, write, edit and market a publication as a group has been fulfilling. I felt immersed in the course and created good relationships with my peers; the creation of the publication also created a better understanding of the theoretical content. My favourite module was ‘Publishing and Power: Black and Asian Literary Networks’ which covered how Black and Asian publishing has developed along with the challenges and changes that must be made in the publishing industry to make it more diverse.
My favourite aspect of the Masters course is how diverse the course content has been and how practical it is. To plan, write, edit and market a publication as a group has been fulfilling.
Becky: What tips would you give other prospective students who want to take a similar path?
Emma: Whether studying the Publishing Masters course or not, it is so important to take advantage of networking opportunities that the university offers you. Exeter has provided so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. For example, the panellists have been super friendly and willing to talk and connect with us.
On the publishing course, it is super important to be open-minded to all aspects of the industry. The course will cover and give opportunities to explore all elements of the industry, so try to throw yourself in completely to every task. It is also important to find a placement that allows you to gain experience in all areas if you aren’t certain what you want to specialize in. While I enjoyed the editorial module in term one, I knew editorial wasn’t my dream career and it was when we started the marketing campaign that I knew what career path I wanted to focus on which helped me find my placement.
For publishing specifically, it’s key to stay updated on industry trends and technologies, especially when writing cover letters and in interviews; this can be through online platforms, such as X or LinkedIn, or subscribing to newsletters. It is also important to find experience in the field you want to work in. I want to go into marketing, so I have volunteering jobs and work experience in marketing outside of the publishing industry which has helped me create a marketing portfolio.
Exeter has provided so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I’m extremely grateful to Emma for all of her insightful answers. I couldn’t have asked for better responses! I found her tips super helpful myself and I’m already on the course, so I can’t imagine how valuable this knowledge will be to those of you who are publishing hopefuls. I’m definitely going to give more time and energy to LinkedIn after seeing just how beneficial it’s been!
Thanks again to Emma for the time and effort given both to this interview and to the LinkedIn page, and to the rest of her team who all played a part in making it the success it has grown to be.
The LinkedIn page can be found here.