Every year, PUP鈥檚 Publishing Fellowship program supports two fellows annually in full-time, salaried positions where they are supervised and mentored by hosts in their respective departments and are offered a variety of meaningful opportunities to engage with colleagues across the Press.
In July 2024, Alexis Alderton (International Rights) and Malaya Jimenez (Production and Sustainability) were welcomed to the press as our fourth-year Publishing Fellows. They recently talked with Debra Liese, Curator of Ideas, to share more about themselves and reflect on their experiences thus far.
What originally inspired your interest in the publishing industry?
Alexis Alderton (AD): I鈥檝e always loved reading and writing and am passionate about academia as well as creative work. I truly believe that being able to communicate and collaborate with a diverse range of voices enriches life and literature. This belief sets the foundation for my love of languages, travel, and culture. I wanted to find a path that brought these interests together, and where I could dedicate myself wholly, so when I started learning about the publishing industry, translations and rights really stood out to me. I was keen when I saw the application for a fellow in international rights at PUP, and as I researched PUP鈥檚 values, I found that these values aligned with my own.
Malaya Jimenez (MJ): I鈥檝e always loved books! I鈥檓 both an avid reader and a collector. Before moving to the US, I was living in the Philippines where I co-founded a design group with my husband. My favorite part of our work was collaborating with our vendors, especially the printers, and holding a finished product in my hands. Something we had conceptualized and designed was now something we could hold, see and feel! We designed and produced a range of marketing materials, but our dream project had always been to produce a book. There is something about holding books and the tactile joy they bring to so many that cannot be replicated, and I鈥檝e always wanted to be part of bringing that joy to others. I鈥檓 so happy that I get to do that on a daily basis through this fellowship.
Each of these fellowships is designed differently and tailored to the interests of candidates and the needs of departments. What are you currently working on and how well does the work fit with your future goals?
AD: The primary focus of my role is being immersed in the experience of a rights assistant. I support a wonderful International Rights Team in fielding submissions, processing deals, handling PUP IP, preparations for book fairs, and other administrative support. Much of the day-to-day recently involved gearing up for London Book Fair! My fellowship project includes researching and expanding PUP鈥檚 market knowledge and contacts in university presses and publishers of special interest titles (such as art, nature, and textbooks). The goal is to identify potential new opportunities for global collaborations and licensing.
MJ: As the fellow for Production and Sustainability, I get to work and collaborate with two wonderful groups of people鈥攖he Production Manufacturing team, under the supervision and mentorship of Production Manager Jacquie Poirier, as well as the Sustainability Working Group (SWG). Part of my work involves supporting the day-to-day needs of the Production Manufacturing team鈥攆rom coordinating with vendors, to working with cost estimates and schedules, handling reprints and advances to dealing with customer feedback. With the post-Covid shift to more print-on-demand (POD) production, I have also been heavily involved in working on both frontlist and backlist titles for POD setup. This ensures that our books can have as wide a reach as possible, but with as small a carbon footprint as possible.
Much of my sustainability work involves helping further the Press鈥� sustainability initiatives鈥攕ome of which include using paper from responsibly managed forests and reducing our carbon footprint by printing more locally. In the process of learning about these initiatives, I noticed that the Group had already accomplished so much鈥攁nd continues to do so! So, I pitched an idea for an internal sustainability newsletter called PULP, where we share with the PUP staff the work the SWG has been doing, some sustainability news and other relevant topics. The aim of the newsletter is not only to increase awareness of the group鈥檚 wonderful work, but to hopefully also inspire engagement and interest in helping the SWG champion sustainability. I鈥檓 happy to report that we have just released our second issue and I am already working on ideas for the next one!
All this work has only deepened my love for book production and has sparked a commitment to a subject that is so important鈥攏ot just for the publishing industry鈥攂ut for everyone!
What does creating a publishing house with equal opportunity look like to you, at PUP or in publishing overall?
AD: Along with an equitable recruitment and hiring process, I believe that working toward equal opportunity in publishing requires a look at whose story gets told and why. Not just understanding who has been historically left out of narrative but also reflecting on the why. Further to this is careful consideration of who gets to tell the story and promoting work by underrepresented writers and scholars. Our literature and scholarship should be representative of our rich and diverse world, if it is to be accurate and complete.
MJ: For me it means not only creating a safe space for diverse voices to be heard鈥攂ut recognizing that these voices exist, and that they each bring their own experiences, thoughts and insights. It means providing opportunities for historically marginalized groups to enter a space previously inaccessible to them and giving them the support they need to thrive in that environment. It means embracing the stories they want to tell. Whether it鈥檚 through the books we publish or the people we hire, acknowledging the importance and necessity of equity and inclusion is the only way we can truly tell stories reflective of the world around us.
What did you know about 91桃色 prior to your fellowship and has your experience aligned with your expectations of what it might be like to work here?
AD: I knew 91桃色 was a reputable academic press. I was particularly interested in experiencing academic publishing; however, there鈥檚 a preconceived notion that academic presses are rigid and traditional, and dominated by select voices. It鈥檚 been refreshing to experience PUP鈥檚 creativity, spirit, and the commitment to collaboration across all levels of the press. PUP is active in the practice of its values, and this includes important work in reshaping power structures in academia and addressing gatekeeping in academic publishing to uplift marginalized voices.
MJ: Being local to the area I had heard of 91桃色, but to be honest, didn鈥檛 know much about university presses in general. My knowledge of academic publishing was very limited, and I viewed university presses as publishers of books made by scholars only for scholars. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that yes, books are written by scholars and experts in their field, but in no way is readership restricted to other scholars. PUP publishes a range of books, in a variety of subjects, with just as varied a readership. I have also been impressed by the sense of pride PUP takes in its mission and has instilled in me the same pride in sharing these books with the world.
Are you a big reader outside of work? What book has most inspired you?
AD: Reading is one of my greatest pastimes! I could list numerous authors and works that have inspired me. One of these would be Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture by Gaiutra Bahadur. It was an impactful read for me as someone of Indo-Caribbean heritage, and the history of exploitation and continued use of indentured servitude in the Caribbean is often untold. As I was connecting with this part of myself, this book played a role in my exploration of my familial roots and diasporic identity, inspiring writing of my own. Gaiutra Bahadur鈥檚 research and excavation of these stories is monumental in bringing attention to this oft neglected part of history鈥� and particularly to the women whose experiences she aptly describes as a 鈥渓ost history within a lost history鈥�.
MJ: There are two books that come to mind. While working in Brazil, my mother was shown some photographs of the Philippines taken by a French photographer, Pierre Verger. The photos were of different parts of the country, and its peoples, taken prior to the onset of WWII. The war had destroyed much of the Philippines鈥� written and photographic history, so having these photos was a rarity that she felt needed to be shared. Without any prior publishing knowledge, she went about the monumental task of producing a book. Knowing such a special book was brought to life by my family (my brother, living in Brazil at the time, also helped with the book) is something that always makes me proud.
The other book is about a family member, Pacita Abad. She was an artist who first arrived in the US in the 1970s. Though she has been gone for 20 years now, her inspiring work continues to be exhibited around the world. I was recently gifted the latest book published about her and was fortunate enough to receive it after having seen her exhibit at the MoMa PS1, where I was especially moved by her works relating to her immigrant experience 鈥� something I, and many others, can relate to.
How would you advise those who might be interested in breaking into a career in publishing?
AD: Be adaptive and open to collaboration. Be curious. Don鈥檛 be afraid to reach out and connect with others鈥� everyone I have met so far in the industry is genuinely kind and very passionate about what they do and would love to share that with you.
And, of course, read widely!
MJ: What I鈥檝e learned from my time at PUP is a love of books will get you far. I was delighted to learn of the varying backgrounds of the employees at the Press and how they use the skills from their previous work experience in their roles at PUP. There are so many different facets to publishing outside the ones most people may be familiar with. Be open to exploring different roles and how they might align with what you want to do within the industry. Additionally, know that there are so many different types of publishers. Explore academic publishing and the work of university presses or find out about the amazing work done by indie presses. There is so much to learn, and in my experience, those within the industry are very willing to share their knowledge and expertise. Take advantage of that, learn as much as you can, and allow yourself to be surprised.