Publishing Work Placement Opportunity

The University of Liverpool has a long-standing relationship with Liverpool University Press (LUP), through which we deliver a successful work experience opportunity as part of the third-year placement module, SOTA300. Students get a valuable chance to work alongside publishing professionals to produce the award-winning Poetry Pavilion imprint.

Over the last three years, graduates who undertook the LUP placement have secured employment with organisations including Penguin Random House, Rowman & Littlefield, Oxford University Press, Liverpool University Press, BBC London, Bloomsbury, and Simon & Schuster. Their roles include Senior Commissioning Editor, Editorial Assistant, Books Marketing Manager, Journals Marketer, Social Media Manager, and Digital Content Manager.

Below is a selection of testimonials from some of these former students…

“My experience on the Poetry Publishing placement at Liverpool University Press not only broadened my understanding of the publishing industry but also equipped me with the practical skills and knowledge to prepare me to build a career in publishing. Under the guidance of a range of committed publishing professionals, I gained exceptional insight into each stage of the publishing process – from copyediting and typesetting a manuscript to marketing and preparing for the book’s launch. I will always be thankful for my time at LUP and the pivotal role it played in helping me reach the position I am in today.” – Molly Luck, Editorial Assistant, Bloomsbury

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at LUP participating in the Poetry Publishing placement. It’s an undeniably brilliant programme, and Alison Welsby was an amazing mentor throughout. It demystified publishing, gave me a holistic understanding of the industry, and provided me with the necessary tools to land those difficult, highly competitive first roles. I can’t thank Alison and the LUP team enough.” – Joe Jackson, Rights Assistant, HarperCollins

“The poetry publishing placement with Liverpool University Press is what I have to thank for where I am in my publishing career. The opportunity to work on the award-winning Pavilion Poetry imprint gave me invaluable skills and insight into the inner workings of the industry. Thanks to the dedicated professionals leading the placement, I’m now working as a Contracts Assistant at one of the Big Five publishing houses. I couldn’t be more grateful to Liverpool University Press for helping to launch my career. I genuinely loved my time there and learned so much from the experience.” – Ella Lewis, Contracts Assistant, Simon & Schuster

“I highly recommend the Poetry Publishing placement with Liverpool University Press through the SOTA300 module. This placement and the experience it provided played an instrumental part in me securing my first permanent role in the publishing industry, kickstarting my career after completing my undergraduate degree. It provides a fantastic introduction to a variety of different roles within academic publishing, giving you the chance to gain hands on experience performing key tasks in the end-to-end process of publishing a book, whilst also providing key insights into the industry as a whole. The entire LUP team were so welcoming and supportive throughout the placement and created a fantastic environment to work in. I don’t believe I’d have the career in publishing that I have today without the experience I gained through LUP!” – Emma Ferguson, Senior Commissioning Editor, Emerald Publishing

“I credit the LUP Poetry Publishing placement as the launchpad for my career in academic publishing! It gave me a thorough introduction to the publishing process, became a key feature of my CV, and was a great talking point in interviews after graduation. Most importantly, it was a fun experience and a true highlight of my time at university. The books we produced that year still sit proudly on the bookshelf in my office, next to the books I’ve worked on since!” – Emma Morley, Commissioning Editor for Filmmaking and Postproduction, Taylor & Francis