Jenny Welsh interned at SUP in the first semester of 2022 as part of the Master of Publishing degree at the University of Sydney.
What have you been working on at SUP?
I have had the opportunity to work on lots of different tasks at SUP, which has been amazing. I got to proofread some of the upcoming books published in July 2022, create posts for social media and put together the newsletter and some author Q&As. I also attended the book launch for South Flows the Pearl.
What has been the best part of the role? How about the most challenging?
The best part has been being welcomed as a member of the team and having the opportunity to work on a range of different tasks autonomously. The most challenging was probably organising my time effectively.
Has anything surprised you about SUP/scholarly publishing?
I was surprised by the number of books SUP publish each year, considering the team is quite small, but also the range of different topics that the books cover.
What skills have you used most during your internship?
I think probably writing, editing and proofreading skills, but I also got to use my communication skills through taking part in meetings both internally and with authors.
What was your dream job when you were 12? What is your dream job now?
I think my dream job was to be a journalist, although I don’t remember my parents being too impressed – both are science teachers. My dream job now would be to work in editorial or as a publisher for an independent press.
You have to take a week-long road trip with a fictional or historical character. Who do you choose and why?
It would definitely have to be someone funny to keep me entertained – it’s important to have a sense of humour. I can’t really think of any funny fictional characters though, the books I read tend to be so serious! Maybe Paddington Bear, I am reading A Bear Called Paddington with my daughter at the moment, and he has made us laugh a few times.
What are you planning to do next?
I have just started a new job, which is currently taking up a lot of my time! Outside of that I would like to write my own short story and I have plans to develop my website.
Jenny Welsh is originally from the UK and studied languages at the University of the West of England in Bristol. After graduating, she spent several years living and working in the Netherlands before eventually emigrating to Australia. Since 2019, she has been studying a masters at Sydney University and working part-time as a freelance editor.