LIFE AT CITYU PRESS
Beyond Imagination Cheerful and quick-witted, Cynthia Li (C) and Sze Tsui (S) look no different from any average City University students. What sets them apart is their experience on the highly competitive internship offered by CityU Press. In a sunny afternoon, Cynthia and Sze share their baby steps in the publishing world and future plans. Clara LUK What did you expect before starting you internship with CityU Press? C: Believe me when I say I expected absolutely nothing. I always just imagined editors as mysterious being who were often pretty invisible. S: It was my first semester in university. I had no clear plan in career. I just decided to apply after receiving a department email, which would at least give me a chance. What are your job duties? C: I thought the job would be mere proofreading, but there are really a lot more than that. Research on topics, book proposals, reviewer copies, and initial meetings with authors are some of the things I had the opportunity to do. One of the most memorable tasks was looking for an image of an ancient Chinese jade—mainly because I had to go through three shelves of books about jade. It was for Love and War in Ancient China—The Voices of Shijin. Factchecking is another thing we interns do a lot. Sometimes we draw maps for books too. S: I did not do much manuscript editing. The assignments I got are rather diverse, for example, I made frequent contacts with the Hong Kong Film Archive about copyright issues for weeks. Other tasks include preparing proposals, poster design, a
little bit of marketing, arranging author interviews, and ebook production. What is your most challenging project? C: Hong Kong Auditing. This book is super long and would possibly qualify as a weapon, for the weight. The challenge is that it features a lot of ordinances, which are constantly under review. We had to go back and make amendments when they were revised. S: My first book was The Birth of the Republic—A Collection of Essays in Commemoration of the Centenary of the 1911 Revolution. I was green and lost so I had to consult my supervisor weekly, which is the part I was anxious about. But we sorted things out in the end and I learned a lot in the process.
Cynthia (left) and Sze (right)
W h a t a b o u t t h e wo r k i n g e nv i ro n m e n t i n CityU Press?
Any advice for students who would like to join our internship?
C: Everyone is nice to us. I remember my supervisor used to take us out for lunch in my first year. She also took the time to rehearse with me before meetings with our editorial manager and editor.
C: Just really to think it through before you join. We have heard hundreds of students telling us how much they love reading and want to be in publishing. A lot of them did not last long. Most of the time it is boring. One question to ask is: Do you edit your own assignments and your friends’? If the answer is “no,� you really would not enjoy this job.
S: It took me some time to adjust. When I first started discussing work with our editorial manager on WhatsApp, I would struggle so long about the wordings and everything. Now that I know he is such an easy-going person. It does not happen anymore. What is the best thing you learned through the internship? C: I pay more attention to layout and organization of ideas. Details such as margins, font choices and color schemes can make a difference in how your ideas get through. Unexpectedly, I have grown to be a more effective communicator. S: Other than greater attention to details, I feel like my interview techniques have improved through interviewing junior interns. It helps to see from a different perspective. How about the working in Hong Kong Book Fair? C: It was intense! At one point, I started working at 8 a.m. It was interesting to see for myself how book marketing works. And free entrance to the book fair! S: The supervisor allowed us to organize, it was surprising how minor details contributed to the whole big picture. The long hours we spent together really brought the interns together as a team, which is very nice.
S: But I believe there is no harm in trying! Practically speaking, it is really important to make yourself stand out in the interview. Know what you have to offer and show us then. What are the necessary traits in interns? C: Anyone who is attentive, willing to listen to others and eager to learn. S: I think these are required in all types of jobs, in conclusion, self-motivated. Has the internship inspired your plans for future? C: The CityU Press internship certainly gave me a taste of different aspects of publishing, including book design basics. For now, I want to further my studies first. But I would certainly love to be a professional editor in the future. S: First off, it is nice to have two plus years of working experience in a university press. I cannot say for sure whether I will go into publishing or not. As you know I have done a lot other than just editing manuscripts, I am interested in applying skills I have acquired in other fields.
Metamorphosis
from beginner to advanced
Under the clear sky of a late January afternoon, senior editorial assistants of CityU Press Jane Hung (J) and Margaret Lee (M) beam with confidence. From nervous newbies to seasoned interns, Jane and Margaret talks transformation, friendship, and future. Samantha CHAN
What made you want to join the editorial internship with CityU Press? M: I first heard about it from a second-year student in the orientation camp. I thought it suited my major and was something I had never tried. My friend and I applied together, but she did not make it through the interviews. J: I am an English major. An editorial internship would look good on my CV, so I applied. How did you overcome difficulties you encountered at work? M: We were just a blank piece of paper at the beginning. We knew we would be spotting grammatical mistakes and typos. But it was not as straightforward when we started. It felt harder because we knew we were inexperienced.
Left page: Jane (left) and Margaret (right)
J: That happened to me too. Another obstacle was learning to use InDesign. How do you like the CityU Press internship? M: I enjoy working through summer the most. It is that time of the year for publishers in Hong Kong. We worked all day every day together and cheered each other through deadlines. It was exhausting sometimes, especially when I was compiling index for a Chinese book, which means I had to search the whole book—by stroke, pinyin, and English. J: But then, we knew we were not working alone. We were all working together, and our bosses even took us out for lunch. How does the CityU Press internship benefit other aspects of your life? M: We have become more critical readers. When we read a book now, we look at how much the editor has done. I have also developed an eye for design details. When I see nice layout, I would remember it for later use. J: Mostly with my assignments. For example, I am more attentive to details such as dashes and consistency. Now all my assignments are free of such stylistic errors. Will you choose the publishing industry? M&J: Sure. But maybe with a magazine or a general publisher. CityU Press publishes academic books and quite a few of them are about politics. Frankly, that is not really our interest. Any advice for students interested in the CityU Press internship? M: The more time you invest in here, the more you learn. Another thing is you need to manage your own schedule. Make sure you get things done on time so others do not have to follow up for you. J: Be patient. Not all times are fun times. Some assignments may seem boring, but they are equally important and you need to do them well too.
Eyes Wide Open— A Peek Behind the Publishing Curtain Cindy Cheung (C) and Russell Chan (R) started their marketing internships with CityU Press the summer of 2013. Stumbling their way through book talks, publication catalogues, and the Hong Kong Book Fair, Cindy and Russell are excited to share their growth and experience at CityU Press. Samantha CHAN
Have your expectations for the CityU Press internship been met? R: The job nature is pretty much what I expected—events, promotion, and some admin work. What surprised me was how complicated it is to publish a book. Take the marketing team for example. After brainstorming an idea for promotion, we need to get references and iron out details for advertisements and events. We have to consult the authors as well. Through these we have developed insights on everyday matters. C: We have also mastered technical skills we would not have otherwise. The Adobe Create Suite is among them. The CityU Press internship has exceeded my expectation in this sense.
What kind of work do you do on a daily basis? C: Various things. Administrative routine such as updating sales details to CityU Press website, Apple, Android and Amazon eBooks platforms; R: Also, we have to brainstorming new ideas to arouse publics’ interest in new books such as organizing book talks, drafting press release, and creating catalogues. What made you stay with CityU Press for so long? R: The relationship among people in general. Our bo: The relationship among people in general. Our bosses are pretty close with us, with boundaries of course. I can feel that they do care about us. When we were preparing for the
Cindy (left) and Russell (right)
Hong Kong Book Fair, Chris and Edmund from the editorial department brought us food in a weekend meeting and they did not even have to come to work that day. During the book fair, they brought food and drinks—I mean fresh bread and fancy coffee. Working seven days a week back then, what they did really moved me. They are open to accept our ideas as well. For the newest catalogue, Cindy and I proposed to produce a calendar in addition to the traditional one and our supervisor approved. C: That is why I love CityU Press. I love the freedom and flexibility. Not only time-wise, but also room for creativity. Unlike other internships I have taken, we do not just photocopy and buy coffee. We are encouraged to propose ideas. The nest part is that our proposals are often given serious consideration, and sometimes become part of our projects. This makes me feel valued.
What advice do you have for students interested in the CityU Press internship? R: A sense of responsibility. It is pretty free at CityU Press. We seldom get specific deadlines. The supervisors will not ask about your progress every day, and they will not be really mad if you turn in lousy work, or they do not show it. That is why you need to be responsible and learn to motivate yourself, not only to get the job done but also do it well. C: Work experience is not the most important thing. But they should show their passion and that they are goal-oriented at the interview. Also, be open to tell us what you expect to gain. I know you are about to graduate and meet the real world. Do you have any idea of what kind of job will you choose? Will you choose the publishing industry? R: We are not so sure about that. We still have a few months to think about that. C: Definitely something about marketing. Not bad if someone in the publishing industry would like to hire us.