English majors just may be employable after all. Kelsey Swindler, ’12, visited Wittenberg Tuesday, Feb. 18 to host an information session on the Denver Publishing Institute. Swindler completed the program during the summer after her graduation in 2012 and had nothing but great things to say about the institute.
The Denver Publishing Institute is a very selective program that accepts 95 applicants each summer. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s Degree, and most of the students in the program have just completed their undergraduate education. By completing the program, students also receive six credits that are often transferrable to other graduate programs.
While the program is pricey at around $6,000, Swindler said that the opportunities the program offered were worth every cent.
“It’s hard for a lot of people to justify paying so much for just a month-long program,” said Swindler. “But if I ever wanted to work somewhere else, I have 20 people I can email.”
She emphasized that the publishing industry is all about knowing people, and like many fields, it’s difficult to get started without an introduction. The Denver Publishing Institute is a place where those interested in publishing can make great connections and get a foot in the door.
Swindler has friends that work at big names, such as Penguin Books and Oxford University Press. She said that while many students rush to get business cards from professionals at the end of a lecture, students in the program will have connections too.
The institute has built its reputation on finding its students jobs. “They want you to be as prepared as possible,” said Swindler. Many of the graduates of the institute have found employment shortly after, oftentimes in New York.
While the program focuses on book publication, recent additions have been made, including segments on self-publishing and e-books, areas that “cannot be ignored in publishing anymore,” Swindler added.
Swindler says that almost everyone in the program was an English major, which provides “an encouraging environment” because you get to see a community of similar people finding employment.
Swindler currently works for Orange Frazer Press, a publishing company based out of Wilmington, Ohio. She works in business development and is thankful for the connections she made in Denver.
She is also grateful for the experiences she had as an English major at Wittenberg, and felt prepared entering the institute.
“They really valued my liberal arts education, because I was taught to think about a vast number of things,” said Swindler. “You could get a four-year degree in publishing and none of it could matter the day you graduate.”
Swindler made sure to mention that those interested in publishing should make an effort to reach out personally. She offered her email for any publishing or application inquiries: kelsey@orangefrazer.com.
