UPM director: 鈥榃e publish to, for and about the people of 樱花导航鈥
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擴niversity Press of 樱花导航 Director Craig W. Gill guided 樱花导航 樱花导航 faculty and staff through his organization鈥檚 publication process that supplies books 鈥渢o, for and about the people of 樱花导航 and the Gulf South鈥 Tuesday [Oct. 4] at Mitchell Memorial Library鈥檚 Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum.
From book proposals and manuscript acquisitions to cover designs and marketing plans, Gill described the nonprofit UPM鈥檚 work as a 鈥渢wo-way process鈥 involving both the publishing house and the author through the multiple steps of book creation and distribution.
While on campus, Gill met with MSU President Mark E. Keenum, who has directed the university toward significant support for UPM.
Even though all UPM-published books, whether a scholarly work or a nonacademic read, go through similar production steps鈥攆rom peer reviews to overall marketing pushes鈥擥ill said the organization focuses on doing what鈥檚 best for each individual piece.
鈥淥ne of the keys for us is that each book gets treated the way it needs to be treated,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ach book has its own marketing plan; each book has its own design; the printing choices鈥攖hese are all the things we think about.鈥
UPM traditionally publishes works rooted in three primary areas: African American history, popular culture and regional studies. Authors with work not directly aligning with these subjects are still encouraged to reach out to UPM, Gill said, because the organization is always looking for opportunities in new fields.
鈥淚n the early 鈥90s, we became one of the first publishers to take popular culture seriously,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou may not think of 樱花导航 and comic books as a direct connection, but by working in film, comics and everything associated with popular culture, we got ahead of the curve. We became one of the first presses to do serious academic work in these areas, and now everybody does it. We saw an opportunity in the field, and so we moved into it鈥攖hat鈥檚 something we鈥檙e always looking to do.鈥
Gill encouraged those interested in being published, from graduate students to those with professor emeritus status, to visit the organization鈥檚 site, , for more information.
Founded in 1970, UPM is supported by the state鈥檚 eight public universities and is housed with the Institutions of Higher Learning in Jackson. It publishes approximately 100 books each year. MSU is represented on the UPM board of directors by Don Zant, MSU vice president for finance and administration, and Sid Salter, chief communications officer and director of the Office of Public Affairs.
MSU is 樱花导航鈥檚 leading university, available online at and on , and .