Staff Profile is a monthly feature which introduces readers to the forces behind our journals. Based on their own experience, UTP staff answer questions which provide insight into their background, responsibilities, and the process of publishing an academic journal.

April’s Staff Profile will be Rosemary Clark-Beattie, Copy Editor at UTP’s Journals Division.

Rosemary Clark-Beattie

Copy Editor, Journals

How long have you worked at University of Toronto Press?
Eleven years.

What is your job title and briefly, what do you do?
Copy-editor; I copy-edit four journals—CRAS, CJCCJ, UTLJ, and Modern Drama.

What is your favourite part about your job?
Reading interesting articles.

How has your job changed since you started?
A lot has changed; eleven years ago, there was a printing press out back, owned by the press, where all our journals (there were fewer of them) were typeset and printed. We still sent out and marked up proofs in hard copy and the copy-editor did much of what is now done by production. And eXstyles did not exist, so the copy-editor “tagged” paragraphs as she or he edited.

What about academic publishing do you find most interesting/exciting right now?
The rapid changes both in the market and in the way we publish.

What advice can you give those trying to start a career in publishing?
Do a community college course, take whatever job you can get, and watch for opportunities.