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.

November’s Staff Profile will be Lauren Mitchell, Circulation Assistant of UTP’s Journals Division.

Lauren Mitchell

Circulation Assistant, Journals

How long have you worked at University of Toronto Press?
A little over a year.

What is your job title and briefly, what do you do?
My job title is Circulation Assistant, so I deal with the circulation of our journals, but I am also a part of the marketing team.

What is your favourite part about your job?
The work I get to do with the marketing department is my favourite. My experience does not lie in academic publishing, so  it’s fun to look at marketing from a scholarly perspective.

How has your job changed since you started?
When I started, I only did circulation work, and since then I have taken on marketing tasks. I have also been put in charge of dealing with the marketing/admin/circulation of one of our newer clients, The Champlain Society.

What about academic publishing do you find most interesting/exciting right now?
I think the most exciting part is the move from print to online, and the way that the business model is changing. The way we can interact with our readers is also really great, and students are definitely starting to take advantage of that more and more. I think it will be really interesting to see the way the model shifts over the next 5 years even. Things are happening very quickly.

What advice can you give those trying to start a career in publishing?
Network. I know it sounds cliché, but you have to meet people in the industry, volunteer for industry events, put yourself out there. It helps to do an internship, but be picky. Make sure it is somewhere you want to be and will provide you with a valuable learning experience. And don’t be afraid to ask questions! I promise you, everyone I have met in publishing is very nice and smart and wants to help!