February 16, 2022

#SPI: What Summer Publishing Institute Alums are Saying

By C.D.

We always love sharing what our SPI alumni have to say about the program, so we reached out to recent grads with a few questions.  Read on for a candid, inside look at SPI. We hope you will enjoy hearing the viewpoints of those who learned in our classrooms, engaged with speakers, made friends for life, and took their SPI training with them into the publishing industry for an exciting new career!


How did SPI help you get the job or help prepare you for your current duties?

“SPI was the cherry on top for my resume. I had been getting interviews already but my managers said that SPI added a good touch.”  — Sophie Schmidt, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins Children’s Books, SPI ’21 Grad 

“SPI landed me my internship, which got me the job. I think they found it helpful that I came in with lots of knowledge about books and publishing in general, and SPI taught me more about how to talk about books which was helpful in the interview process.” — Riley Golberg, Children’s Editorial Assistant, Workman Publishing, SPI ’21 Grad


What would you say to students applying for 2022 regarding why they might want to go to SPI?

“If you’re slightly interested in publishing then you absolutely need to join SPI. It is an incredibly eye opening experience and you will make great connections to last a lifetime.” — Deanna Torre, Marketing and Publicity Intern, Workman, Hachette Book Group, SPI ’21 Grad


Whether or not you are currently working in publishing or media, why does this career appeal to you? What excites or interests you about this pathway?

“Publishing is an extremely enticing career. I love the idea of being on a team that creates and works with amazing books that get into the hands of really impressionable readers. I want to get diverse books into the industry and I know I can do that through publishing.” — Deanna Torre, Marketing and Publicity Intern, Workman, Hachette Book Group, SPI ’21 Grad

“I have loved books from a very young age, and I want to be able to bring that love and excitement to people today. Getting to meet so many people from different backgrounds and share their stories seems like the most rewarding career to me.” — Alexa Rosenberg, SPI ’21 Grad


What do you like best about your job and your responsibilities?

“I am able to wear many hats in this department and work mainly on outreach, social media, company-wide marketing, and submission review. This allows me to have a broader perspective on publishing and what we do at Greenleaf from the start of the process and as a whole.” — Lacey Harms, Business Development Intern, Greenleaf Book Group, SPI ’21 Grad


Visit our homepage for more information on the NYU SPS Summer Publishing Institute and our other Center for Publishing programs.


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