Writing, Editing, and Publishing Lab

Miracle Monocle is proud to announce the formation of the Writing, Editing, and Publishing Lab (or PubLab), an initiative designed to support the efforts of students studying English at the University of Louisville on their pathway to careers in the field.

The journal has long been a training ground for the literary publishing professionals of the future, but PubLab will allow us to serve a broader range of students and bring a broader range of publications into being. The key to this growth will be partnerships within the English Department, with local organizations and non-profits, and with national arts-oriented institutions. The product of one such recent collaboration is the realization of Ripple Effects: Photos and Writing on Issues of Water and Culture, a digital book now available for free download. The book includes contributions from students at the University of Louisville, Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, Aalto University in Finland.

PubLab is currently funded by private donations. Visitors to our site are encouraged to explore the prospect of donating to the cause.

Students who have emerged from UofL English’s editorial internships and writing programming have landed positions at corporate media powerhouses and boutique literary publishing houses alike. They serve as academic professionals, editors, staff writers, and reporters. Many are publishing in prestige venues and landing generous funding packages at highly-ranked MFA and PhD programs. Learn more about our current fellows here.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

These recent student testimonials further speak to how central professional development opportunities are to our majors:

“I can think of few things on campus as exciting as Miracle Monocle. It’s a project that opens so many creative doors to students and really provides a place where voices can be heard. It’s both accessible and professional, making it perfect for students.”

“I truly do not know where I would be if I hadn’t joined the magazine two years ago. You have given me the ability to grow and learn in a way that I had never been able to before.”

“[My technical/professional writing] course is very real world and hands-on. I feel like I learned very practical things that I will incorporate into my professional and personal life (I didn’t realize this stuff could be taught honestly).”

IS PUBLAB RIGHT FOR YOU?

Let’s imagine an all-too-frequent scenario, shall we? You find yourself at a social gathering and someone decides to interrogate your choice of major. Look, it happens to the best of us, but the trick is to come prepared. Here’s a script for your next doubt-filled rendezvous:

Q. What are you going to do with a degree in English?
A. A degree in English will give me a robust repertoire of skills applicable to careers in editing, publishing, marketing, writing, organizing, teaching, nonprofits, law, and more.

Q. Don’t you need specialized training to land jobs in those fields?
A. Lucky for me, many of my courses in English include in-depth training that feature real-world writing experiences that I can include on my resume. I also have access to UofL’s Writing, Editing, and Publishing Lab.

Q. What’s UofL’s Writing, Editing, & Publishing Lab?
A. I’m so glad you asked! Let’s take a quick tour: PubLab’s mission is simple: to support students interested in pursuing careers in writing, editing, and publishing by granting them access to training modules, hands-on work experiences, online resources, and badging/credentialing opportunities that will help them to become excellent candidates for hire. Students who engage with the Lab, whether by enrolling in lab-enriched courses or by contacting faculty involved in its administration might choose to engage with opportunities that include but are not limited to: access to guest speakers on subject such as grant writing and small-press publishing models; serving on the editorial staff of a publication; earning credentialing badges in the Adobe Suite of software; accessing an archive of sample cover letters, resumes, statements of purpose, and more.

CONTACT

PubLab is currently facilitated by Dr. Sarah Anne Strickley. Please reach out to her with questions about how you can get involved.