Career Development & Professional Engagement Events
This calendar presented by
Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement
[PAST EVENT] 26th Biennial Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar
November 7, 2024 - November 8, 2024
3:30pm - 4pm
Access & Features
- Free food
- Paid event
- Registration/RSVP
The 26th biennial Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar is an exclusive opportunity for W&M students to connect with and learn from alumni working in publishing within a broad scope of areas. This 2 day seminar is open to ALL students, undergraduate and graduate in all majors. Whether you know publishing is the path for you, you just love books, or you want to explore publishing as a potential career - this seminar is for you!
The seminar is 2 days, beginning at 4 PM on Thursday, Nov. 7 and concluding at 4 PM on Friday, Nov. 8. Students do not need to attend every session in order to join us, but are welcome to stay for as many sessions as they like. Hear from alumni from major publishing houses including Penguin Random House, MacMillan, Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, as well as additional alumni from DoubleDay, Dey Street Books, David Black Literary Agency, the Bright Agency, Esquire and even PBS Kids.
The schedule is below.
Thursday, Nov. 7
3:30 PM – Registration Opens at the Alumni House
4:00 PM – How to Write a Query Letter Workshop
Presented by Jon Pineda, Director of Creative Writing - Associate Professor of English
Alumni Expert: Hannah Strouth '19, Associate Literary Agent, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
5:30 PM – Keynote Panel: The Agent and the Editors
Panelists:
Scott Moyers '90, MA '91, VP & Editor, (Penguin Press) Penguin Random House
Gary Morris '89, Literary Agent, David Black Literary Agency
Carrie Thornton '97, SVP & Publisher, (Dey Street Books) Harper Collins
Lee Boudreaux '90, Executive Editor, (Double Day Books) Penguin Random House
6:30 PM 8 PM – Heavy Hors d’oeuvres reception with networking
Day 2
Friday, Nov. 8
8:45 AM – Breakfast and registration available at the Alumni House
9:30 AM – Panel: Career Paths and Roles in Publishing
Panelists:
Meilan Solly '18, Senior Associate Digital Editor: History, Smithsonian Magazine
Lauren Wengrovitz '18, Associate Marketing Manager, MacMillan
Liza Buell '19, Publicist, Celadon Books
Erin Clarke '98, VP & Publisher, (Clarion Books) Harper Collins
10:45 AM – Panel: The Power of Storytelling
Panelists:
Abigail Covington '10, Contributing Editor, Esquire Magazine
Tommy Gillespie '09, Senior Content Production, PBS Kids
Christine Johnston '16, Publicity Manager, Penguin Random House
12:00 PM – Networking Lunch
1:30 PM – Panel: The State of Diversity in Publishing
Panelists:
Addie Tsai, Assistant Teaching Professor of English
Emily Fernandez '18, Associate Agent, The Bright Agency
Bezawit Yohannes '18, Assistant Marketing Manager, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Kayla Sharpe '17, Deputy Newsletter Team Leader, Bloomberg Industry Group
2:45 PM – Panel: Young Alumni in Publishing: How to Break into the industry
Panelists:
Lauren Wilson '22, Associate Publicist, Bloomsbury
Azraf Khan '23, Editorial Assistant, Penguin Random House
Stephen Ryan '19, Associate Manager, Penguin Random House
4:00 PM – Wrap Up There is a fee of $10 per student to attend the seminar (whether attending 1 or both days), which includes a heavy hors d'oeuvres reception, breakfast, and networking lunch, as well as water and beverages throughout the day.
Please RSVP on Tribe Careers for 1 or both days that you plan to attend AND bring a check or credit card payment to the Cohen Career Center front desk BEFORE Nov. 1 to secure your spot.
Location - The W&M Alumni House
Sponsored by: Office of Career Development and Professional Engagement & the Writing and Communication Center
Contact
Contact the office at [[career]] or 757-221-3231