Relaunch of the SYP in Scotland

Posted on November 4, 2009 in Uncategorized

SYP Scotland held its relaunch on Thursday, 29 October at the Publishing Scotland offices in Edinburgh. The event attracted around 60 publishers (a third) and university students (two-thirds), a promising turnout on what was a rather wet and dark night.

Scottish Chair Dayspring MacLeod began the evening with a few words of welcome, with publicity officer Fiona MacLeod introducing speakers Angie Crawford, buyer and marketing officer for Waterstone’s Scotland, and Claire Squires, the newly appointed head of the Stirling University’s publishing MA. They discussed Waterstone’s economic and digital strategy in the recession, along with the recent controversy over the closure of the Chambers Harrap’s Edinburgh offices.

Jon Slack, the London SYP Special Projects officer, then introduced the next part of the evening: a series of three 10-minute round robin discussions, in which six “roundtable” groups each focused on a different aspect about the future of young publishing in Scotland.

Topics under debate included career progression, young publishing networks, innovation in publishing, ethnic and class diversity, and finally, what were people looking for from the SYP Scotland committee.

Among the conclusions about being a young publisher in Scotland:
– Low wages or unpaid internships, along with a general lack of apprenticeships, are a frequent barrier to entering the industry
– It is almost impossible to be considered for employment without a Publishing MA in Scotland
– There are few available (and affordable) forums available for young publishers to develop the skills needed to get ahead in the Scottish industry, and a lack of informal networking opportunities

Among the proposed roles for the Scottish SYP to consider:
– Hosting regular and informal networking events, at which one or two speakers from specific areas of the industry could lead a discussion on a wide-range of topics. Whether the meetings should be monthly or bi-monthly was still up for debate.
– Hosting social events, such as an annual pub quiz, or trips to local attractions such as breweries or perhaps just regular pubs!
– Hosting CV clinics similar to those at the SYP Conference, or even a mini-careers fair specifically in Scotland
– To provide an online forum / jobs database relevant to Scottish students & publishers
– To encourage mentorships and “skill pooling”, where publishers, agents & booksellers can share their unique skills and experience with each other
– To obtain local discounts for short courses, bookstores, and other relevant trade services (in addition to the current offerings to members)

The discussion finished with Jon encouraging those present to consider the British Council’s UKYPE award, either for themselves as a nominated publisher or a particularly entrepreneurial colleague, as Scotland was a region not represented among the 2009 shortlisted candidates at the London Book Fair.

Dayspring concluded the evening by proposing a new meeting shortly for anyone interested in actively shaping the role of the SYP in Scotland, with details to be confirmed soon. Many who attended were very enthusiastic about the future of the network and it will be interesting to watch as developments unfold in the weeks and months to come.