Students enrolled in the Professional Writing class WRA 480, Publication Management, get to experience what it’s like to work in the world of publishing by producing ing Magazine, a monthly arts and cultural publication that focuses on the MSU and Greater Lansing community.
Aside from printing and design, students in the class are involved in all aspects of the magazine. They brainstorm and decide upon a theme, write and edit all the articles, and promote the magazine via social media and other community channels.
“Being part of ing has opened my eyes to the world of publishing,” said senior English major Arik Hardin. “I knew I wanted to get into publishing, but I wasn’t sure how that looked; I wasn’t even sure how to approach it. ing has been instrumental in my career planning, and now I have a much better idea of how to get where I want to go.”
While the class is part of the Professional Writing program, it is open to all majors. This semester, the majority of students in the class are Professional Writing majors on the editing and publishing track, and for most of them, this is their first look into the world of magazine publishing.
“Being part of the editorial team, I’ve gained experience in writing for social media, writing for the print publication, and creating original visuals that go into the magazine,” said senior Professional Writing and English major Danielle Schwartz. “You really have to worry about things beyond a due date. You’re putting content out there for your audience to engage in. I don’t think there’s another class that offers this level of professional experience.”
On top of publishing a monthly magazine, the editorial team also manages the ing blog, a candid and witty take on life as an MSU student.
To give students near real-world experience, ing is modeled after and operates like most major publications. Also, Assistant Professor Kate Birdsall, who has taught the class for the past three semesters, is pretty hands off when it comes to creating the magazine, allowing student to collaborate while opening the door to give them as much experience as possible.
“Students often comment on how it’s much more like a workplace setting,” Birdsall said. “It makes for an excellent work experience for anyone who is interested in publishing. The deliverable is the magazine, but a lot more goes into it than just what’s in the magazine.”
In the November issue, the editorial team focused solely on food and the culture of food here at MSU.
ing is distributed and can be found in academic buildings across campus as well as in all MSU residence halls. Visit the ing website for the digital issue of the magazine. You also can keep up with the latest happenings of ing on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
