Many people attribute success in the publishing field to working in one of the large publishing houses in New York. However, WCU alumna and assistant director of Hub City Press, Kate McMullen, proves that success in the publishing field can come in many forms.
McMullen was invited by professors in the English department to talk to students about publishing, networking, and more on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
McMullen has worked for Hub City Writers Project in Spartanburg, South Carolina for five years. Hub City is a nonprofit literary press that was founded in 1995. Hub City publishes five to eight titles per year. These titles include poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by Southern writers. As a nonprofit, Hub City primarily relies on grants and donations. The press also operates its own bookstore, Hub City Bookshop. It is the United States’ first full-service bookstore operated by a nonprofit organization.
McMullen is a writer herself. According to her website, McMullen was a recipient of UNCW’s Colbert Chapbook Award, and has had her writing featured in many outlets such as Carve magazine.
McMullen received her B.A. in English from WCU and her MFA in creative writing from UNC Wilmington. McMullen spoke highly about her undergraduate experience at WCU. “I found out about WCU because I wanted to be on Broadway,” said McMullen. However, McMullen became drawn to publishing because of WCU’s English department, especially after taking a class taught by award-winning author, Ron Rash.
McMullen also discussed the importance of networking when searching for jobs. “I kind of tripped into my job,” said McMullen. McMullen attained her job at Hub City because of the connections she made as a publishing assistant for Lookout Books, UNCW’s university press. McMullen was able to start her job at Hub City just two weeks after she graduated from UNCW. McMullen also expressed the luck she had with finding her career as she explained that she wanted to work in publishing while remaining in the South.
McMullen ended her talk by providing students with book recommendations. “The Prettiest Star” by Carter Sickels and “Sleepovers” by Ashleigh Bryant Phillips are on that reading list and both were published by Hub City.
