The G Word

Dustin Sullivan (MPS Publishing 2020) is the publisher at Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, where he oversees the book and journal publishing programs. Prior to Sigma he was a senior acquisitions editor with Pearson Education’s Professional Technical Group where he acquired books and developed online editorial plans. Here, he shares his insights as a MPS in Publishing student who came to the program, as others do, with more than a decade of professional publishing experience; why he chose GW’s MPS in Publishing program; and tips for a successful career in publishing.

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What have you found to be the value of a master’s in publishing degree, and how are you using what you learned, as a rising publishing professional? 

This program is very practical and provided almost immediate benefits for my current job. It has been helpful in three ways that come to mind: confirming my existing knowledge, teaching new skills, and expanding my horizons. Confirmation probably is the least important, but it’s been comforting learning that others have been doing some tasks the same way as me. And while it’s good to feel validated, thankfully I didn’t just spend two years rehashing what I already knew. I picked up lots of new skills that helped me immediately and will likely be beneficial as I look at new positions. I’ve learned a lot more about the industry itself—particularly areas I didn’t already have experience with like university presses—and I’ve met a lot of students and instructors who have become new friends and colleagues. Hopefully these new relationships will last far into the future as all our careers progress.

Many of our students have an average of five years or so in publishing industry, or work in related fields and hope to enter the publishing business, but each year we have a few students such as yourself with ten or twenty years of publishing experience. Your contributions help other students, and professors remark learning from you. How do you think your level of publishing experience leads to a different experience as a student? What would you say to students considering the program with a decade or more in the publishing business?

Unlike some inexperienced students who don’t know what they don’t know, I came into this program with a better sense of what I wanted to get out of it. I’ve worked on enough projects that I could breeze through some of the basics and skip to the juicy parts to help unlock something new. And I could ask my instructor pointed questions so together we could improve ideas even more.

At the same time, I tried to be open to learning from my classmates. Every class had someone who provided new insight and perspective, and I learned quite a bit from less-experienced classmates who could offer fresh takes or come at problems from new angles. I was lucky to have been surrounded by smart people, both classmates and instructors. They all challenged me, helped me learn, and made me a better publisher. It was worth the effort, and I’d encourage others in similar positions to take the plunge.

This program is very practical and provided almost immediate benefits for my current job. It has been helpful in three ways that come to mind: confirming my existing knowledge, teaching new skills, and expanding my horizons.

Describe your career path so far. You have been at Sigma Theta Tau now for more than 8 years, as Publisher, and previously worked in Acquisitions for Pearson and Macmillan Computer Publishing.

My first gig in publishing was a freelance technical editor for a video game strategy guide publisher. Right out of college it was a pretty good way to make some extra money and see new games before they were released. I was also given the opportunity to write a book for AP Press about an upcoming version of Internet Explorer. I started writing with an alpha release and had to revise it many times as the software moved into beta and finally gold status. Learning how to write and revise rapidly would end up helping me with my next job.

I was then hired as an acquisitions editor at New Riders Publishing, an imprint of Macmillan Computer Publishing. New Riders was one of several MCP imprints, and they were fond of restructuring. Over the next few years I published books with the New Riders, Cisco Press, ExamCram, Que, and Sams imprints covering computer design and drafting, programing languages, operating systems, hardware, networking, and professional certification. The time I spent revising my own book when a new beta was released turned out to be great practice for managing authors and editors through the same process.

Pearson was making inroads into professional publishing in the late 90s, and they snapped up MCP as well as Addison Wesley and Prentice Hall. I moved from books to a new online division, InformIT.com, that became the online portal for all imprints in Pearson’s Professional Technical Group. As a senior AE I developed online editorial plans, acquired digital and online products, worked on digital product development, and helped promote and merchandise our print and digital titles.

Although I enjoyed what I was doing, eventually I decided I had stayed put for too long. A former co-worker told me about the open publisher position at Sigma in 2014, and I’ve been here ever since. It’s been a great experience learning about the scholarly journal world, which was entirely new to me when I came here; getting to work on books again felt like coming home.

Thanks to this program, I’ve been able to apply some of my existing skills in new ways as well as add some new wrinkles to my publishing program at Sigma. Each class provided tips and techniques I used at Sigma right away…

What are some of the reasons you decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree? Why did you choose GW specifically?

I spent a long time at MCP and Pearson, and after I had a taste of what else was out there with my new job at Sigma, I decided I wanted more. I really enjoy what I’m doing with non-profit book and journal publishing, but I don’t necessarily want to spend the next 15 years doing the same things. I would like to go on some new adventures, learn some new skills, and take on some new challenges.

There aren’t a ton of graduate-level publishing programs out there, but I researched as many as I could find. Many seemed to focus on editing, but GW’s business track stood out since it covered exactly the type of skills I wanted to develop. Once I read the course descriptions, I knew I had found the right program.

Even with my growing excitement about the program, it was a daunting decision to commit to two years of time, effort, and expense. I went back and forth a lot, and I think I submitted my application on one of the last days before the deadline for cohort 14!

How does the MPS in Publishing degree inform your goals and perspectives as you continue to develop your career progression? 

The degree has given me the ability to look at the big picture more effectively. I feel more confident in my ability to see trends around me, determine how they will affect (or not affect) my publishing program, and make changes to adapt, adjust, and improve. I’ve also learned quite a bit about other parts of the publishing industry, and that new knowledge will help directly as I look to make future career moves.

How are you using what you learned in your publishing courses in your day-to-day work as a publisher of books and journals for nursing students and professionals?

Thanks to this program, I’ve been able to apply some of my existing skills in new ways as well as add some new wrinkles to my publishing program at Sigma. Each class provided tips and techniques I used at Sigma right away: a new tool to help prioritize upcoming books and more effectively allocate resources; new clauses for subrights contracts that will help ensure I get the best terms in foreign rights deals; strategies for expanding our publishing program outside the US; practical experience building complete book marketing plans; and even the ability to create some promotional materials in InDesign when our designers were swamped. Each course has also taught me how to look at my publishing program from new angles and more effectively assess our performance, and they’ve introduced me to new people, inside and outside of GW, to whom I’ve been able to reach out with questions or to create new partnerships.

What are the top 3-5 skills that have been helpful in your career? How transferable are they for different career paths?

1. Be open to learning new things. Over the years I’ve had a hand in almost every aspect of publishing, from some “invisible” tasks to other more prominent roles within the publishing process. I’ve tried to be open to learning as much about publishing as possible, and ultimately this broad experience has served me well.
2. Be flexible. Sometimes you’ll be asked to do things that don’t sound like much fun. Sometimes your company will restructure. Sometimes a book you really counted on will fall through. The more you’re able to roll with these punches, the longer you’ll be able to stick around.
3. Be kind. Some tasks are zero sum, like competing with other publishers to sign a big author, but not all publishing is like that. Even in those win/lose situations, kindness is still a good strategy. People remember how you treat them, so lead with kindness and respect. You’ll find many people in this business will go out of their way to help you, even when you aren’t on the same team.
4. Be connected. Publishing people will often be happy to give advice, help you out of a bind, or maybe even send a good lead your way. Networking and relationship-building aren’t new concepts, of course, but publishing folks are just good people to know and have on your side.

We can’t go back in time, but what would you tell your younger self, if you were able to, in terms of career advice or skills and strengths to develop?

I’d tell myself to not get too cozy in one job. There’s a lot to learn out there with new positions, new companies, and new challenges. Comfortable and familiar can be good, but they don’t often encourage personal or professional growth. Push yourself out of your comfort zone from time to time.

How do you think publishing professionals can plan a career path that is intentional, with well-defined goals and aspirations, yet still allowing for flexibility and serendipity?

Spend some time thinking about what inspires you as well as what you’re good at. Your chances of finding a position where your interests and abilities align increase when you’ve put some effort into determining both what’s important to you and what you have to offer others.

Make an effort to seek out as much industry knowledge as possible. Think micro: what you’re currently doing, how you can become better at it, and what your options are for advancement in your current role. Also think macro: what is out there in the larger publishing world, what is within your reach, and what will require some planning and effort to obtain.

Be pragmatic. 3- or 5-year plans are great, but don’t be afraid to move a little faster if the circumstances are right. And don’t get discouraged if things take a little longer than expected. Just keep actively trying to move forward.

And finally, don’t be afraid to fail. This holds true for individual projects (sometimes a book doesn’t pan out the way you want) and also career choices (you may end up in a role that’s not what you’d hoped for). Learn from these mistakes and understand they don’t define you. They can help you make better decisions going forward.

Have you had a mentor, either at work or elsewhere? What has been the role of mentorship in your career?

This business tends to be very collegial, and I’ve been helped by many people along the way. The publisher and associate publisher who hired me at New Riders for my first publishing job took a chance on me given my lack of acquisitions experience. They were very patient and gave me a tremendous publishing education over my first few years in the industry. Although their personal styles were different, their publishing sensibilities were very similar. I still look to their example as the type of publisher I’d like to be when I grow up.

Anything else that would be helpful for students, prospective students, or publishing alumni?

I’ll close by simply repeating my suggestions to be open to new experiences, be flexible, be kind, and keep in touch. There’s a lot we can accomplish by working together and lending a hand when needed.