Publish or perish: the imperative of the academic world. In the dying days of print media, jobs in writing are becoming much more difficult to come by. Careers are often only afforded to writers who already have connections. For many of us, especially people from outside of the circuit of established publications, building a career in writing – be it journalistic, creative or scholarly – just after graduating from college feels like walking alone into the wild.
The world of the entry-level writer in today’s job market is a state of interminable tedium. Free-lancing is becoming increasingly popular in many fields, particularly writing, allowing employers to evade responsibilities to their workers. Though the gig economy may be breaking the spirits of writers across the country, that is not to say there are no opportunities to get a foot in the door.
While publication may seem daunting, student publications offer students a forum to get their work out to readers. At ETSU, publications like The Mockingbird for creative writing, Illuminated for graduate research, and our very own East Tennessean are great places to get started. For those interested in careers in academia outside of undergrad and graduate programs, publishing is the lifeblood of the job.
It is better to start sooner rather than later with opportunities we have at hand. Publishing is, after all, perhaps more than anything, networking. In order for your voice to be heard, you must get it out into the world.
Though the image of the solitary writer is certainly a romantic notion, it is just as much a business as any other profession. We need to recognize it as such in order to protect the labor rights of writers, promote media literacy and re-legitimize the profession for both social and individual interests. Student publication may not structurally change the mess of the publishing world, but at the very least, it allows students to prepare for the tumultuous road ahead.
