Ellen Murphy ’17 is spending her summer editing academia’s newest titles and series as an acquisitions intern at Cornell University Press.
Murphy is an English literature major and integral honors candidate with minors in advanced writing, anthropology and medieval studies. As an acquisitions editorial intern, she works on social media campaigns, revises manuscripts for review, writes rejection letters, and attends board and department meetings. She is supervised by acquisitions assistant and Le Moyne alumna Emily Powers ’13 and three senior editors. Murphy helps edit manuscripts for Cornell’s series in labor relations, anthropology, science and Asian studies.
Murphy’s long-term project is editing and promoting the photo-journal The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland by Marisa Scheinfeld. “I work on it almost every day, designing and scheduling online posts, communicating with the author, and organizing two giveaways scheduled for later in the summer and early fall,” says Murphy. “I honestly had never even heard of the Borscht Belt before I was handed this project on the first day of my internship, but I read the book and it’s really fascinating. Working on so many projects means that I get to learn a little about a lot of things, but working so in depth with Marisa on this book has been really incredible.”
Working under a Le Moyne alumna, too, has been a great experience. “Emily is seriously fantastic,” says Murphy. “Knowing that she is a Le Moyne alumna is great. During my interview, we chatted about classes, honors projects and professors, which put me at ease right away. She has been fantastic with communicating with me, encouraging me, and pushing me.” Murphy found out about this internship with Cornell University Press from her friend Christina Huffaker ’13. “Christina is a bit of an internship guru, and I asked her if she had any ideas on tips on how to find and get an internship. She said she would check with her friend, Emily, and the rest is history. I highly stress to anyone who is looking for an internship, job, or any other opportunity to talk to faculty and alumni for advice— it often becomes much more than advice.”
Though the editing world has posed challenges—learning protocols, filing acronyms, and editing jargon— she is taking each day in stride. “There is so much about publishing and acquisitions in particular that I was not aware of. I think that has been the biggest learning experience for me— realizing how much work goes into each published book, and seeing different careers within the field,” she says. “I feel more comfortable, though. Emily still has new things to show me almost every day, but it’s not as overwhelming now that I have a grasp on most of what happens in our department.”
Murphy credits her diverse class schedule and time at Le Moyne as a key to her success. “I think that every moment at Le Moyne, in and out of the classrooms, prepares us for the rest of our lives. The dreaded group project has given me tools for working with the other summer interns. Learning to read efficiently has allowed me go through a 200 page manuscript in one sitting. Taking classes on everything from dinosaurs to the anthropology of Southeast Asia has made me appreciate the opportunity to read and learn about such a broad range of topics. I think there are things I’m not even conscious of that I have learned at Le Moyne that have influenced the progress of my internship.”
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