Publishing Thesis? Piece of Cake!

Erin Pursell at work on her Capstone

The Capstone is the culmination of the Master of Science in Publishing program at NYU. This is our graduate thesis, and we are asked to write a complete business plan for a new media venture. Students have created plans for new book imprints, magazine brands and content-rich websites, and a few have gone on to seek funding  in the hopes of launching a successful business.  (In fact, we are encouraged to do so.) On day one of the Capstone class last fall, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Knowing the scope of the task that lay ahead, I felt a little uneasy, not quite ready for the process to begin. A recent graduate of the program was there to talk about her own experience with the Capstone project.  She discussed finding a study buddy, staying focused, and getting started immediately. As I tried to figure out exactly how much work was ahead of me, she began explaining her study regimen: a private room in the library, booked four days a week for several hours each day, all semester. My eyes widened. Four days a week? Who has that kind of time? Her final paper was passed around the room, and I thumbed through the weighty forty plus pages. How was I ever going to get this done?

Expert Advice

Mary Ann Bekkedahl will speak in NYU's "From Idea to Empire : New Business Development" class."

We love our faculty members at NYU’s Master of Science in Publishing program, but it’s still nice to have a fresh face in the classroom now and then. Enter the guest speaker, an expert who spends an hour or so imparting a new publishing viewpoint,  strategy or way of doing business to the class. This fall, we’re fortunate to have a number of guest speakers sharing their wisdom with our students.

For faculty members, luring a top publishing executive to NYU’s evening classes after a long day on the job is a feat in itself. In fact, snaring speakers requires the reach of a casting agent, the tenacity of a talent scout and the clout of a speakers’ bureau combined. One must be very persuasive to convince a guest speaker to put together a PowerPoint presentation, scramble around for interesting handouts—think bestselling books or hot magazines—bolt out of the office early (stomach grumbling), and race to NYU in time to face a sea of equally hungry and weary students.