In addition to being a haven for books that matter, Lookout offers apprenticeships to students enrolled in the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s BFA and MFA publishing certificate programs.

In the book publishing practicum, students bring their enthusiasm and dedication to all aspects of running a literary press. They work collaboratively with Lookout faculty to hone their skills in developmental, line, and copyediting, as well as cover and interior design, marketing, and grant writing. The capstone project engages students in decision-making, preparing them to apply their new skills and cultural literacy after graduation. 

“My goal is to contextualize publishing as a collaborative extension of writing,” says Lookout publisher and faculty member Emily Smith. “In my practicum, I help students understand how we come into community when we publish. I want them to experience the magic that happens when a publisher believes in your book and pours their collective energy and creativity into realizing it with you.” 

Publishing practicum students also have full access to The Publishing Laboratory, the department’s state-of-the-art desktop publishing suite and bindery.

Alumni of UNCW’s publishing programs have gone on to careers in publishing and adjacent fields, leading both big five and independent presses, as well as national literary magazines and arts organizations.

They hold executive, editorial, design, and production roles at Bloomsbury, Bookmobile, Ecco, Hub City Press, Milkweed Editions, Orion, the Rumpus, and W. W. Norton, among many others, and serve as literary agents and publicists. Alumni have also founded their own literary organizations, including Cassie Mannes Murray of Pine State Publicity, Corinne Manning of James Franco Review, Lauran Jones of Seabreeze: A Literary Diaspora, Sumanth Prabhaker of Madras Press, Lori Wilson of Athenian Press & Workshops, and of course Lookout Books, founded by publisher and alumna Emily Smith. The Future of Publishing series on our blog profiles many of these extraordinary alumni.  

Lookout Books “completely prepared me for working for a small press,” says alumna Meg Reid, Executive Director of Hub City Press, “which involves balancing a lot of plates and wearing a lot of hats. . . . I always liked that we were called on to talk about books in public often. I learned how to summarize a book, while communicating its important themes and resonances—a skill I use often now, pitching reps and booksellers.” 

To learn more about UNCW’s BFA and post-baccalaureate publishing programs, visit the UNCW Department of Creative Writing. Applications for the BFA certificate are accepted biannually on September 15 and January 31. Applications for the post-baccalaureate certificate are accepted annually by October 1. Students interested in the Lookout practicum should reach out to Emily Smith to request permission and plan for enrollment.