The Faculty Publishing Service (FPS) helps faculty with their projects and allows students to gain experience in copyediting.
It’s no secret that BYU’s faculty tirelessly work on publishing books, writing articles, and heading up various other projects. With each venture demanding a great deal of attention and time, the project process can seem overwhelmingly daunting. However, a beacon of hopeful light shines at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel of the publishing process: the Faculty Publishing Service (FPS).
The FPS works with faculty to do everything involved in creating and publishing their projects, from brainstorming ideas for the projects to getting the finished product printed. Suzy Bills, director of the FPS, notes how she and her staff members do much more than copyediting. In addition to editing, their work involves “coaching, project managing, getting permission to use images in a book” and much more.
Over the years, Bills and her staff have conquered all kinds of projects. One faculty member, Dr. Eric Eliason (English), shared his experience working with the FPS on some of his projects. “Every article, every book you publish counts,” Eliason noted. “The university looks good or bad depending on how many things its faculty members publish.” Eliason went on to explain how the FPS has helped him publish more than ever before, saying “I have no doubt that my productivity is considerably more than it would [have been] over the last four years [without the FPS].”
The FPS not only benefits faculty who work with it but also students looking for editing and publishing experience. Bills explained that the FPS’s student interns “get a lot of experiences in a lot of different ways . . . It’s fun to have that variety and to see the different opportunities and different areas of publishing.” Eliason agreed, saying explaining how faculty using the FPS should note that they’re “going to be wearing [their] professor mentoring cap a little bit while [they’re] doing it, but it’s absolutely worth the time.”
Now, the secret’s out. BYU’s Faculty Publishing Services remains one of the most convenient options for faculty looking for help with their latest project. Those who go with the FPS can expect quality work, helpful advice, and the chance to mentor students all in one place. The best part? The FPS is completely free to faculty and staff in the Humanities, Marriott School, Harold B. Lee Library, Religious Education, and the Family, Home, and Social Sciences. If you’re a faculty member looking for editors, proofreaders, indexers, or transcribers or if you’re a student wanting experience with publishing, the Faculty Publishing Service is the way to go.
Jensyn Eubank (English, ’19)
For more information about the Faculty Publishing Service, click here.