Securing the right publication can be like jet fuel for your career. As a psychological researcher, piece in the American Journal of Psychiatry could lead to a tenure-track professorship; for an English major, one short story in Vanity Fair or The New Yorker could lead to a meeting with an agent or a book deal; as a chef, one feature in Food Network Magazine could lead to a meeting with a network executive, who’s curious to hear your story and the future work you intend to create.  

These are dream scenarios, but even if your piece isn’t a slam-dunk winner, one good publication can open all sorts of doors. Here are three examples of how just one publication can change the entire trajectory of your career – even as a young professional or college student. For more information about the world of publishing, be sure to register for UB’s own Publishing Launch, where you can listen to a panel of successful writers, journalists, and publishing specialists, and get a chance to meet them one-on-one in a follow-up networking session.

The Geologist

When she first moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, to study at UAF’s world-renowned geophysical institute, Tanya knew very little about the community. Over the next two years, she was determined not just to succeed academically, but to make friends, join some clubs, and get involved in the many outdoor adventures that Alaska has to offer. On a bulletin board in the Student Union, Tanya saw a sign that a local newspaper was looking for a new reporter with a background in the sciences to cover new research at UAF. Tanya wrote an article about one of the projects at the Institute and sent it off with a letter of introduction expressing a desire to write more. The piece was picked up, and Tanya was hired as a columnist.

Her first piece was viewed only ten times, and those mostly by friends and family. But that one publication secured her a position with the newspaper for the rest of the year covering graduate student work in the sciences. It turned out that Tanya had a knack for taking complex information and making it accessible to a general audience; a unique skill for someone with a background in science.

Over the next year, Tanya hitched a ride with other student journalists and travelled throughout the state of Alaska, assisting in the coverage of the Iditarod and camping along numerous hiking trails out in the tundra. After her coverage of a graduate student’s final research project that displayed her ability to write scientifically accurate, engaging content, Tanya was approached by the Museum of the North. The community liaison asked if she would serve as the Copy Chair of a brand-new exhibition; a miniature of the entire Alaskan topographical landscape, spanning the length of the entire specialty exhibit space.

Now, Tanya’s writing is an essential part of one of the Museum’s most popular exhibits. With such a piece on her resume, the only question is: will Tanya continue building her career in Alaska, or take her stellar resume to the lower 48?

The Activist

In the North Brady Apartment Complex on the corner of Brady Street and Washington, residents had been talking about the dirty, mineral taste of the tap water for years. However, when Katarina, then a college freshman visiting her grandmother, drank a glass, she was the first to realize that the problem was serious. Though she planned to major in women’s and gender studies, Katarina happened to be taking a chemistry class to fulfill her general education science requirement. With the help of her professor and a graduate lab assistant, Katarina was able to prove, without a doubt, that the water at NBAC was contaminated with lead.

Katarina put together an article pitch and sent it off to all the newspapers that she knew of in the city. For weeks, no one responded. However, a month later, she attended a public town hall, where she met a producer from the Milwaukee Press. After a quick and impassioned elevator pitch, the producer agreed to take her story to his editor and chief. That same evening, the editor gave Katarina a call. The story, if it was true, was a go.

The story was quickly picked up, and an investigation was launched. Soon, city inspectors discovered that the problem had to do not just with NBAC, but with the city’s own water pipes, and damage had spread throughout the whole neighborhood.

One year later, Katarina and the team at the Milwaukee Press were awarded the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. A junior in college, Katarina plans to continue an internship she recently secured with The Girl’s Club, Katarina knows that there’s a job waiting for her in journalism if she ever wants it. She also has the perfect conversation starter if she ever decides to go after a larger position in a different city.

The Doodler

It was always difficult for Dave to pay attention in high school. He had no trouble completing math problems or his English homework when it was just him and his textbooks, but when it came to sitting in class, watching a teacher complete a problem on a whiteboard… It was all Dave could do to keep his head off the desk. To stay awake, Dave began to draw little stick figures, which eventually evolved to figurines acting out small adventures through the lined divisions of his notebook. In the lunchroom, his friends would offer suggestions as to what the characters might do next.

One night, after he’d begun his animation program in college, Dave posted a new comic on his Substack page as a goof for his old friends. Later, using new software from class, he animated the comic and put it out on YouTube. In the morning, he woke up with over 100 notifications on his phone; overnight, the stick-figure animation had gone viral, and in less than twelve hours, sat at just over 170,000 views.

Dave continued to publish his comics on Substack and animate them for YouTube. Though he hasn’t yet achieved the virality of his first video, Dave’s work consistently hits between 5,000 and 10,000 views. As he continues his animation degree, the real question is whether to pursue an esteemed internship or put all his effort into an already successful beginning to a YouTube career.

The publishing industry encompasses just about every subject and changes rapidly. From self-published comics to copy for museum exhibits, there’s a place for writers just about anywhere to make their mark.

To learn more about the publishing industry, be sure to register for The Publishing Launch. This could be your chance to learn valuable information you might not hear anywhere else from seasoned professionals in publishing. At this one-time-only event, hear personal stories from a panel of featured professionals who have made their careers in publishing. Next, engage with speakers in an informal networking session over coffee and snacks. You never know where one-on-one conversations with professionals (many of whom are UB graduates) could lead as you explore the future of your career.

Note: all the stories above are fictionalized versions of real people and their real stories of success in publishing. Names, locations, and other details have been modified for the sake of privacy and other creative licensure.