On Thursday April 10th, the MS in Publishing program presented the Schein Lecture: Perspectives in Publishing with Jon Anderson. Our students had an exciting opportunity to learn more about this industry professional and the journey to his current position through a fascinating and engaging presentation. Mr. Anderson shared his experience working both for children’s and adult publishing, as well as starting his sales career early in life working in a family business. From there he worked at a local bookstore in his hometown, then joined B. Dalton, and is now president and publisher of Simon and Schuster Children’s Book Division. His knowledge, insights, and advice were very valuable to hear.
Mr. Anderson’s presentation included 50 different “rules of thumb,” which he applied to life and publishing. It was a very engaging storytelling way to share his life story. Here are some of our favorite rules:
- #2: Bad timing occurs constantly, the trick is to adapt
- #4: Find something unique that makes you stand out
- #22: Home isn’t always the place you were born
- #23: Give the consumer what they want
- #27: Think like a contrarian
- #35: Know your audience
- #37: Every setback is also an opportunity
- #41: There is no substitute for a truly original idea
- #50: Do the things you’re afraid of doing (with reasoning)
We hope all our students found this lecture inspiring and motivating and that they will remember some of these rules of thumb throughout their lives and publishing careers.