Katie Beck is an Editor within Epigeum’s Publishing team. Her role involves supporting and providing feedback to the authoring teams, working with reviewers, and editing materials across all stages of the editorial process. She is currently working on the upcoming Being Well, Living Well toolkit. Katie has a degree in American and English Literature from UEA, and spent a year of her studies at the University of California.

What brought you to Epigeum?

My role prior to Epigeum was split between editing and writing monthly magazine features. For the next step in my career, I was keen to focus on editing full-time, and I had some experience in the sector having interned with an academic publisher. I was impressed by the innovative approach of Epigeum’s courses, and I found the idea of joining Oxford University Press appealing.

Which parts of your role do you enjoy the most?

The editorial process at Epigeum is quite unique, in that each Editor manages one project through its entire life-cycle. This allows us to build strong personal relationships with the authoring and reviewing teams, and to collaborate closely with our Development Group members. I also enjoy the creative aspects of the role, such as helping to develop activities and animations to enhance the learning.

What does your workspace say about you?

I like to keep the surfaces of my workspace relatively organised, with a few cards and mascots to liven things up. In contrast, the drawers are a bit chaotic and full of useful, but random, items. I think this reflects my tendency to over-pack in an attempt to prepare for every eventuality, but it does mean I can often help out in a dilemma!

What do you do in your free time?

I’m the Book Club Coordinator for the Society of Young Publishers, so I read widely to come up with ideas for the next reading lists and discussions. I also swim and go to a weekly Yoga class – I recently levelled up to Intermediate after finally achieving Crow Pose after a mere two years of practice!

Tell us something we don’t know about you.

During my foray into magazine journalism, I wrote mainly about the automotive industry. In my interview, I was open about the fact that I didn’t even have a car and was pretty clueless, but eager to learn. Luckily the editor saw some potential, and I was a staff writer for five years! During this time I picked up a lot of knowledge and had many interesting experiences. I still can’t claim to be a car buff though…

To find out more about Epigeum’s work with universities and colleges, or to arrange a consultation, please get in touch with us.