I was in the social media strategy planning meeting for the Write to Publish conference. The social media manager, a fellow student, was giving an overview of how to best utilize each social media platform for the most effective marketing both before and during the conference. She particularly wanted us to focus on using live tweeting during the conference this year. It was only my second week here at Ooligan, and I was already at the table, as they say out in the corporate world. But all I could think about was, “what is live tweeting?”

One of the reasons I wanted to get a Master’s in Publishing was to be able to learn not only from the professors and professionals out in the field, but to belong to a cohort of talented individuals, each possessing different skills and knowledge that would be shared with the cohort.

But in the meeting that day, I had a momentary attack of imposter syndrome. I nervously debated in my head whether I should just play along like I knew what she was talking about and then figure it out later by searching online, or risk asking her now, revealing my dark secret that I barely knew how to check my news feed on Twitter? That I know next to nothing about the publishing industry? That I’m here because I love books and like to read a lot? But I wanted to understand so I could be involved and contribute, and isn’t that why I was also here—to learn as much as possible in order to snag my dream job in the world of publishing? I decided I had to do it. I channeled my inner Hermione and bolted my hand up into the air. No one even so much as rolled their eyes at my question. I may have been a complete Twitter novice, but there were other students who also wanted a more in-depth discussion of live tweeting strategies. The social media manager, who was unsurprisingly super passionate about Twitter and its potential in marketing and communicating, switched gears and gave an amazing tutorial on Twitter basics as well as how to effectively use Twitter to target certain audiences, how to potentially gain followers, and how to interact with fellow conference attendees via live tweeting.

A mentor of mine in my former career once told a group of us new employees that the most successful person will be the one who brings the rest of the group along with her, not the person who steps on everyone else just to get ahead. This mentality could not be more true of Ooligan Press, and I think it shows in the work we produce. Every book published by Ooligan is a group effort: from acquisition to cover design to editing to marketing. Student publishers not only provide their talent and skills to the various phases of the book as it’s being published, but also to their fellow students through weekly lessons, presentations, and even just informal after-class discussions.

That day in our strategy meeting, the social media manager (metaphorically) took us all by the hands, helping to create a successful social media team for the conference. And yes, I did live tweet!