OC English major completes NYC publishing internship

Landing a New York City publishing internship this summer was no small feat for an Oklahoma Christian University student. But Bailey Thomas will tell you it was worth every minute on the commuter train, every lunch with top publishing executives and everything she learned about the developing world of digital publishing.

Thomas, daughter of Mark and Debbie Thomas of Edmond, scored the three-month internship with DailyLit, an up-and-coming digital publishing house located in Mamaroneck, NY.

“I was talking with Dr. Scott LaMascus, my adviser, about how to get the most out of my degree and to have the best opportunity for employment after graduation, especially in this economy when the communications industries are taking such a hit,” she said.

“He brought up the idea of looking into doing an internship. Originally, I had no idea that I would end up in New York, but I pulled out my laptop in the fall and started doing my research, thinking that I would have plenty of time. I’m glad I did because most deadlines were in February or March, so I had plenty of time to get my application out to as many companies as possible.”

Thomas applied to 30 companies seeking internships including large publishers, independent publishers and literary agencies. She admits it was not easy to apply for an internship on the East Coast while living in Oklahoma, but she received continual support and encouragement from her OC advisors, and her parents.

“I remember the first time I brought up the idea to my parents of moving to New York by myself for the summer, and being really worried that they would think I was nuts.  But fortunately they have been behind me the entire way, and I’m incredibly grateful,” she said.

Eventually Thomas’ research led her to an editorial internship with DailyLit. Bailey closed the 1,500 mile gap between herself in Oklahoma and DailyLit’s office in New York with phone interviews.  Her efforts paid off she was invited to complete a three-month internship at the company that has been featured in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine, DailyCandy and the New York Times.

She moved to Manhattan earlier this summer and quickly learned to traverse the public transit system, and adjust to life in the Big Apple. Thomas said participating in Oklahoma Christian’s Pacific Rim study abroad program in 2007helped broaden her horizons and give her the confidence to live in a big city.

Scott LaMascus, Ph.D., professor of language and literature, said that internships are even more competitive in the current economy than normal.

“Even in this environment, Bailey’s experience shows that OC juniors and seniors will find success in this area if they are willing to plan ahead, use initiative to apply, work with an OC mentor, and ‘go wherever the work is’ to build their entry-level experience base,” he said.

Thomas said that working at DailyLit has let her see the traditional publishing industry from a less traditional perspective, and praises the company as an innovator in the developing world of ebooks and digital publishing.

“The whole concept behind DailyLit is that you sign up for an ebook (http://www.dailylit.com), and receive a short email installment every day until you finish the book. It might take a while, but the time is going to pass anyway, so why not catch up on a book you always meant to read?” said Thomas.

Thomas will begin her senior year at Oklahoma Christian this fall as an English writing major with two minors in accounting and Spanish. She will bring back to campus new experiences, perspective and ideas that she will share with other students in a workshop through the McBride Center for Faith & Literature. Thomas will be eligible for a scholarship from the McBride Center for completing a publishing related internship.

“I’ve had so many opportunities this summer, from learning basic HTML coding to having lunches at some of the biggest publishing houses. I’ve been able to be a part of several groups that have allowed me to meet people who work in various parts of the industry,” she said. Thomas, already an aficionado of Twitter, Facebook and other social media, chronicles her experiences on two blogs, http://literacracy.wordpress.com/ and http://baileythomas.wordpress.com/.