Claudia's story

Claudia Palmer - Sales and Marketing Executive, Huia Publishers

Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri

Graduate of Graduate Diploma in Publishing (Applied)

When Claudia decided to study publishing at Whitireia, she dreamed it would open doors into the world of books. Now that is a reality for her, working at Māori-owned, award-winning organisation, Huia Publishers.

Originally an environmental campaigner, Claudia felt a calling to switch careers and study publishing in 2020. Although changing careers can be daunting, after researching her study options the Whitireia publishing programme stood out to her: “It’s a highly regarded programme, and it felt good knowing I could spend a year in a really structured course and come out of it with a lot of opportunities.”

The practical, industry-connected nature of the programme is what made it such a unique study experience for Claudia. Hearing from people in the publishing industry and working on real book projects created a learning culture that she could thrive in.

One of the biggest highlights for Claudia was the two placements students undertake at publishing houses: “I was thrilled to have my first placement at Huia Publishers. I got to know everyone here, use the skills I had learnt in class and experience what it was like to work in the industry. That lead me to a paid six-month internship at the end of my studies and then a full-time role that I’m still in today.”

Now the Sales and Marketing Executive at Huia Publishers, Claudia uses her skills to be the official ‘hype woman’ for some incredible authors across Aotearoa. She spends her days organising publicity, creating campaigns, planning events, and doing everything she can to promote the wide range of books published at HUIA. She loves working in an organisation that aligns with her values and that enables her to meet creative and passionate people.

When asked what her advice would be to someone considering studying publishing, Claudia says “Go for it. There are so many different aspects to publishing – editing, design, project management, marketing – give it all a go because it might surprise you what you love most.”

Study Publishing at Whitireia

Learn the publishing process by working on real books with real publishing clients. Work as a publishing team as you gain skills in editing, project management, typesetting and publicity for print and digital media. Benefit from regular industry speakers and complete two work placements in publishing companies.

Learn more about our Publishing programme →