Susan Swartwout finds validation in daily leadership roles

Dr. Susan Swartwout is the University Press publisher at Southeast Missouri State University and she won't deny it's a tough job.

Her role often can be demanding; publication is year-round. Large and concrete editorial decisions fall on her shoulders. Supervision and direction of publication interns falls into her job description as well.

Swartwout also is a professor in the English department at Southeast, instructing classes ranging from small-press publishing to creative writing.

Aside from her professorial work in the English department, she is an active member on its writing and public relations committees.

Swartwout has learned about leadership in her involvement on campus and communitywide, but she said it starts with passion, getting up early and continually enjoying the work one does every day.

How did you get your position as director of the University Press?

I got the position by creating it when I started the University Press in 2001 after launching and editing the literary journal "Big Muddy" in 2000.

When I was at Illinois State University, before coming to Southeast in 1996, I worked with their books and journals in the English Publications Unit and later served as marketing director for Dalkey Archive Press. In doing so, I recognized an opportunity to create a University Press that connected to student programming, and Southeast became the perfect place to have that dream happen.

What do you enjoy most about working at the University Press? Why do you love being involved?

As a writer and publisher, I love contributing to the growth of world literature. Our journals get submissions from all over the globe, including the literature emerging from our underpublished region. And I love seeing our interns and publishing students acquire the different types of writing and publishing skills and then taking those skills into their careers.

This job is never routine or boring, and I get to teach publishing and poetry classes as well as direct the University Press. It's a challenging job and requires much work on nights and weekends, but hearing about a former student's new writing or publishing job and giving an author his or her first published book are momentous and validating events.

How does this position call you to leadership on a day-to-day basis?

I'm involved in leadership daily, since the University Press is a constantly active business, with no summer or other break. Although we have a small staff -- Carrie Walker and myself -- we have more activity than other Missouri literary presses. Over 200 interns have trained with our University Press. I manage several related literary events, beside acquiring and editing our book production, and editing two literary journals each semester. For our Nilsen Visiting Writers Series, I arrange for a major author to visit campus each semester. Through our Missouri Arts Council grant, I bring in an annual speaker and oversee a mailing of "Big Muddy" to Missouri libraries.

As editor, I read every submission for two journals and our five annual national writing competitions: the Nilsen Prize for a First Novel, the Cowles Poetry Book Prize, the Mighty River Short Story Contest, the Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest and the Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors Writing Contest. These contests' prizes are all funded by people and organizations who care about Southeast's University Press, its mission and its continuation. Working with our sponsors and leading ideas into action makes this a great job.

What other organizations or projects are you involved with on campus and within the Cape Girardeau community?

I'm involved with several projects outside of daily University Press business. I'm the graduate coordinator for the master's in English: professional writing option and direct the English department's internships, both in the community and in the University Press. Since 2005, I've had the privilege of working with AQIP, our Higher Learning Commission Academic Quality Improvement accreditation program, first as committee member, then as portfolio copy editor. It's a terrific way to learn about all aspects of university life and operations.

I serve as director and editor of Missouri Humanities Council's military-service literature project and the annual anthology entitled "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors." My favorite English department committee work is with our writing committee and the public relations committee. I advised "Journey" student literary magazine for 15 years; its adviser is now my colleague, Dr. Dan Crocker. With Dr. Missy Phegley, I codirect the Radical Writes Graduate Writing Conference, and we recently added Arkansas State University as conference partner.

Do these positions ask different leadership qualities of you?

The activities do require different leadership skills. I have a background in business management that has helped me greatly in managing several different budgets and types of contracts for the University Press.

In the classroom, particularly in writing workshops, pedagogy requires that I facilitate in my leadership style, rather than top-down directing style. Editing and marketing books require much critical thinking as well as research and organizational skills, and as the lead editor, I often confer with assistant editor Carrie Walker.

Directing internships, my leadership style is a mixture of assign, encourage, respond, review and request revisions. In leading committees, I prefer to initiate and discuss ideas, then work toward the best solution -- a productive, progressive committee is a delight.

Who in your life has been a leadership mentor?

My leadership mentors are too many to name, so I'll just list a few and the qualities they've shown me: John O'Brien of Dalkey Archive Press for persistence and always seeking ways to move forward; Lucia Getsi and Ray Lewis White for excellence in writing and scholarship -- and laughing; Thich Nhat Hanh for breathing and observing technique, neither leading nor following; Jonathan Budil, my husband, for top-notch solution-seeking, patience and the capacity for wonder; and the Hulk for "smash," when you need to do so.

To you, what qualities constitute an effective leader?

The qualities that, for me, most encapsulate effective leadership are acquired skills (including a sense of humor), the ongoing drive to learn in and outside of one's area and the ability constantly to envision and respect great possibilities in one's work, oneself and others.