GQ Senior Editor and 2008 English Alum, Daniel Riley was one of the featured speakers during the 2017 DEMAN Weekend. Riley spoke in front of a packed room in the Allen Building, where he spoke about, “Making Magazines, Publishing Books: Agents, Editors, & the World of Professional Writing.” Interest in the Riley's talk was so great that the English Department elected to use Facebook Live to stream his talk and Q&A session.
Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to listen to Riley talk about his experiences in the world of media, as well as his journey to publish his very first novel, Fly Me, which hit the shelves of bookstores on June 6th of this year. His novel has already made its way to the Los Angeles Times Bestsellers list.
During his talk, Riley shared how his internship experience at Slate Magazine helped prepare him for the opportunities he has had at GQ and how he has managed to work his way up to the senior editor role in less than a decade, during a time when many of his peers exited the industry after experiencing early burnout. He also shared his thoughts on the direction and evolution of the media industry and his personal perspective on the process of getting published.
Following the talk and Q&A session, Riley stopped by the English Department for a one-on-one interview during which he shared his personal thoughts on how being an English Major helped shape his career. He also shared his opinion on how skills learned as an English Major are valuable assets that can be applied to a wide range of occupations.
During his visit with the English Department, Riley graciously took a few moments to read a few lines from his first published novel Fly Me, a Los Angeles Times Bestseller.
English Department
