About Careers in Publishing

The publishing industry is a fast-paced, highly competitive field. Most individuals are well qualified for open positions, making the competition among prospective employees even more fierce. The best way to secure a career in publishing is to start your career early. Make connections while you're in college and hold a broad range of internships within the publishing world. That way, you'll be ready to hit the ground running upon graduation.

Publishing Careers

The publishing industry is extremely diverse and involves many different steps and assets, making its employment base very diverse. Though the skills and experience necessary to secure a job in publishing may vary, many publishers prefer that their employees obtain a 4-year degree in some facet of communication--including journalism, public relations or mass communications. Production team members typically hold a degree in graphic design. Most individuals will also secure an internship with a magazine, newspaper, PR firm or book publisher during college.

Sales/Advertising

Sales and advertising associates are responsible for raising ad and sponsorship revenue. These individuals are in constant contact with the companies and people who are closely associated with the literature's fan base. They must secure advertisements for magazines, product placement opportunities and sponsorships. They may also work with the marketing/PR departments on any large-scale events surrounding the unveiling of a piece of literature. Most publishing houses do not require their sales and advertising associates obtain a bachelor's degree. These positions are almost always commission-based, though some maintain a low base salary along with a percentage of the literature's advertising revenue.

Marketing/PR

The job of a publishing house's marketing and public relations teams is to create interest in the product. They do this by holding book signings, public appearances and by getting the piece of literature read by critics, talk show hosts and key, influential people who reside within the same industry as the book's subject matter. After a buzz has been created about the product, consumers will hopefully want to read it. At this stage, it is critical to get the literature placed in the hands of its demographics. For example, a marketing associate may approach Barnes & Noble about displaying a children's book at the entrance to the children's reading room. An individual hoping to promote a medical book might send it to doctors and facilities that specialize in the book's subject matter, hoping that they may suggest it to their patients or display it in their offices.

Writing/Editing

The whole publishing industry is centered on the writing and editing of literature. Writers can write fiction or non-fiction, as well as magazine articles, journal entries, novels, books and other publishable materials. Note that most writers do not work with the actual publishing houses unless they are staff writers at a particular magazine. Most editors, on the other hand, do work in conjunction with the publishing house. They edit the work for style, language and grammar. Most editing positions at a publishing house require at least 3 to 5 years' copy editing experience.

Production

Once the literature has been written, reviewed and given the go-ahead to be published, the production team steps into work out the logistics. The production team is usually composed of an art director and graphic designer, as well as team members who handle the literature's layout. Depending on the publication's size, the art director may oversee two to three art assistants.

Resources

• Your Career in Publishing