So You Want To Work In Publishing?

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] n the competitive post-university world with an average of 85 applicants chasing every grad job, it goes without saying that building up your CV is crucial. Lots of publishing houses offer unpaid work placements, such as Random House and Penguin – where I’ve spent my summer in the Publicity and Marketing departments, respectively. Of course, even getting these is competitive, as this is where the great catch-22 of finding employment comes in; can’t get work without experience, can’t get experience without work. So this is where every thing that could be called an extra-curricular activity or special skill gets shamelessly twisted and put on your CV. It might be a bit too much of a stretch to point to your performance at Wednesday night circle as evidence of your team-building capacity, but hopefully we’ve all done one or two things that will make us unique and vibrant candidates. In my case it was website editing, speaking French and ahem… writing for The Boar.

Once you’ve got your foot in the door, there are a few more things to keep in mind. Firstly, you can’t expect to earn a big salary. Entry level positions will typically pay around £15,000 – £23,000 which doesn’t go very far in London, where the majority of publishing houses are based. It’s only really the big-dogs in senior or directorial roles who go on to earn competitive salaries. I once commented on the endless parties and book launches that seem to go hand in hand with the publishing world and was told that “We have to drink so we forget how poor we are.” So there’s that. But a stream of open bar parties is obviously a huge plus, a few of which I was able to attend even as a lowly intern; which brings me neatly onto the next point…

NETWORKING. You have to do it, and it pays to be shameless. Talk to editors, publicists, marketing directors; basically, look for the people talking to the authors and try to slide in gracefully. Exploit social media and contact the relevant people via twitter or email to say ‘Hi. I’m a big fan of your books and would love an opportunity to work for you. Are you aware of any open positions or internships?’ The worst they can do is say is ‘no’ (or more likely, to not reply at all. But it definitely won’t make you less likely to find a position). There are all sorts of websites out there to help you land your next internship or job in publishing; the listings on TheBookSeller.com, BookMachine.org and BookBrunch.co.uk are all updated regularly.

For most employers, your degree discipline is not crucial to securing a job, but a background in something like English or History might help to demonstrate the necessary enthusiasm for all things books. However, if you wanted to work in a specialised sector of publishing such as legal, art or science, a relevant degree may be necessary in advancing your career. There is also little evidence to suggest that candidates who have an MA in publishing go on to have more successful careers than those who have only completed a bachelor’s degree.

[pullquote style=”right” quote=”dark”]NETWORKING. You have to do it, and it pays to be shameless[/pullquote] As with almost any job, you have to be prepared for some mundane tasks, and this is especially true as an intern. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve stuffed in envelopes to send off to book shops or reviewers. Depending on your department, other tasks you might be asked to do are things like writing press releases, compiling marketing materials for press packs, proof-reading and copy-editing. However, there are also plenty of exciting and creative aspects to publishing, such as overseeing the design of book jackets or advertising campaigns. There are also all sorts of hidden perks that you might not have thought about; Summer Fridays for example. This is a fairly widespread publishing practice which allows you to go home after lunch every Friday of the summer – simple, but brilliant. It’s also fairly likely your colleagues will be fantastically adorable book-nerds. Along with the aforementioned wine abundant parties, you have an enjoyable, exciting and ever-changing working environment. Perhaps most importantly, you get to be a part of the world that created every book you ever loved, cherished or were inspired by, and the world that will continue to inspire for generations.