So, You Want to Work in a Publishing House?
By Amber Spiegel ‘14
Many bright eyed English Majors, or college students in general, dream of working in a
publishing house one day, but often times these same students don’t have a clue about the
industry or how to go about getting that “dream job.” Since I fell into that category of clueless
student, I decided to research the departments of a publishing house which I am now sharing
with you!
Working in Publishing: The Departments of a Publishing House
First, let’s go through a brief line up of the common departments found in a publishing
house (because contrary to popular belief publishing houses are comprised of far more than their
editorial staff). Bear in mind that should you pursue a career in publishing, the industry is very
much so a “climb the ladder” ordeal (see the table in the Field Advancement section). Your first
job will be at an entry level position which means you will be an “assistant” of some sort. Since
this is the case, I have provided brief descriptions of some of those assistant positions as well.
Editorial:
Perhaps the most commonly thought of department in publishing, editors hold largely
creative roles in the industry; they must be very passionate about books and the telling of stories.
Also, they need to have a good understanding about the book market, which means they need to
know ‘what readers want’ (“Getting A Job In Publishing: Your First Questions Answered” ).
They are often involved in the complete process of creating a book from start to finish. Which
means, their role could possibly extend from the original pitch for a book, to the creation and
writing of the jacket copy, to the execution of sales and marketing ("dk.about us: Working In
Publishing"). To be an editor, you will need to be creative, fresh, business savvy, very detailed
oriented, and have an excellent grasp of written English. Common jobs for an editor include
researching authors and market trends, writing, content editing, and commission (“Getting A
Job” ) Senior editors gain the extra responsibilities of navigating budgets, being a liaison
between the company and authors (or other third parties), and commissioning consultants
(“dk.about us”).
The Editorial Assistant:
An editorial assistant reads and evaluates unsolicited manuscripts, logs, trafficks, and
maintains files on incoming manuscripts throughout the various stages of publication, attends
editorial meetings, and completes editorial related administrative tasks (Random House
Bertlesmann). As one editor Sharyn November put it on her blog,
“An Editorial Assistant is, for all intents and purposes, a glorified secretary. You will be typing
correspondence, filling out forms, going to meetings and taking notes, xeroxing, faxing, filing,
mailing packages, answering the phone, getting supplies…writing jacket and catalog copy, and
information sheets for sales reps. A word of advice: do not have an attitude about the clerical
aspects of your job. Consider it part of your apprenticeship.”
Production:
The production department is responsible for “the physical process of transforming the
manuscript and artwork into the finished book” (“dk.about us”). Working in this department
requires intense organizational and negotiation skills as well as the ability to be diplomatic and
take responsibility for completed work quality (“Getting A Job” ). Production must oversee and
adhere to strict, time-critical deadlines for product completion since they are directly responsible
should a deadline not be met for a product to reach shelves. The sales department decides time
sensitive deadlines which control production, since the department is responsible for committing
each book to booksellers.
The Production Assistant:
A production assistant maintains vender and title files, trafficks and reviews proofs,
monitors prepress, manufacturing and delivery schedules, and performs administrative tasks for
the production department (Random House Bertlesmann). Production assistants will work
alongside copy editors, typographers, binders, and designers during the process of a book’s
construction (Coyne).
Sales:
The operation of the sales department is pretty self-explanatory: sales individuals are
responsible for persuading booksellers to stock the publisher’s titles whether they are backlisted
or new. The sales department can be seen as a central support for the marketing department,
since they control the success of a marketed title’s availability. Individuals interested in sales
must be energetic, persuasive, articulate, and highly knowledgeable about the book trade,
especially consumer wants (“dk.about us”). The job requires individuals who are influential and
good at building relationships.
The Sales Assistant:
A sales assistant processes and tracks orders, acts as a liaison between the external sales
force and the internal department, coordinates sales-kit mailings and catalog mailings, assists in
the preparation of trade shows, and performs general administrative duties (Random House
Bertlesmann).
Marketing/ Publicity:
The marketing and publicity departments of a publishing house work so closely together
that they are often seen as an interlocking unit. The marketing department creates marketing
campaigns (which includes advertising to press and media) and controls catalogue and
promotional materials production (“dk.about us”). Publicity focuses on garnering author and title
exposure; this department organizes promotional events like book launches and signing tours for
authors (“dk.about us”). The common distinction made between these two departments is
“marketing has to be paid for, whereas publicity is free” (“dk.about us”).
The Marketing Assistant:
A marketing assistant prepares marketing summary reports for sales representatives and
the department, coordinates and organizes sales conference materials, acts as a liaison between
the department and booksellers or sales representatives, and performs general administrative
tasks (Random House Bertlesmann).
The Publicity Assistant:
A publicity assistant writes press releases, prepares press kits and mailings pertaining to
publicity and press materials, coordinates author tours and book signings, and performs general
administrative tasks (Random House Bertlesmann).
Design:
Designers are responsible for the execution of the physical book such as the appearance
and feel. Designers work in tandem with authors and editors to decide the book size, cover
design, type size, typeface, branding, promotional material, and interactive products (“Getting A
Job,” “dk.about us”). Designers have adept knowledge of publishing systems with both technical
and creative training (“dk.about us”). Generally, individuals who work in a design department
have either a graphic design or a typographic design degree (“dk.about us”). Other important and
more specialized roles in this department are picture researchers, text designers, and general
administrators. Picture researchers are vital for the creation of certain illustrated book covers or
jackets; they must have overarching knowledge and understanding of fine art throughout the
centuries (“dk.about us”). Text designers require in-depth knowledge and experience with
typography, and general administrators in this department oversee the schedules and progress of
design for every book that goes through the department.
Contracts:
Usually in smaller houses, contracts are an editor’s responsibility; however, larger houses
have a contracts department that deals with the creation and negotiation of contracts between the
company and authors or other third parties. The creation and completion of a contract signing
requires extensive liaison work with the rights department and the editor. This department must
ensure that each contract meets the original proposal from the editor. Individuals in contracts
must have a critical and meticulous eye for detail. Also, experience in a legal background is
highly recommended, but not essential for this work (“dk.about us”).
Rights:
The rights department is in charge of selling various legal rights for published books such
as serial, overseas, television, film, merchandising, and paperback rights (“dk.about us”). Rights
sales contribute substantially to the overall profits for a publishing company. Individuals looking
for a job in this department should have extensive negotiation skills, critical detail analysis skills,
and high organizational skills (“dk.about us).
Other:
For the sake of length, I won’t go into detail about the other, less specialized, departments
of publishing houses; however, these less glamorous divisions commonly include Distribution,
Support Functions, Finance, Human Resources, Administration, and Information Services. All of
these departments are integral for the successful operation of a publisher (“dk.about us”).
Field Advancement:
As I previously stated, to work in publishing and build a career you have to be willing to
climb the ladder. The good thing about this industry is that while you are creating your career,
you are continually building relationships along the way, which will be incredibly beneficial
should you decide to switch firms or departments. One important item to keep in mind if you do
decide that you want to work in a different department or with a different specialty (such as
young adult or children’s literature) is that you should switch paths early in your career.
Otherwise, if you stay in say adult literature for five years, or so, you will be defined in the
industry by working in that specialty, which makes it increasingly difficult for you to switch
career paths.
Thanks to CreativeSkillSet (who created the table below), here are the positions you
could expect to obtain with hard work and perseverance once you enter into the industry:
Function
Entry level
Mid level
Senior role
Editorial and rights
Rights Assistant
Editorial Assistant
Rights Manager
Editor
Commissioning Editor
Rights Director
Publisher
Publishing Director
Editorial Director
Online and digital
Web Development Assistant
Web Development Executive
e-Books Manager
Web Manager
Head of Digital
Digital Director
Production editorial
Production Assistant
Production Controller
Pre-press Assistant
Desk Editor
Copy Editor
Development Editor
Managing Editor
Production Director
Publishing Manager
Project Manager
Proofreader
Production Manager
Design
Junior Designer
Design Administrator
Designer
Picture Researcher
Web Designer
Typographer
Typesetter
Creative Director
Sales
Sales Administrator
Stock Controller
Sales Representative
Key Account Manager
Sales Manager
Sales Director
Commercial Director
Marketing and publicity
Marketing Assistant
Publicity Assistant
Database administrator
Marketing Executive
Market Researcher
Publicity Manager
Marketing Manager
Product Manager
Marketing Director
Head of Public Relations
Accounting and finance
Accounts/Finance Assistant
Bought/Purchase Ledger
Administrator
Accountant
Finance Manager
Credit Controller
Management Accountant
Finance Director
Financial Controller
Human resources or personnel
HR Administrator
Office Administrator
Receptionist
Postroom operative
Office Manager
HR Manager
Training & Development
Manager
Facilities Manager
HR Director
Resources Director
IT
Helpdesk Administrator
IT Support Executive
IT Developer
Programmer
IT Director
Another item to keep in mind when looking for a publishing house position is that this is
an industry that will not make you rich. You have to love the work and love books because you
will be working for peanuts. To stress this point even further, here are some sites with average
salaries for workers in the industry based on job titles:
Salary Info:
Salary.Com: http://www1.salary.com/Printing-and-Publishing-Salaries.html
Glassdoor: http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/book-publishers-salary-
SRCH_II1462.0,15.htm
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Works Cited
Authorlink: Jobs in Publishing. n.d.
<http://www.authorlink.com/about/jobs_major_publishers.php>.
Random House Bertlesmann. Entry Level. n.d. <www.careers.randomhouse.com/EntryLevel.html>.
Coyne, John. "Getting A Job In Publishing." 2008. Peace Corps Writers.
<http://www.peacecorpswriters.org/pages/depts/resources/resour_writers/pubjobs.html>.
"dk.about us: Working In Publishing." 2010. DK Books.
<http://www.dk.co.uk/static/cs/uk/11/about/workpub.html>.
"Getting A Job In Publishing: Your First Questions Answered ." 2001. Creative Skill Set.
<http://www.creativeskillset.org/publishing/careers/getting_started/article_7710_1.asp>.
November, Sharon. "So You Want to be an Editor." 2013. The Virtual Sharon November, 11.1.
<http://www.sharyn.org/editor.html>.