Diversity in Publishing Programme
Evaluation
Final Report
20 October 2008
Contents
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................... 1
2
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 3
2.1
2.2
Methodology ...................................................................................................................................4
Evaluation framework .....................................................................................................................5
3
RATIONALE FOR THE PROGRAMME ........................................................................ 5
3.1
3.2
3.3
Under-representation and access to employment .........................................................................6
Market opportunities and challenges .............................................................................................6
Diversity programmes in the publishing industry ...........................................................................7
4
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................... 8
5
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................. 9
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
Diversity in Publishing Coordinator role .........................................................................................9
Traineeships ................................................................................................................................ 11
University and school outreach ................................................................................................... 19
Development of DipNet ............................................................................................................... 24
6
PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE AND IMPACT ........................................................ 26
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
Agreed outputs ............................................................................................................................ 26
Agreed outcomes and impact ..................................................................................................... 27
Other outcomes and impacts ...................................................................................................... 29
Financial management ................................................................................................................ 32
Added value ................................................................................................................................ 32
7
LEGACY AND CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 34
APPENDIX: DIVERSITY IN PUBLISHING PROGRAMME TIMELINE ..................................... 36
FIGURES
Figure 1 BOP evaluation framework for the Diversity in Publishing programme .............................. 5
Figure 2 Profile of applicants to first round of Diversity in Publishing traineeships ......................... 16
Figure 3 Profile of applicants to second round of Diversity in Publishing traineeships ................... 16
Figure 4 Gender and Ethnicity of the attendees of the Focus on Management Course 2006 ........ 20
Figure 5 Faculty of the attendees of the Focus on Management Course 2006 .............................. 21
Figure 6 Performance related to output targets agreed at programme inception ........................... 27
Figure 7 Performance related to short-term outcome measures.................................................... 28
Figure 8 Programme spend .......................................................................................................... 32
Figure 9 Percentage spend on programme areas ......................................................................... 32
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Executive Summary
The Diversity in Publishing programme was launched in December 2004 by Arts Council
England, London in collaboration with a number of publishing houses and decibel, the
Arts Council’s diversity programme. It concluded in December 2007. The programme
largely emerged due to the findings of the In Full Colour report, commissioned by decibel
and published by The Bookseller in March 2004. The report highlighted the issue of the
under-representation of black and minority ethnic employees and authors in the
publishing industry and advanced a business case for the importance of diversity to
the industry. The rationale for Arts Council England, London intervention was that:

the issue of under-representation in publishing was thought to impact adversely on
cultural expression (an area of interest to the Arts Council)

the majority of major publishers are based in London (thus placing it in the remit of
the Arts Council England, London).
The programme had three key objectives, which have shaped its main areas of activity.
These were to:

facilitate a positive action traineeship programme at publishing houses, literary
agencies, and booksellers


plan and implement a university and school outreach programme
support the development of DipNet (an industry-led, membership organisation that
commissions and publishes research, coordinates mentoring, and delivers a
programme of events to raise awareness about issues of diversity within the
publishing industry).
Beginning with positive action traineeships at Faber and Faber and Random House in
autumn 2005, the programme has grown throughout the three years of its operation to
work in partnership with 12 publishing houses, literary agencies, and booksellers,
including Hodder Headline, Saqi Books, Profile Books (formerly Serpent’s Tail),
Bloomsbury, Harper Collins UK, Penguin UK, Rogers Coleridge and White, Foyles, Little
Brown Book Group, and Curtis Brown. The programme has also worked closely with
education and training institutions, such as the Publishing Training Centre (PTC), London
College of Communications (LCC), London Metropolitan University, and University
College London.
11 trainees participated in the programme: Bobby Nayyar (Faber and Faber), Danielle
Weekes (Random House), Ayesha Siddiqi (LCC/ Saqi Books), Alexandra Officer (Hodder
Headline), Erica Jarnes (Bloomsbury), Mohsen Shah (Rogers, Coleridge and White),
Pria Taneja (Harper Collins), Sammia Rafique (LCC/Profile Books/Harper Collins),
Rebecca Oku (Foyles/Puffin/Curtis Brown), Harpreet Purewal (Random House
Children’s), and Chioma Okereke (Bloomsbury/Little Brown Book Group/Faber and
Faber).
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In its three years, the programme:

supported 11 traineeships, 2 of which included MA Publishing degrees sponsored
by the London College of Communications


facilitated the delivery of 72 days of training by the Publishing Training Centre

engaged nearly 200 university students through outreach activity developed in
collaboration with London Metropolitan University, University College London, and
the University of London Careers Service

developed a brochure on careers in publishing in collaboration with DipNet and
distributed 10,000 copies at careers fairs and throughout UK universities in
collaboration with the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS)
and Arberry Pink, a specialist supplier of diversity magazines for students and
graduates

supported Arts Council England, East Midlands and Arts Council England, North
West to roll-out the traineeship model to Manchester and Birmingham with Carcanet
and Tindall Street Press

developed a toolkit to provide guidance to publishing houses, literary agencies, and
booksellers developing future (positive action) traineeships.
engaged 24 secondary school students in publishing games organised by Eastside
Educational Trust in collaboration with City of London Academy, Le Sainte Union
Academy, National Magazine Company, Hodder Headline, Penguin, and LCC.
As with any ambitious and politically sensitive programme, there have been a number of
difficulties and challenges to overcome, most centrally those associated with:

brokering and maintaining effective partnerships with a range of organisations in the
planning and delivery of the programme

ensuring that trainees were provided with regular and effective support during their
traineeships


managing the expectations of partners and participants
general administrative and communications issues.
Despite these challenges, the programme has largely met or exceeded its objectives
and has been broadly praised by the organisations and individuals that have been
partners and beneficiaries of the range of activities that have been undertaken. The
success of the programme has been achieved due to four factors in particular:


the clarity of initial programme objectives

the role of a dedicated programme co-ordinator with a knowledge of the industry and
an ability to facilitate effective partnerships

a supportive evaluation process that has informed programme development.
the breadth and depth of partnership working without which the programme could not
have been a success
Though the programme has met its objectives, its true test will be the degree to which it
catalyses long-term change, particularly the degree to which:
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
publishers adopt their own BME trainee programmes leading to better representation
in the sector

publishers demonstrate greater commitment to diversity of workers, authors and
readers amongst London publishers

more London graduates choose publishing as a career.
Current indications suggest that publishers are seriously considering how best to tackle
the issue of under representation and many are in the process of considering specific
next steps, both in terms of mainstreaming traineeship programmes and undertaking
more broad-based activities. The achievement of these long-term objectives, however,
will require sustained engagement by the Arts Council (at least in the short-term) to
support the industry to take leadership of the issue of diversity in publishing and develop
industry-wide activities. The programme has already made substantial progress toward
ensuring that its long term objectives are met by:
2

supporting the development of an informal partnership of publishing industry
associations, education and training institutions, and independent commentators to
lead on future activities

supporting the development of the Diversity in Publishing Network (DipNet) to act as
a key champion of the issue


assisting publishers in adopting the traineeship model

establishing partnerships between the publishing industry and educational
institutions (schools and universities), which are likely to develop further in future.
encouraging graduates (particularly black and minority ethnic graduates) to consider
publishing as a desirable profession
Introduction
Arts Council England, London commissioned BOP Consulting in February 2006 to
conduct an evaluation of the Diversity in Publishing programme.
The evaluation was commissioned to help Arts Council England to determine
whether the programme has been a trendsetter in terms of diversity in publishing,
particularly addressing the following key questions:


Has this programme been a catalyst for change?
To what extent have the programme activities had an influence on new initiatives in
the publishing industry?
The evaluation also assesses whether the aims and objectives of the programme
have been achieved. More specifically, BOP was asked to:


define the context against which this programme has come into being
research the diversity policies or schemes already in place in the publishing industry
(particularly the major players in the industry)
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
assess the effectiveness of programme activities and processes and make
recommendations on how improvements can be made.
This report of the evaluation examines:

The rationale for the programme – What was the context in which the programme
was conceived?

Programme objectives – What did the programme set out to achieve and has it
changed course?

Programme development – What have been the key activities and events that have
shaped the development of the programme? What challenges have been faced in
developing and delivering the programme?

Programme performance and impact – Has the programme met its objectives and
what has it achieved?

Legacy – How will the knowledge gained and relationships formed by the
programme be taken forward?
Methodology
The BOP methodology involved the following activities:

Desk research – researching issues related to the Diversity in Publishing
programme such as Arts Council England policies, market trends in the publishing
industry, and equality and diversity using a range of information sources

Interviews and informal discussions with Arts Council England staff and
partners – conducting informal conversations with Arts Council England staff and
partners to discuss programme (and project) planning and development and identify
issues and challenges and means of addressing these

Documentation review – reviewing relevant documentation supplied by ACE such
as notes of review meetings, planning diaries, project plans, project evaluations,
contracts, application packs, press cuttings, correspondence, etc.

Focus groups with trainees – organising and facilitating a series of semi-structured
focus groups with trainees

Trainee review meetings – attending quarterly review meetings between Arts
Council England, host organisations, and trainees, and providing opportunities to
trainees and host organisations for private and confidential conversations outside of
the ACE-organised review process

Attendance of relevant conferences, seminars and other events – attending
events to keep abreast of issues related to the programme (eg equality and diversity)
and to observe the ways in which the programme is advocated in public forums.
Rather than focussing solely on monitoring the programme, BOP have taken an active
role in using evaluation findings to make recommendations on programme development,
particularly the development of the traineeships and of the university and school
outreach programmes.
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Evaluation framework
The table on the following page presents the evaluation framework used by BOP to
evaluate the Diversity in Publishing programme. It defines the general areas of
evaluation and associated evaluation objectives and describes the analytical and
consultative approaches that have been undertaken to provide the necessary evidence.
Figure 1 BOP evaluation framework for the Diversity in Publishing programme
General evaluation areas
Diversity in Publishing evaluation objectives
define the context against which the programme
has come into being
Analytical and consultative approaches
review relevant research material
review programme documentation
engage in discussions with Arts Council England
staff and partners
Context
review information on similar initiatives in the
publishing industry
interview industry contacts
consider the degree to which the programme has
met its aims and objectives
review programme documentation
engage in discussions with Arts Council England
staff and partners
Aims and objectives
examine programme activities and partnerships
and their effectiveness, defining issues and
challenges
review programme documentation
conduct trainee focus groups
attend trainee review meetings
attend meetings and workshops to observe
programme planning and activities
Processes
interview programme partners
monitor the number of activities undertaken and
the beneficiaries and partners engaged
engage in discussions with Arts Council England
staff
review programme documentation
conduct trainee focus groups
Outputs, outcomes and
impacts
consider the impact of the programme on
beneficiaries and partners
attend trainee review meetings
interview programme partners
engage in discussions with Arts Council England
staff
attend steering group meetings
Legacy
consider models developed and plans for future
activity and partnership (particularly those activities
that partners will undertake independently of the
interview programme partners
Arts Council)
attend trainee review meetings
engage in discussions with Arts Council England
staff
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Rationale for the programme
There were three interrelated ‘drivers’ that influenced the conception and development of
the Diversity in Publishing programme:

the issue of under-representation in the publishing industry (and access to
employment)
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
the market opportunities and challenges posed by a globalised and fragmented
book-buying market

the success of some diversity programmes in the publishing industry to date.
Each of these issues is considered in the sections that follow.
Under-representation and access to employment
The In Full Colour report, produced by The Bookseller magazine and decibel, had a
central influence on the development of the Diversity in Publishing programme. It
presents evidence on the under-representation of black and ethnic minorities in
publishing and identifies a number of barriers to employment, including the perception of
the industry’s exclusivity by potential applicants and the industry’s informal recruitment
processes (that rely on personal contacts). The intelligence gathered from the small
number of informal interviews that the evaluator (BOP) has conducted with new entrants
and experienced professionals in the publishing industry corroborates the findings of In
Full Colour.
Publishing industry interviewees from black and minority ethnic backgrounds expressed
concerns that the publishing industry maintains insular recruitment practices.
Interviewees also reported that editorial and management roles in many publishing
houses, in particular, remain extremely under-representative of the current ethnic makeup of UK society, particularly the ethnic make-up of London (where the majority of the
industry is based). Others stated that the image (and some argue the reality) of
publishing as a ‘snobbish’ and ‘middle-class’ profession represents a barrier to
individuals from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Still other interviewees from the
publishing industry suggested that the issue of under-representation could be related to a
lack of skills and the necessary tenacity of some individuals from black and ethnic
minority backgrounds to secure employment in publishing and other competitive
industries.
The focus group and review meetings with trainees revealed that trainees were equally
aware of the issues of under-representation in the publishing industry and of insular
recruitment practices. Some trainees stated that they perceived under-representation to
be not only an issue of ethnicity. Indeed, they perceived social background to be an
equal, if not greater, barrier to entry into the publishing industry. Trainees further stated
that from their first-hand experience in the publishing industry, certain departments
appear more representative than others, and many agreed that editorial departments are
perceived to be the least representative. Some trainees further suggested that issues of
diversity did not seem to be a pressing concern for some host organisations and some
seem unaware of the implications of continuing to recruit and employ only ‘people like
themselves’.
Market opportunities and challenges
Beyond issues of under-representation and access to employment, the publishing
industry is currently dealing with the opportunities and challenges associated with more
highly differentiated and globalised markets for creative products and services and
changes in technology. There is little doubt that international markets present many
opportunities for the publishing industry, particularly the UK publishing industry, which is
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the largest book exporter in the world. There are also, arguably, substantial opportunities
for the publishing industry to further engage black and ethnic minority consumers.
The consideration of the (potential of the) black and ethnic minority consumer
market has been important to the Diversity in Publishing programme because the
case to the publishing industry, as expressed In Full Colour, rests significantly on a
business case related to changes in the market for creative goods and services,
including literature. According to the arguments advanced, encouraging a more diverse
workforce and more open recruitment practices will provide companies (in publishing and
other sectors) with the talent and fresh perspectives to navigate challenges and exploit
opportunities in the market. During the programme, the book buying habits of the black
and minority ethnic population of Britain were explored by a research programme –
Books for All – supported by the Publishers Association, the Booksellers Association,
The Bookseller, and decibel. This research highlighted that:

libraries are most active in engaging black and ethnic minority readers, but
publishers and booksellers are beginning to develop their marketing efforts to attract
more BME consumers

there are opportunities for booksellers to further develop their offer for BME
consumers, including the development of specialist sections

there are substantial opportunities to improve the range of material in
children’s publishing and to develop more representative material.
Following the research, there have been a number of developments in areas related to
these findings. decibel, in collaboration with major and independent booksellers in
London and Birmingham, including WH Smiths, Books Etc., Foyles, Bonds, and
Waterstones, developed a pilot marketing campaign targeting black and minority
ethnic book buyers. In December 2007, it was announced that Random House
Children’s Books had acquired Tamarind Books, a well-regarded publisher of
‘multicultural children’s books for a multicultural world’, bringing its Director, Verna
Wilkins, into the RHCB team.
Diversity programmes in the publishing industry
Some publishing houses have instituted policies and initiatives to promote diversity in
their organisations. Penguin UK and its parent company, Pearson, in particular, have
been running an internship scheme for ethnic minority students that predates the
Diversity in Publishing programme by a number of years. Arts Council England
consulted Penguin when planning the Diversity in Publishing programme in April
2004. Review meetings with host organisations have revealed that publishers that
participated in the programme have collaborated with Penguin to share information and
consider developing future initiatives around diversity in the publishing industry.
The Penguin internship scheme is one part of a larger set of diversity schemes and
practices, which include:



a full-time diversity post funded by Pearson
a diversity presentation at new staff induction
Regular reporting to managers on diversity monitoring across the organisation
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


a survey of managers regarding recruitment practices
an open day for undergraduates from ethnic minority backgrounds
events for 6th formers.
In addition to these activities, recruitment practices have been altered in order to attract a
broader range of applicants for positions at Penguin UK. Online recruitment forms now
have a diversity page that applicants are required to complete, which will enable Penguin
UK to monitor the application process to see how many individuals from ethnic minority
backgrounds are applying for positions and what positions they are applying for.
Penguin UK also advertises vacancies in The Guardian and The Booksller and uses
recruitment agencies, including Rare Recruitment, a specialist in recruiting people from
diverse backgrounds. Penguin UK plans to set up a broader diversity programme, rather
than a black and minority ethnic-focussed programme, that will aim to achieve a more
balanced workforce by recruiting more men, disabled and older groups as well as well
those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
The Penguin diversity programme was not the only initiative that influenced the Diversity
in Publishing Programme. During the programme, the Diversity in Publishing Coordinator
also met with the Association of American Publishers (AAP), an industry lobbying
body, to discuss their diversity initiatives with a view to providing ideas that could be
developed in future activities led by the UK publishing industry. The AAP has a
Diversity/Recruit & Retain Committee whose primary vehicle for addressing diversity
issues is its ‘Book Yourself a Career’ campaign, which includes the Bookjobs.com
website, a resource on pursuing careers in publishing, and a college outreach
initiative, which publicizes the website to colleges with high academic standards and a
diverse student population. The Arts Council’s consultation with the AAP influenced
the development of the university outreach programme, particularly the move to
disseminate 10,000 brochures on careers in publishing to colleges and universities
throughout the UK.
4
Programme objectives
At inception and during the early stages of its development, the Diversity in Publishing
programme had six key objectives, which were to:


facilitate a 3 year BME trainee programme with commercial publishers (2005-08)

support development of DipNet and implement diversity awareness training in
sector (2005-08)

plan and implement 6th-form and undergraduate outreach to bring BME
graduates into publishing (2005-08)

use a PR company to maximise catalytic advocacy effect, including co-funding BME
Author of the Year Award
commission, fund and disseminate research into publishing prospects for BME
poets (2005-06)
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
develop strategy for the support and development of BME independent presses
(2006-08)
Given this wide range of short-term objectives, the Diversity in Publishing
programme has evolved to focus specifically on three areas of activity:
(i) traineeships, (ii) school and university outreach and (iii) DipNet development.
The objectives concerning BME poets and BME independent presses were folded into
the general activities of the Arts Council England, London Literature team and advocacy
activities were, for the most part, integrated into the decibel communications programme
undertaken by Colman Getty, a public relations firm.
In terms of longer-term ambitions, the programme would like to see its efforts catalyse:

publishers to adopt their own positive action traineeship programmes (or other
schemes and general changes in recruitment practices) leading to better
representation in the sector

publishers to demonstrate greater commitment to diversity of workers, authors and
readers amongst London publishers

more London graduates to choose publishing as a career.
The degree to which the programme has realised its objectives is considered in Section
6. Programme performance and impact.
5
Programme development
The following sections present information on the planning, development, and
management of the programme. Based on programme documentation and consultation
with Arts Council England staff, host organisations, trainees, and other partners, the
discussion begins with a consideration of the Coordinator’s role an in turn considers the
traineeship programme, the school and university outreach programmes and the
development of DipNet. For a timeline of critical events in the development of the
programme, please refer to the Appendix.
Diversity in Publishing Coordinator role
From BOP’s review of relevant paperwork and discussions with Arts Council England
staff, Arts Council England, London Literature invested in the Diversity in Publishing
Coordinator (the Coordinator) role in order to give priority to the programme by having a
member of staff dedicated exclusively to it. Feedback from Arts Council England staff,
host organisations and partners, and trainees suggests that the Coordinator played a key
determining role in the development of the programme, bringing diplomacy and charm to
what were, at times, difficult situations. The sections that follow consider the recruitment
and key responsibilities of the Coordinator.
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Recruitment of co-ordinator
The Coordinator was appointed in January 2005. From BOP’s review of programme
documentation, it appears that the recruitment panel (which included members of the
ACE London Literature team, a representative from Arts Council England Human
Resources, and a representative of a related Arts Council England project) structured the
selection process for the Diversity in Publishing Coordinator role around finding an
individual(s) that could provide evidence of the following key competencies:




General organisational skills

Understanding of public affairs – advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and
communications

Project and programme management
Knowledge and experience of publishing
Awareness of issues of equality and diversity
Knowledge of the literature and publishing sector and the issues facing individuals
from black and minority ethnic backgrounds in this sector
One can assume that the individual selected for the role, Gina Antchandie, was thought
to have provided strong evidence of these competencies. In particular, Gina, who was
appointed in January 2005, brought:

prior experience of working in the publishing industry, having been a Rights
Assistant at Random House Children’s Books and a Production Controller at
Random House Ebury Division and having completed an MA Publishing at the
London College of Communications

an interest in the issue of diversity as it relates to culture, particularly
literature, having obtained an MA in Literature and Culture of the English Speaking
World and a DEA (equivalent MPhil) in a theme related to the African Diaspora.
Project and programme management responsibilities
The Diversity in Publishing Coordinator was primarily a programme manager with
responsibilities ranging from the placement of positive action trainees in host
organisations to day-to-day operational tasks. More specifically, the Coordinator:

formed and maintained partnerships with a range of organisations to develop various
aspects of the programme

instigated traineeships by pursuing publishing contacts, networking with publishing
industry professionals at major events, and following up queries from interested
parties


participated in the selection process of trainees

provided support and a point of contact for trainees and partners
liaised with host organisations on the development and monitoring of the traineeship
programme
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

arranged mentoring (where necessary) and external training for the trainees
led the day-to-day planning of the programme.
Communications responsibilities
The Diversity in Publishing Coordinator also had a significant public affairs role. This
involved internal and external communications, advocacy, and the engagement of a wide
range of stakeholders. The Coordinator attended a broad range of industry and topical
events in order to establish and maintain contacts with relevant stakeholders. For
example, the Coordinator represented the Diversity in Publishing programme as a guest
speaker and panellist at the SPIT-LIT 2006 event “The Battle for Culture – diversity or
divisiveness?” Fellow panellists included well-known commentators, writers, and
theorists on issues related to cultural diversity and the arts. Beyond such external
advocacy, the Coordinator also advocated the programme internally by giving
programme updates at Arts Council England, London board meetings. The Co-ordinator
also coordinated external communications in collaboration with the Arts Council England,
London communications team and oversaw the advertising of the traineeships.
Traineeships
The traineeships in publishing houses, literary agencies, and booksellers represented the
core of the Diversity in Publishing programme. The traineeship programme involved
contractual agreements with host organisations and other partners and for the trainees:

a six month to one year placement in a host organisation (in two cases
supplemented by a MA publishing course)


external training with the Publishing Training Centre
external mentoring coordinated by DipNet.
Agreements with host organisations and other partners
Arts Council England entered into contractual agreements with host organisations for the
positive action traineeships. These agreements identified the rationale for the
traineeship, the terms of the traineeship, financial obligations of both parties, and
guidance on the development of the traineeship programme. Both parties shared
responsibility for providing support to the trainee and shared financial commitment
(although these commitments varied between host organisations). The host
organisations involved in the traineeship programme were Random House, Faber and
Faber, Hodder Headline, Saqi Books, Serpent’s Tail (now Profile Books), Bloomsbury,
Harper Collins, Puffin, Rogers Coleridge and White, Foyles, Little Brown Book Group,
and Curtis Brown.
Arts Council England also entered into agreements with other stakeholders for delivery of
other aspects of the traineeship programme, e.g. external training and mentoring. The
Publishing Training Centre and the Arts Council entered into a partnership to provide
access to five days of training to each trainee. The Arts Council also entered into an
agreement with DipNet to deliver mentoring to the trainees.
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Host organisation placements
The placements at host organisations aimed, where appropriate, to cover all aspects of
an organisation’s activities, providing trainees with exposure to various functional areas.
For publishing houses, the trainees rotated between the main functional departments:
Editorial, PrePress and Design, Rights, Marketing, Publicity, Sales, and Production. In
larger publishing houses, there was also rotation through divisions of the company (eg
education and trade). In the very small publishers and in literary agencies and
booksellers, traineeships were more informal in character, where trainees responded to
various tasks, at times being given a high level of responsibility, as well as conducting
routine administration.
Despite the guidance provided by Arts Council England in the placement agreements,
quite naturally, each of the traineeships evolved differently, reflecting the differences in
size, resources, capacity, and organisational style of the host organisations. All,
however, provided trainees with broad exposure to all aspects of the business concerned
and an opportunity to make valuable contacts in the industry. Though there are many
commonalities between the traineeship programmes, they can be contrasted according
to differences in management and direction, focus, and design. From the review of
relevant paperwork, review meetings with trainees and host organisations, and the focus
group with trainees, the different traineeship ‘models’ that evolved are:

Senior management directed traineeship – a traineeship in which senior
managers in the host organisation take responsibility for directing the traineeship
programme and providing guidance and support directly to the trainee

Department directed traineeship – a traineeship in which departments within host
organisations have primary responsibility for organising the traineeship and providing
support to the trainee, even when senior management may have had nominal
ownership of the programme

Individual representative directed traineeship – a traineeship in which a (self-)
nominated individual assumes ownership of the programme (often with limited
support from senior management) directs the traineeship programme and provides
guidance and support to the trainee

Departmental focused traineeship – a traineeship in which the trainee has
experienced across business functions but has an extended experience in a chosen
area of interest (eg editorial)

Professional qualification integrated traineeship – a traineeship in which the
trainee undertakes a traineeship in a host organisation and studies for a related
professional qualification (eg a postgraduate diploma in publishing)

Multi-organisational traineeship – a traineeship in which the trainee undertakes a
series of traineeships in several organisations, either several publishers or different
organisations that relate the book trade as a whole (eg publisher, literary agent, and
bookseller).
These models do not represent discrete types, but are useful in highlighting areas of
particular importance that may inform the planning and development of future traineeship
programmes. Moreover, there have been both positive and negative aspects of each of
these models; none represent the ‘perfect’ model for a traineeship programme. For
example, although senior management buy-in can provide a number of benefits
(particularly in terms of the organisation of the traineeships and the buy-in of staff and
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managers), there have been instances where a senior manager’s involvement in the dayto-day running of the programme has not been effective, due to the demands on a
person of such seniority. The diversity of approaches to the traineeship reflects both the
differences between the host organisations and the desire of the Arts Council to test
various models (such as the multi-organisational traineeship).
External training
As stated, Arts Council England entered into an agreement with the Publishing Training
Centre (PTC) in April 2005 to offer training courses to the trainees. The original
agreement between the Publishing Training Centre and the Arts Council was for PTC to
provide 5 complimentary days of training per trainee (a programme with an approximate
value of £18,000). In addition, £10,000 in bursary funds were allocated by the Arts
Council (through Grants for the Arts) to supplement the training course days available to
trainees. Over the course of the programme, 72 days of training were offered to the 11
trainees (11 days of which were funded by the Arts Council). The enrolment process was
coordinated by Gina Antchandie with each of the trainees.
The training provided by PTC consisted of one to three day courses focussed on
proofing and editing skills. From review meetings with trainees and host organisations
and the focus group with trainees, it seems that the external training provided by PTC is
thought to have been highly valuable by both trainees and the host organisations.
Trainees, however, felt that external (and internal) training could be better matched with
the timing of activities being undertaken in the host organisation to maximise benefit.
External mentoring
As stated, Arts Council England entered into an agreement with the Diversity in
Publishing Network (DipNet) to deliver a mentoring programme to trainees. Due to issues
of capacity, however, DipNet have had to work closely with Arts Council England to
approach host organisations and other industry contacts to recruit mentors for the
programme. Though initially mentors from Black, Asian, or Chinese backgrounds were
desired, it was quickly realised that due to the nature of the industry at present, finding a
number of suitable mentors from these backgrounds would not be possible. Both the Arts
Council and DipNet agreed that the most important objective of the programme was
to provide trainees with a useful contact with a good knowledge of the industry
and the willingness to act as a thoughtful mentor. Therefore, mentors were
appointed regardless of their ethnicity.
The mentoring agreement stipulated the following criteria for mentors:



The mentor needs to be a senior member of publishing staff.
The mentor cannot work within the same company as the trainee.
Confidentiality must be honoured.
The agreement also bound the mentor to the following objectives:

to provide a supportive role to the trainee, providing advice and guidance as
necessary

to provide career advice and suggestions for maximising opportunities as they arise
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
to actively introduce the trainee to other people within publishing
to provide information and background on the publishing industry and how it
operates.
In the review meetings and focus group, some trainees stated that mentoring was not as
useful as it could have been and some remarked that they were not set up with a mentor
until well after their traineeship began (perhaps due to problems associated with
recruiting mentors). Many trainees stated that their mentors, though helpful, did not
actively introduce them to other individuals in publishing or invite them to industry events.
For most, the mentoring experience was very useful and provided a valuable industry
contact, resource, and confidant. One of the mentors, a Managing Director at one of the
host organisations who is now an executive coach, provided an unusually high level of
support to three of the trainees, sharing techniques for addressing any issues faced in
their day-to-day activities and encouraging them to take a high degree of personal
responsibility for their traineeship. This support seems to have had a strong effect on
these trainees, giving them the confidence to raise issues with the Arts Council and their
host organisation (particularly around the structure and content of the traineeship at
some stages) and to agree appropriate steps forward with them.
Mentoring was also an issue considered by host organisations. Indeed, during
discussions with host organisations at review meetings, some expressed the need to
ensure that the person who is assigned as the mentor is not too busy to undertake the
sessions, has been adequately trained and/or has awareness of what it takes to provide
effective mentoring. “It’s more than taking someone out for lunch,” stated an HR Director
at one the host organisations. An Editorial Director at another organisation was
concerned about external mentoring being a conflict of interest, as it opened the
possibility that sensitive commercial information could be inadvertently reported to
competitors.
Recruitment of trainees
The selection of high-calibre trainees for the programme has been critical to ensuring
participation in the programme by a large number of publishers and other companies
involved in the book trade. The following sections examine the advertising of the
traineeships and the selection process and give an indication of the profile of the
applicants and trainees.
Advertisement of the traineeships
The traineeships were advertised in The Guardian media pages and website and on
the Arts Council England website. According to the evaluator’s review of relevant
correspondence, it appears that the Diversity Team at ACE London was consulted as to
whether it might be appropriate to advertise vacancies in the “ethnic press,” but all
parties agreed that a major media outlet – The Guardian – would be more appropriate. It
was argued that job advertisements in The Guardian are generally picked up by
university careers officers who disseminate the information to students. It was also
argued that the broad profile of candidates desired would necessitate advertising in a
large media outlet. All trainees reported that they or a friend had seen an advertisement
in The Guardian concerning the traineeship. An analysis of the application statistics
shows that 61% of the 101 applicants for the first round of traineeships had heard about
the scheme via The Guardian, 89% of the 92 applicants for the second round of
traineeships.
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Selection process
A standard application form was used for the traineeships, with the following sections:
1. Personal details – biodata and contact details
2. Employment history – reverse chronological details of past work experience
3. Education, Training and Professional Qualifications – qualifications and training
courses, other qualifications
4. Statement in Support of Application –

Please state how your experience, skills and achievements to date, both inside
and outside paid work, or through study, make you a suitable candidate for this
traineeship. Please ensure that you read the specification for the traineeship and
have given us sufficient information to describe how you meet each of the
requirements set out in the trainee specification.

Please tell us about your interest in publishing and what you hope to gain from
the traineeship. Include any special ways in which you hope the traineeship might
help you or any particular topics or skills you hope to learn.
5. References – present employer and one other from work/school/college
6. Miscellaneous – permission to work in the U.K., work permit status, and legal
particulars
7. Declaration – declaring the accuracy of the information contained in the application
form
Arts Council England short-listed candidates for interview based on an assessment of
the information provided in the application forms, and representatives of the host
organisations conducted the interviews of short-listed candidates with the Gina
Antchandie.
From a review of the interview aide memoire, it seems that the assessors based their
decision on the ability of the applicants to provide persuasive evidence of the following
skills and competencies:

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


Self-awareness
Self-confidence
Ability to recognise and deal with challenges in a constructive manner
Knowledge of the publishing industry and of the specific host organisation
Knowledge of literature
Awareness of issues of under-representation
Relevant prior experience and/or education.
Profile of applicants
101 applicants applied to the first round of traineeships. 92 applied to the second round
of traineeships. All applicants were required to hold British citizenship and were required
to be graduates (educated to degree level). Applicants attended a wide range of
universities and degree subjects varied greatly. A significant number of applicants
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resided in London (52% of applicants for the second round), but there were also a
significant number of applicants from other parts of the country.
An analysis of the data provided on the applicants to the first scheme shows the
following breakdown of applicants by ethnicity.
Figure 2 Profile of applicants to first round of Diversity in Publishing traineeships
Ethnicity of applicants
Percentage of applicants
Asian or Asian British: Indian
Chinese
Black or Black British: Caribbean
Mixed (Dual Heritage)
Black or Black British: African
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi
25%
16%
13%
11%
9%
4%
3%
Source: Arts Council England
There were also applicants who described themselves as White, Korean, Malaysian,
Arab, and of varied dual heritage. An analysis of the data provided on the applicants to
the second scheme shows the following breakdown of applicants by ethnicity.
Figure 3 Profile of applicants to second round of Diversity in Publishing traineeships
Ethnicity of applicants
Percentage of applicants
Asian or Asian British: Indian
Black or Black British: Caribbean
Chinese
Mixed (Dual Heritage)
Black or Black British: African
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani
Black or Black British: Other
17%
17%
16%
16%
14%
7%
2%
Source: Arts Council England
There were also applications who described themselves as Turkish, Vietnamese/
Chinese, and French.
23% of applicants for the second round of traineeships were male (77% female). The
age of applicants ranged from 20 – 56.
Profile of trainees
It is arguable that the profile of trainees selected fits closely with the general profile of
entrants to the publishing industry. In general, the five trainees in the first and second
cohorts exhibit the following characteristics (based on an analysis of the information
submitted in application forms and in dialogue with trainees at individual review meetings
and focus groups):

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


Self-directed
Intellectually curious
Educated to degree level (often at prestigious universities)
Relevant experience in the sector or in related sectors (eg media, booktrade, film)
Strong desire for continuing professional development
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

Keen interest in literature
Interest in exploring publishing as a career.
Despite the similarities between the trainees in competencies and motivation, there were
differences between trainees in terms of experience and career stage. Over half of the
trainees were recent graduates with marginal experience, but many had gained
substantial experience prior to joining the programme and some where making a
significant career change by undertaking the traineeship. From meetings with host
organisations, it seems that, in some cases, host organisations took the opportunity that
the programme provided to take on trainees from non-traditional backgrounds (in terms
of level of prior experience and demonstrated commitment to publishing as a career), as
they saw this as an essential objective of the traineeship programme. Others were more
conservative in their choices, selecting candidates who closely aligned with their usual
candidate profile. Many host organisations commented on the quality of applicants
(although in some cases there was a significant amount of unsuitable applicants), and
particularly the quality of short-listed candidates (which were screened by the Arts
Council).
Issues and challenges
Ownership of the programme
Though the Diversity in Publishing programme was an Arts Council initiative, the delivery
of activities were developed in partnership, and in the case of the traineeships, host
organisations were given the freedom to develop traineeships in the manner that
they deemed appropriate. The majority of host organisations accepted responsibility for
the programme, while alerting the Arts Council to any areas in which they felt that the
Arts Council, as a partner, could play a more effective supporting role. Despite this
arrangement, there have been statements from a few host organisations that suggest
that the programme was an imposition, in some senses, and was unlikely to have the
desired affect on the industry. It must be stressed, however, that this position was not a
view held by the vast majority of host organisations.
At review meetings with trainees and host organisations, it was made clear that there
was considerable confusion with a few host organisations on who is responsible
for assisting and/or offering advice to trainees on finding employment in the
publishing industry post-traineeship. Giving that the traineeships represented a
partnership between Arts Council and host organisations, it was thought (by the Arts
Council and most host organisations) that the parties would share responsibility for this
(with the well-being of the trainee in mind). But, in a few cases, host organisations
thought that it was the Arts Council’s responsibility to offer advice, guidance, and support
to the trainee in considering their next steps. Interestingly, even those host organisations
that felt that the Arts Council should have responsibility for providing this support and
those that may have viewed the programme as an imposition of sorts seem to have fully
accepted the latitude they were given in structuring traineeships in a manner consistent
with their needs.
Communications issues within host organisations
Effectively communicating the scheme within host organisations was a challenge in
some organisations. Some trainees reported that it seemed as if their colleagues in the
host organisation were unsure of why they were there and equally uncertain as to the
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objectives of the scheme. Certain publishing houses have reported in written and verbal
communications to Arts Council England that they would have benefited from Arts
Council support in designing the internal communication of the scheme (particularly as
they believe that Arts Council England maintain ownership of the scheme). After the
initial evaluation findings, the Coordinator suggested to host organisations that
communication of the scheme by management is crucial.
Support to trainees
As stated, a number of trainees faced situations in which they were not pleased with the
content or structure of the traineeships at various stages of the programme. Although
support from external mentoring provided techniques and instilled confidence to face
these situations diplomatically and to negotiate appropriate solutions, it was felt by some
trainees and representatives of host organisations that the support provided by the Arts
Council was not decisive enough in these circumstances. Such situations presented
difficulties for the Arts Council, because of its joint responsibility for developing effective
working relationships with partners and providing suitable support to trainees. But, in all
such cases, the Arts Council did take all reasonable steps to address the concerns of
trainees while preserving delicate relations with host organisations. These
circumstances, which were never very serious, arguably provided trainees with an
opportunity to be proactive in ensuring that their programme broadly reflected their needs
and expectations while giving them experience of handling challenging situations in a
working environment.
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Legal issues
The wording of various documents, such as the contract with host organisations, the
traineeship advertisements, and the contracts with trainees, had to be carefully
constructed in order to comply with equal opportunities legislation.
There have also been issues around whether the scheme is open to applicants from
black and minority ethnic backgrounds generally or only open to the groups identified in
the advertisement: Black, Asian, or Chinese. The traineeship advertisement seems to
have presented some sort of ambiguity around the entry requirements for the scheme
during the first round of traineeships, which led to applications being received from those
outside the target groups. Despite being advertised as a positive action scheme, Arts
Council England has received submissions from White applicants, who were referred to
publishing industry resources. These issued were addressed early, the legal team having
confirmed that the scheme is only open to the target groups. These issues did not occur
in later recur after the first selection round.
To ensure equal opportunities, Arts Council England Human Resources required host
organisations to use similar interview questions.
University and school outreach
The Diversity in Publishing programme also included a university and school outreach
programme, which was aimed at exposing students (particularly those from a culturally
diverse background) to the publishing industry. The university and school outreach
programmes are considered in the sections that follow.
University outreach programme
The objectives of the university outreach programme were to:


showcase publishing as a possible career to black and ethnic minority students

attract a new and varied pool of talent from black and ethnic minority communities to
the publishing industry.
develop strong partnerships between colleges and universities and the publishing
industry
With these objectives in mind, the Diversity in Publishing Coordinator conducted
research on the ethnic profile of various universities in London and consulted with DipNet
to identify potential partners. Given the remit of the programme, partnerships were
developed with institutions that have a diverse student profile or a diversity-related focus
to their work. The Coordinator approached careers advisers at the identified universities,
and was successful in establishing partnerships with London Metropolitan University
and University College London.
Careers events
The main area of collaboration between the Arts Council and its university
partners was a series of careers events. The Arts Council both participated in existing
university careers events and suggested new events to its partner universities. Arts
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Council engagement began with a series of workshops at London Metropolitan University
that were designed to give students an insight into specific areas of the publishing
industry: editorial, design, marketing (etc.). Senior staff from publishing partners,
including Pearson, Bloomsbury, and Faber and Faber ran these sessions, giving
students presentations on their respective companies and routes into publishing and
engaging students in practical exercises related to various aspects of the publishing
business. The Diversity in Publishing programme also facilitated the engagement of its
partners with the Skills4Work and Focus on Management careers courses, affiliated with
University College London and the University of London respectively. The Publishing
Training Centre, Penguin, Ayebia Publishing, Little Brown Book Group, Faber and Faber,
Pearson, and Bloomsbury were involved in these events, giving presentations on the
publishing industry and facilitating publishing case studies.
The Arts Council engaged London Metropolitan University and University College
London in order to disseminate information on careers in publishing to a diverse student
profile, focussing particularly on ethnicity, but the programme was also interested in
targeting non-traditional candidates regardless of ethnicity. The careers courses that
the programme was involved in attracted the desired profile of students. For
example, the Focus on Management Course held in June 2006 – a two day course
sponsored by Deloitte that provides students with the opportunity to explore various
industries through a series of interactive case studies – had the following profile of
applicants in terms of gender and ethnicity.
Figure 4 Gender and Ethnicity of the attendees of the Focus on Management Course 2006
Characteristic
Subgroup
Percentage of students
Gender
Female
50%
Male
50%
Ethnicity
White British
Other white
Asian or Asian British - Indian
Chinese
English
Black or Black British - African
Mixed (Dual Heritage)
Other Asian
Asian or Asian British - Pakistani
Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi
Welsh
20%
18%
11%
11%
11%
7%
7%
5%
3%
1%
1%
Source: UCL Careers Service (2006)
This data on attendees shows that the course was balanced in terms of gender and had
a range of attendees in terms of ethnicity. Beyond gender and ethnicity, the course
attendees also represented a wide range of disciplines, the majority of whom were not
from subjects traditionally related to publishing. In fact, only 9% of students on the Focus
on Management Course 2006 had a humanities degree. The table below presents a full
breakdown of attendees in terms of their faculty.
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Figure 5 Faculty of the attendees of the Focus on Management Course 2006
Faculty
Percentage of students
Engineering
25%
Life Sciences
19%
Social and Historical Sciences
14%
Laws
10%
Mathematics and Physical Sciences
10%
Arts and Humanities
9%
Built Environment
5%
Clinical
1%
Source: UCL Careers Service (2005)
The course was also balanced in terms of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The programme’s outreach efforts to universities also included a workshop for around
20 careers advisors organised by the Arts Council and London Metropolitan
University in September 2006. The engagement of careers advisors aimed to further
disseminate information on publishing careers to university students and to increase the
scope of university outreach efforts beyond London. The careers advisors who attended
represented the following universities (which are varied in terms of size, student profile,
and academic focus):



















Norwich School of Art and Design
College of Law
London Metropolitan University
University of Hertfordshire
Southbank University
University of Northampton
Kings College London
University of Warwick
Anglia Polytechnic University
University of Reading
University of the Arts
University of Essex
Midldlesex University
Oxford University
University of Westminster
Roehampton Institute
University of London
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
University of Hull.
Like students, careers advisors engaged in publishing cases studies and were given
presentations on careers in publishing.
Careers in publishing brochure
As stated, the exchange with the Association of American Publishers, particularly around
their ‘Book Yourself a Career’ campaign influenced the Coordinator to consider
undertaking a large-scale dissemination exercise on careers in publishing to universities
throughout the UK. The Coordinator consulted university careers advisors and graduate
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careers information services (such as Prospects) on the current information made
available to students on careers in publishing. Based on her own impressions and the
recommendations of these individuals, the Coordinator took a decision that there was a
lack of highly informative and engaging material that could attract the attention of
students who were unaware of careers in publishing. Therefore, the Arts Council
contracted DipNet to co-produce a brochure on careers in publishing with the
Coordinator, using the AAP campaign material as a model of good practice. The
brochure was completed in July 2007 and is available on both the Arts Council and
DipNet website. 10,000 hard copies of the brochure are being disseminated to
universities and at careers fairs throughout the country in a staged distribution
exercise coordinated by Arberry Pink, a specialist producer of magazines on diversity for
university students and graduates.
School outreach programme
The school outreach programme was developed in partnership with Eastside Educational
Trust, an educational charity, who led the initiative. Eastside coordinated the projects,
developing relationships between schools and publishing partners. The aims of the
programme, which was called ‘The Publishing Game’, were to:

remove cultural barriers and showcase publishing as an interesting career option to
students


make the publishing industry more visible to schools and students
develop partnerships between schools and the publishing industry in a stimulating
and innovative way.
The projects involved selected teams of 12 students in 2 schools in producing a
collection of short-stories and essays and a supplement for a magazine.
Eastside Educational Trust worked closely with the Diversity in Publishing Coordinator to
put together the projects, both in terms of content and engagement with publishing
partners. The programme was primarily funded by a grant from the Arts Council, but
publishers also made financial and in-kind contributions. The National Magazine
Company (Nat Mags), Penguin, and Hodder Headline were approached to take part in
the programme initially and London College of Communications also showed a strong
interest in supporting the programe. In the end, the timescale proved difficult for Hodder
to accommodate, but they remain interested in working with Eastside on similar projects
in the future.
The recruitment process for schools was conducted during November and December
2006. Several schools in Camden and Tower Hamlets were sent informational material
and invited to submit applications to take part in the programme. The applications for the
two projects –the book publishing project and magazine publishing project – had slightly
different applicant forms, but both asked interested schools to provide a supporting letter
from the senior management team and a clear description of the desired impact on the
school and on students. Due to the tight timescale (with projects to commence in
January 2007), selection was based solely on the quality of submitted applications. Le
Sainte Union and City of London Academy were selected to participate in the
programme; City of London Academy for the magazine publishing project and Le Sainte
Union for the book publishing project.
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The content of the book publishing project included a number of workshops with students
both in and out of school. Some workshops were held at the London College of
Communication, which proved a coordination issue for the schools involved. Beginning
with an overview workshop, workshops covered the key stages of the book publishing
process: commissioning, sales and marketing, editorial, design, sales, marketing, legal,
and production. There was also a series of intensive writing workshops during which
students developed content for the proposed collection of short stories and essays. The
magazine publishing project had a similar structure, with workshops on aspects of the
magazine publishing process including advertising, design, marketing, writing, and
printing.
The magazine publishing project was regarded by partners and students as having
been highly successful. It provided students with:

a broad exposure to the magazine publishing process (including the time of senior
managers at NatMags and professors at LCC)

the opportunity to express themselves creatively by acting as writers, photographers,
and researchers on the magazine supplement

the chance to convey issues of relevance to the day to day experience of young
people in their community.
It also exposed Nat Mags to the opportunities afforded it to work with schools and
established a positive relationship between partners, which can be built upon in the
future.
The book publishing project showed every sign in the early stages of being as
successful, but due to unforeseen and difficult circumstances, the project broke
down, frustrating all parties involved and deeply challenging both the ethos of the
Diversity in Publishing programme and the delicate relations between partners
that had not worked together before. As part of the project, students were encouraged
to make submissions to a collection of short stories and essays and were given freedom
to make submissions that addressed their day to day experience and concerns.
Submissions were reviewed by students, teachers, and partners, and selected
submissions were put forward for inclusion in the collection. One of the submissions
selected was a piece that explored the difficulties that one of the students faced in
coming to terms with his/her sexuality. Although this piece had been selected by the
student’s peers and the teacher, when the senior management of Le Sainte Union, a
religiously affiliated school, were informed about it, they were very reluctant to have the
piece published.
According to interviews and informal discussions with the Arts Council and Eastside
Educational Trust, it appears that the school approached both the partners and the
student to have the piece removed from the group of selected works, which deeply
offended many involved, who felt that it violated (most importantly) the rights of the
student as well as the good faith on which the partnership between the various
organisations involved was based. Penguin, the publisher involved in the project, was
particularly concerned for the well-being of the student involved as well as the message
that it would send to the students as a group.
Eastside Educational Trust and Arts Council England attempted to come to an
agreement with the school that would address these concerns, but in the end, the school
decided that only pieces given written parental consent would be allowed to be included
in the collection. This decision led to nearly all submissions being withdrawn, so the
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development of the collection was abandoned. Given the nature of the Diversity in
Publishing programme as an initiative aimed at addressing inequality and discrimination,
this outcome was felt to be very unsatisfactory by the Arts Council England, Eastside
Educational Trust, and Penguin. These circumstances have led Eastside, who is
keen to take the programme forward in future years, to commit to altering both the
selection process and contractual arrangements in future in order to take all
reasonable measures to avoid a similar situation occurring.
Development of DipNet
The Diversity in Publishing Network (DipNet) was established in 2004 by Alison Morrison
and Elise Dillsworth, both then senior managers in the publishing industry. The In Full
Colour report was a major impetus for setting up the Network to address the issue of
under-representation in the publishing industry. Though there has been a growing
awareness that diversity is an area of concern for the industry, DipNet was also set up
because of the lack of advocates of the issue within the sector. As stated, some
publishers (such as Penguin UK) have been advocates of diversity within the industry,
but there are no other trade or sector bodies that champion the issue on an industry wide
level (in the UK).
Since its inception, the aims of DipNet have been to:

promote the status and contribution of people from diverse ethnic groups in all areas
of publishing


provide a forum for discussion and the sharing of information and expertise

work towards equality of opportunity and advancement for minority ethic groups in
publishing


help with practical training for career development where possible

develop relationships with organisations and individuals with similar objectives.
encourage communication and mutual support among people from diverse ethnic
groups in publishing
develop international inks with other publishing industries to share knowledge and
ideas
To realise these ambitions objectives, DipNet set out to undertake a range of activities:






a series of events and debates tackling the issues surrounding diversity in publishing
a mentoring programme for the Arts Council positive action trainees in publishing
membership development
website development
educational activities
market research on representation in the publishing industry.
Since its inception, DipNet has been primarily run voluntarily by individuals working in the
publishing industry. This has meant that the organisation’s capacity has not been able
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realise its ambitions. As with any voluntary organisation with no day-to-day staffing,
reacting to various queries from interested parties and planning and developing an
events programme and other activities were challenging for DipNet. Despite its
constraints, DipNet delivered a number of events, disseminated a newsletter, and
worked closely with the Arts Council on the mentoring programme offered to trainees.
During the course of the programme, the Arts Council both contracted DipNet to deliver
the mentoring programme and funded an administrator post to provide day-to-day
operational support to the Network. There were personnel problems, so the administrator
was only in post a few months, which caused a number of administrative and
communication issues with mentors and trainees. Issues of capacity (both in terms of the
time that the management committee can devote to the organisation and resource
constraints) have also meant that the strategic development of the Network has moved
slowly. The development of DipNet has been a central but challenging area of activity for
the Diversity in Publishing programme. The central issue has been to support DipNet to
develop sufficient capacity to take a leading role in championing the issue of diversity of
publishing.
DipNet is currently planning the next phase of its development. As one of the DipNet
chairs is now also a chair of Booktrust, an independent national charity that encourages
people of all ages and cultures to discover and enjoy reading, DipNet will likely be
working closely with Booktrust in future. The Arts Council and DipNet are confident that if
this close working relationship is established with Booktrust, the issues of capacity, which
have constrained DipNet to date, will be resolved. As DipNet is to play a central role in
the legacy of the Diversity in Publishing programme going forward, it is critical
that DipNet develops the necessary capacity to effectively engage with the
industry. It is worth cautioning, however, that, the close working relationship between
the organisations will likely come with its own challenges. Though there will be a degree
of common ground between the objectives of DipNet and Booktrust, each should retain
its strategic integrity and the Arts Council should maintain distinct relationships with both.
Maintaining the autonomy of the two organisations will be challenging as the
organisations are sharing the post of Development Manager, who will have
responsibility for:






maintaining the website
developing key relationships within the industry
developing and enhancing membership levels
organising a programme of events
providing general administrative support to the co-chairs
spearheading the Booktrust’s activities around diversity.
Though the Development Manager has now been appointed, the recruitment process
has moved slowly, leaving the activities of DipNet stalled until nearly a year following the
conclusion of the programme. It is important that DipNet move quickly to re-engage the
publishing industry, because as the Arts Council has phased out its direct involvement,
there is a danger that the industry will lose its interest and commitment, or at the very
least, the momentum that accompanied the development of the programme.
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6
Programme performance and impact
The impact of the programme was assessed throughout the term of the evaluation by
monitoring:


the progress of the trainees and their experiences

the various collaborations between ACE and its partners on the development and
delivery of programme activities.
the commitment of host organisations to the programme and their broader actions
with regards to diversity issues (particularly cultural diversity)
The following sections attempt to provide a picture of the performance and impact of the
programme based on documentation and engagement of relevant individuals. As stated,
the research into BME poetry, though related to the Diversity in Publishing programme,
was rolled into the general work of the Arts Council England, London literature team and
the PR campaign was overseen by an external communications agency appointed by
decibel. Though these activities were not a primary area of focus for the programme, it
was included in the output and outcome targets given to the programme at inception, so
details on the degree to which desired activities have been conducted has been included
in the sections that follow.
Agreed outputs
In order to measure the performance of the programme, the literature team agreed a
number of outputs with Arts Council England, London to be completed by the end of the
project. In the table below, these outputs and the progress made toward achieving them
are summarised.
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Figure 6 Performance related to output targets agreed at programme inception
Planned Outputs
Degree of success
Actual Outputs
Commentary
1 BME trainee given a 6
month long experience
and knowledge of
commercial publishing
6-8 BME trainees given
year-long experience and
knowledge of commercial
publishing
Research conducted into
BME poetery published
and publicised in early
2006
PR campaign builds
awareness in sector,
leading to action: BME
Author of the Year working
as advocate
Met - exceeded
Met - exceeded
10 BME trainees given
year-long experience and
knowledge of commercial
publishing
Free Verse report
launched in 2006 at the
South Bank
Positive action traineeship
at Carcanet (poetry
publishing) following Free
Verse
Spread the Word
undertaking mentoring
programme fro BME poets
following Free Verse
more appropriate as an
outcome measure than as
an output
Uncertain
PR campaign led by
decibel
Nearly 200 students
informed about publishing
as a career through
seminars and interactive
activities
1500 students (with 29%
BME) informed about
publishing as a career over
three years
3 additional BME trainees
given 6 month to 1 year
traineeships (2 outside of
London) with practical
support from the Diversity
in Publishing programme
and financial support from
ACE, East Midlands and
ACE, North West
Broadly Met
10,000 brochures on
careers in publishing
distributed to universities
throughout the UK through
AGCAS (4,000 through
CAL - a graduate careers
magazine aimed at BME
graduates)
19 careers counselors
(representing 19
universities) informed
about publishing as a
career
Source: BOP Consulting (2008)
Agreed outcomes and impact
Short-term outcomes
There were also a number of outcomes identified that relate to the key objectives of the
programme and the outputs above. The table below details these short-term outcome
measures and evidence of achievement.
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Figure 7 Performance related to short-term outcome measures
Success factor
Suggested action
Trainee model adopted by
publishers
PR campaign; dissmeminate good models
Data capture on BME % growths
Baselines; plan to track legacy of spend;
commission evaluator
Evidence of success
Additional comments
Publishing traineeship toolkit
developed and disseminated to host
organisations
In Full Colour Report and additional
DipNet research establish baselines
Need to ascertain who will be
responsible for tracking BME % growth
in the future
Collaborating with DipNet on
developing legacy steering group
Ensure DipNet thrives and grows
Work in partnership; budget of 2 - 3 years
catalytic support
ACE funding not required after
2008/ industry becomes
responsible for future
developments
Time-limited approach and sustainable models
for future
BME graduates see publishing as
desirable profession
Providing funding to DipNet to help to
develop capacity (in particular to
commission a Diversity Manager)
Developing legacy steering group
with high-level industry
representation
Around 200 graduates have been
involved in university outreach
activities (many of whom are not from
associated academic subjects e.g.
Literature)
University outreach programme
10,000 brochures on careers in
publishing will be distributed through
an independent distributor (Arbery
Pink) to universities throughout the
UK
Trainees take up employment in
the publishing industry
10 of the trainees have been offered
employment in the industry
Strong partnership arrangement has
been established with London
College of Communications
MA publishing courses engaged
Integrate MA publishing bursaries into
traineeship programmes; engage MA
publishing courses long term
Hodder Education Scholarship will
provide one graduate with a place on
the LCC MA Publishing course in
2008-09
MA publishing courses becoming a
highly valuable qualification in the
publishing industry
Seeking respresentation from MA
publishing course on legacy steering
group
School outreach programme
adopted
Support the development of a model for a
publishing related school programme
Eastside Educational Trust was
commissioned to organise and
deliver a school outreach programme
which it will continue in future,
seeking financial support from
charitable foundations and other
sources
Source: BOP Consulting (2008)
Long-term impact
In addition to outputs and short-term outcomes, long-term aspirations were defined at the
inception of the programme.
As long term indicators of success, it is difficult to ascertain at this stage the degree to
which outcomes will be met. Moreover, it is difficult to attribute causality, that is, the
degree to which the Diversity in publishing programme amongst other interventions and
changes in markets has been a primary factor in change being realised.
In many respects, therefore, the following outcomes represent aspirations for the
publishing industry that the Diversity in Publishing programme and related Arts Council
England initiatives (particularly decibel) would like to see realised in the future:
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
Publishers adopt their own BME trainee programmes leading to better representation
in the sector


More BME poets published throughout UK

More London graduates choose publishing as a career.
Greater commitment to diversity of workers, authors and readers amongst London
publishers
Other outcomes and impacts
Beyond the overarching outputs defined by the programme at inception, BOP have
identified a number of additional outcomes and impacts of the programme on partner
organisations, trainees, and other beneficiaries of the programme’s activities. These
additional outcomes and impacts as well as some of the outcomes presented in the
sections above are considered in detail in the sections that follow.
Impact on trainees
BOP attended the majority of trainee review meetings and conducted 2 focus groups with
trainees to inquire about their impressions and experiences during and after their
traineeships. The impacts of the traineeships on trainees are considered in the sections
below.
Employment and progression in the publishing industry
All, but one, of the trainees who completed a positive action traineeship have been
secured employment in the publishing industry to date. All, but one, of those that have
secured employment are working in the host organisation that they were placed in. As of
the end of the programme, 4 of the 11 trainees were in editorial departments, one was an
assistant to a literary agent, and the remaining trainees were working in marketing,
production, publicity, and corporate strategy. Nearly one year on, one of the trainees has
been promoted to a role as an editor at a literary publisher and another has been
promoted to Marketing Manager position. One of the trainees has returned to a career in
journalism, citing difficulties with career progression in the industry as a reason for
making this decision. One trainee has been unable to secure a position in the publishing
industry, but is pursuing other interests in the media.
Exposure to a broad range of business functions
During review meetings and focus groups, nearly all trainees agreed that they gained a
broad overview of the publishing industry, despite the differences between the
programmes and the degree of support provided. Many trainees recognise that this
experience is, in some ways, unusual in an industry in which many specialise in a single
functional area, and nearly all trainees recognise that such broad-based experience will
likely stand them in good stead in terms of their career development.
Many of the trainees stated, however, that the traineeships do not adequately emphasise
skills acquirement. The short time spent in each department, some trainees argue,
provides limited opportunities for skills/knowledge development. Some trainees noted
that as publishing houses deliver a wide range of in-house services, skills acquired in
one department may not be transferable to another department. In addition, many
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trainees felt that either before undertaking the traineeship or during the course of the
traineeship, each had a clear idea of a business area or a few business areas in which
they would like to gain more in depth experience. For most, the area of desired
specialisation was editorial.
Change in perception of the culture of the publishing industry
In individual review meetings, all trainees were asked whether and how their impression
of their host organisation (and the publishing industry) had changed as a result of being
on the programme. Many of the trainees stated that they initially felt uncertain about
whether publishing was suitably open to people from black and minority ethnic
backgrounds, but that the traineeship had offered them an opportunity to experience the
culture of publishing firsthand, so that they could make a determination about whether
the industry could provide a safe and inclusive working environment despite issues of
under-representation. All stated that the experience of working in their host organisation
had challenged their preconceptions about publishing, all finding their working
environment open and accessible. Many now believe that the issue of underrepresentation, rather than being a problem with the culture of the publishing industry,
relates to the lack of black and minority ethnic applicants, which is compounded by the
informal recruitment practices of the sector.
Engagement in raising awareness on issues of diversity in publishing
The trainees argued that a small group of individuals cannot change the face of
publishing, but some reported that it was clear that their participation in the traineeship
had made people within the organisation, in some cases at a senior level, think about
issues of diversity and how organisations can do more to address under-representation.
Some trainees have also been involved in advocating the Diversity in Publishing
programme by:


speaking about their experiences at Arts Council England, London board meetings

participating in university outreach and dissemination events undertaken by the
programme.
being featured in press articles and information materials disseminated by the
programme
Impact on host organisations
Willingness to develop future positive action traineeships independently
Nearly all of the host organisations have stated that they will consider undertaking a
similar positive action scheme in the next year or two. The host organisation most
reluctant to undertake a similar traineeship scheme has stated that the organisation is
considering the best ways to address issues of under-representation and broader issues
of diversity through its diversity committee. Those that plan to undertake further positive
action traineeships are not certain how the schemes will be organised in future, and
many are interested in trying to integrate a commitment to diversity into their
‘mainstream’ human resources activities. The Publishing Training Centre has started a
bursary programme, offering four £5,000 bursaries to students from Black or Minority
Ethnic (BME) backgrounds studying for publishing Masters degrees at four UK
universities: City University London, Oxford Brookes, Napier and UCL. Hachette Livre
and Random House UK are also offering scholarships, though these are open to all
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potential candidates. These scholarships demonstrate both the growing importance of
MA Publishing course for entry to the industry and the awareness of the potential barrier
that this may represent on the part of the publishing industry.
Increased awareness of issues of equality and diversity
Host organisations had varying capacity in the area of equality and diversity and in HR
practice. As stated, the positive action traineeships seem to have highlighted the need
for diversity practices to inform general recruitment and other practices. Several of the
host organisations are reviewing their recruitment practices, including advertising of
positions externally, remuneration for work experience, and a broader traineeship
programme that addresses not only ethnicity issues but other barriers to entry and issues
of representation.
Impact on the wider publishing industry
The greatest impact on the publishing industry has been increased collaboration
between organisations in the industry and partnerships with external organisations.
During the programme, host organisations:

collaborated on providing training to the trainees, in some cases, allowing trainees
from other host organisations to undertake internal training at no cost


met with interested publishers to discuss the scheme and share their experience
participated in university and school outreach programmes to raise the profile of
publishing as a prospective career.
In addition to the activity of the host organisations, the Arts Council also took steps to
extend the scope of the programme by:

rolling out to the traineeship model to the East Midlands and North West, with
traineeships developed with small, independent publishers Tindal Street Press and
Carcanet

incorporating companies beyond publishers, such as literary agents, booksellers,
and distributors.
Impact on other partner organisations
Other partner organisations, including universities and other educational institutions, also
benefited from the programme. The impact on university partners mainly related to
exposure to the publishing industry and the relationships formed with publishers and the
development of useful case study material that may be used in future years. The impact
of outreach activity on schools was examined in an evaluation of the project conducted
by Eastside Educational Trust. The evaluation found that:

the project provided material and subject knowledge which teachers could use in
developing the content of future courses

students developed skills in autonomy and keeping to deadlines and were exposed
to the reality of the day to day work of people active in their careers.
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Added value
Beyond the outputs, outcomes and impacts highlighted in preceding sections, in the most
basic terms, the ‘added value’ of the Diversity in Publishing programme has been to:

increase coordination of efforts to address the issue of under-representation in the
publishing industry, including partnerships within the publishing industry and
between the publishing industry and educational institutions

increase knowledge about the issue of under-representation (and issues of
diversity more broadly) which is leading the industry to take action.
Financial management
A total of nearly £320,000 was allocated by the Diversity in Publishing programme. The
total spend on the various programme areas is presented below.
Figure 8 Programme spend
Programme area
Total spend
Traineeships
£99,757
Management
£74,260
Other
£51,427
Evaluation
£47,051
Advertising and PR
£16,900
DipNet
£11,000
Schools outreach
£10,000
University outreach
£7,753
Source: BOP Consulting 2008
Figure 9 Percentage spend on programme areas
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Percentage spend on programme areas
3%
3% 2%
5%
30%
Traineeships
Management
14%
Other
Evaluation
Advertising and PR
DipNet
Schools outreach
University outreach
19%
22%
Source: BOP Consulting (2008)
Nearly a third of programme spend (30%) was allocated to the traineeships. As the
traineeships were a mechanism through which to establish relationships with the
publishing industry and to pilot a model for broadening access, it seems sensible that the
Arts Council would allocate a significant proportion of its resources to this aspect of the
programme.
Nearly a quarter (22%) of programme spend was allocated to management costs. While
this is a significant management cost, this level of resource allowed the Arts Council to
bring in a Co-ordinator for the programme. As stated, the Co-ordinator played a
significant role in brokering relationships and developing programme activities.
Nearly 15% of the Diversity in Publishing budget was allocated to evaluation. As the
programme evolved, the evaluation process was used to support the decision-making of
Arts Council officers on the direction of the scheme and to provide additional support to
the trainees.
19% of the programme budget – the ‘Other’ designated in the chart above – was spent
on the Spread the Word research and support for BME-led publishing. As stated, these
were tangential aspects of the overall programme, though important to the Arts Council’s
broader work to support diversity in the literature sector.
Only 5% of the budget was spent on outreach activities to schools and universities, but
this seems understandable given that these activities were not costly to administer and
were meant to test approaches that the publishing industry and other partners can take
forward in future.
Only 3% of programme spend was allocated to the DipNet. Though this might seem a
low figure because of the importance of DipNet to the continued legacy of the
programme, this allocation was made to fund the delivery of mentoring activities
exclusively. The Arts Council England, London Literature team supported DipNet in
applying for Grants for the Arts funding during the course of the programme to support
the organisation’s development. DipNet was awarded over £60,000 through Grants for
the Arts during 2005 – 06 to support various organisational development activities.
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Over £240,000 of Grants for the Arts funds was awarded to activities related to the
Diversity in Publishing programme from 2005 to 2007. Grants for the Arts funding
supported a number of programme areas, in particular a series of traineeships with small
publishers (Saqi Books) and publishers in the English regions (Carcanet, and Tindall
Street Press).
7
Legacy and conclusion
Despite the challenges faced in its development and delivery, the Diversity in Publishing
programme has largely met or exceeded its objectives and has been broadly praised by
the organisations and individuals that have been partners and beneficiaries of the range
of activities that have been undertaken. The success of the programme has been
achieved due to three factors in particular:

the breadth and depth of partnership working without which the programme could not
have been a success

the role of a dedicated programme co-ordinator with a knowledge of the industry and
an ability to facilitate effective partnerships

a supportive evaluation process that has informed programme development.
The true test of the programme, however, will be the degree to which it catalyses longterm change. The Arts Council has defined its long-term objectives as being the degree
to which:

publishers adopt their own BME trainee programmes leading to better representation
in the sector

London publishers demonstrate greater commitment to diversity of workers, authors
and readers

more London graduates choose publishing as a career.
There are already encouraging signs that these longer term objectives will be realised.
Pearson Group and Random House have expressed plans for continuing traineeship
schemes, making changes to HR practices, and engaging with universities and schools.
Hachette Livre UK, Random House UK are offering scholarship for MA Publishing course
and the Publishing Training Centre is offering diversity awards, which will provide
bursaries to BME candidates for MA Publishing Courses. These scholarships are also a
sign that the industry is continuing to engage with the issue of diversity in publishing and
developing activities that seek to address the issue of under-representation.
As the Arts Council has decreased its engagement following the end of the traineeship
programme in November 2007, the presumption is that DipNet, particularly now that a
Development Manager has been appointed, will spearhead sectoral activities moving
forward. While the increase in the capacity of DipNet is an important step, the Arts
Council should sustain its engagement (at least in the short-term) by supporting DipNet
and the publishing industry more broadly in taking leadership on the issue of diversity in
publishing and developing industry-wide activities around this agenda.
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In order to do this, the Arts Council will need to continue to support DipNet’s
development and engage with the informal partnership/working group of publishing
industry associations (eg the Publisher’s Association and Booksellers Association),
education and training institutions (eg the London College of Communication, Oxford
Brookes, etc.), literature organisations (eg Booktrust) and independent commentators
that will soon be established to lead on future activities. By securing the Development
Manager post for DipNet and Booktrust, the Arts Council has shown a commitment to
developing the necessary capacity to support future efforts. The Arts Council’s could also
support DipNet and the publishing industry more broadly in:

developing and maintaining relationships with university careers advisory services to
raise the profile of publishing as a career option

creating an annual award recognising individual or organisational contributions to
diversity in publishing

developing the positive action traineeship toolkit as an online resource for publishers.
The Arts Council should use any residual (or additional funds) to support these
developments and reconsider its continued involvement in 2010, when DipNet should be
reassessing its trajectory. The informal steering group will likely generate ideas for other
activities that the publishing industry should pursue in taking forward the agenda, and the
hope is that by 2010, the Arts Council will be able to further decrease its engagement,
working with other stakeholders to consider if and how it might support any future
activities.
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Appendix: Diversity in Publishing
Programme Timeline
April – Sept 2004

Initial planning commences at ACE Literature London after In Full Colour is
published in March 2004.

ACE London Literature approach Faber and Faber and Random House about the
possibility of hosting traineeships, and draft contracts.
October – December 2004

ACE and the publishing houses (Faber and Faber and Random House) enter into an
agreement and decide to recruit first cohort of trainees.
January 2005

ACE appoints Gina Antchandie as Diversity in Publishing Co-ordinator.
January – March 2005

ACE finalise application materials and publish advertisement for traineeships in The
Guardian in January.

The selection process occurs in March and two candidates are selected, Bobby
Nayar at Faber and Faber and Danielle Weekes at Random House.
February – March 2005

Bloomsbury approaches the Diversity in Publishing Co-ordinator in February at
DipNet launch to inquire about the programme.

ACE provide materials to Bloomsbury and they confirm their participation in the
scheme mid-March.
March – April 2005

Diversity in Publishing Co-ordinator discusses opportunity for traineeship with Saqi
Books at the London Book Fair and shortly after Saqi confirm participation in the
scheme at the end of April.
April – May 2005

The Publishing Training Centre approach ACE to find out how they can become
involved with the programme in April and a bursary fund is established to cover
additional training needs of the trainees.

Traineeships commence in April at Faber and Faber and Random House in May
supervised by director-level staff at both publishers.
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
ACE enter into a contract with DipNet in May to provide external mentors for the
trainees.
May – June 2005

ACE have initial meeting with Hodder Headline in May and Hodder confirm their
participation in June.

Guardian ad for second cohort of trainees appears on 27 June 2005 for two weeks.
July – August 2005

Selection process for second cohort occurs.

Three trainees are selected in August 2005, Ayesha Siddiqui at Saqi, Alexandra
(Sandy) Officer at Hodder Headline, and Erica Jarnes at Bloomsbury.
September 2005

Ayesha Siddiqui, Alexandra (Sandy) Officer, and Erica Jarnes start their traineeships
near the end of September 2005.
December 2005

Workshop on careers in publishing conducted for 22 students London Metropolitan
University students.
January 2006

ACE appoints Burns Owens Partnership (BOP) as external evaluator.
January 2006

Traineeships at Harper Collins and Rogers, Coleridge and White are advertised in
the Guardian.
March 2006

Mohsen Shah begins traineeship at Rogers Coleridge and White.
April 2006

Pria Taneja begins traineeship at Harper Collins.

Workshop on careers in publishing conducted for 13 students at London
Metropolitan University

First steering group meeting for the evaluation of the Diversity in Publishing
programme takes place.
May 2006
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
Books for All research published by The Bookseller.
June 2006

Publishing case study conducted for 77 students at the University College London
Focus on Management Course 2006.
September 2006

Workshop for 25 careers advisors on careers in publishing held at London
Metropolitan University.
October 2006

Rebecca Oku begins first stage of her traineeship at Foyles, Puffin, and Curtis Brown
– beginning at Foyles.
November 2006

ACE, London and Eastside Educational Trust meet to brainstorm school outreach
programme

Harpreet Purewal begins traineeship at Random House Children’s Books.
January 2007

Publishing games with The City of London Academy and Le Sainte Union launched
by Eastside Educational Trust, National Magazine Company, Hodder Headline,
Penguin UK.
February 2007

Gina Antchandie visits the Association of American Publishers in New York.
May 2007

Chioma Okereke begins traineeship first stage of joint traineeship at Bloomsbury,
Little Brown Book Group, and Faber and Faber – beginning at Bloomsbury.
June 2007

Publishing case study conducted the University College London Focus on
Management Course 2007.
July 2007

Diversity in Publishing Coordinator’s contract ends.
December 2007

Final traineeship ends.
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