#getting into publishing

[booksandpublishing]

Publicity Intern - HQ and Mills & Boon

New Career Opportunity! Harper Collins has an opening for a Publicity Intern - HQ and Mills & Boon in London, Greater London

[booksandpublishing]

Canelo's Simon Collinson on why publishing should pay all interns.

Absolutely bril piece on why publishing needs to start paying their interns already! 

[booksandpublishing]

So if I've understood it correctly, you're working as a publisher of some sort? So i just wanted to ask what adn where you studied to be able to get your job? I'm thinking about getting a job in that area and I feel completely lost about uni and such hehe. Really love your blog btw!

Thank you!

Yes, I work for a publisher and have my own literary consultancy. I started by doing a BA in Journalism and Communication and then an MA in Publishing. I was pretty clueless as well and the MA really helped. It was a perfect entry into the industry was complemented with several internships.

Getting an MA in publishing is not the ONLY way forward, but it is the easiest. Regardless of what you choose to study, I recommend that you try to get a lot of work experience in the field and connect with people within the industry and showcase your interests through a blog or twitter profile.

Hope this helps!

[booksandpublishing]

HarperCollins UK CEO Charlie Redmayne provides a valuable insight into what publishers are looking for when recruiting.

[booksandpublishing]

Hi, I'm currently doing the publishing MA at UCL. I've done two different month-long work experiences with publishing companies and I'm beginning to apply for jobs. Do you have any advice for making my applications stand out?

First of all, I’m SO sorry for this late reply. I hope I’m not too late. But if I’m, then congratulations on your new job! :)

Following are some of the things I’m very particular about while applying for a publishing job: 

- It’s all about the attitude. Publishers are looking for enthusiastic, passionate and flexible individuals who can mould themselves along with the ever changing business needs. Let them know how flexible, curious and interested you are in the specific job role that you are applying for. Never use a generic covering letter and CV and always remember to personalise every single application. 

- Be knowledgeable about the industry. Read up on current publishing affairs and the things happening in and around the industry. Follow publishing websites such as: Publishing Perspectives, The Bookseller, BookMachine, Society of Young Publishers, GalleyCat, The Publisher’s Association etc. Also follow publishing folks on Twitter and LinkedIn to know what they are talking about. You can check out the people I’m following on Twitter to get started. Follow ‘publishing’ and ‘publisher’ tags on Tumblr. Engage with these people online so that when you write your covering letter, you know what you are talking about.

- Always ALWAYS do your research. Internet is an amazing tool so use it to your advantage. Read up about the company and the people before applying. Do a smart Google search and avoid any embarrassment and also set yourself apart from the amateurs.

- Never say no to work experience. I was told by my first employer that my CV stood out because of the number of internships I had under my belt by the time I graduated. It's the best way to show your interest in the publishing industry. 

- Have an online platform for publishing related news and updates. This will help the potential employer to get to know you better and will create an impression. It could be a well curated Twitter account or a blog.

- Get in touch with publishing agencies in the area you are job hunting to focus your job search and save you time. Time which is better spent reading about the industry, networking with publishing folks and engaging with publishing conversations online. 

Hope this helps! Good luck.

Zeba x

[booksandpublishing]

How did you get into the publishing business?

Hi!

I decided to be a journalist because I loved to write but a few internships with newspapers and CNN-IBN made me realise that my interests lay staunchly in the world of fiction and not current affairs or hard news.

I then ditched my ‘big plan’ to do a Masters at LSE or Columbia and chose to study Publishing at Anglia Ruskin University instead. I still loved writing and have forever loved books so it made complete sense to me.

If you are interested, I’ve written about getting into publishing in the past: You can check them out here, here, here and here.

[booksandpublishing]

I am thinking of maybe getting into publishing, I have taken a year off now after my graduation and will be going to university next year. I also soon will be staying in London for half a year. I dont reayl know what the different jobs there are..

Sounds so exciting!

Try all the big publishers you know, check their career pages or stalk them on LinkedIn to get contacts from the department you are interested in. Try to squeeze in as many internships as possible. It’s great to contact HR but I’ve learnt that it’s better to contact Editors, Marketing Managers, Publicity people directly, depending on what kind of work you want to do within a publishing house.

Don’t ignore the smaller presses, they will give you the priceless experience. Join publishing clubs. There’s one in London that I recommend: The Society of Young Publishers. 

Read The Bookseller. They have a jobs’ page which will familiarise you with the industry. There are specific publishing agencies to look out for such as Atwood Tate and Inspired Selection.

I have found HarperCollins in London to be the most approachable publishing house in terms of gaining experience. I myself interned their twice and applied for the graduate scheme. That’s another thing to look out for, graduate schemes. Keep checking their websites. Granta Books has an internship program as well and Penguin has a work experience slots which fill up months in advance.

There are people you can follow on Twitter to keep yourself updated. They are too many to name but I’ve linked my Twitter here so you can check the list of people I follow. You can start from here and see where that takes you.  

Guardian in London has a lot of what they call MasterClasses for writers. I learned a lot about the craft and also got to network with the London publishers while there. 

Good luck with everything. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any specifc questions. Also, apologies for taking so long to get back.