WORKING IN FACTSHEET

A career in publishing Being immersed in the world of for a living can sound like a very attractive and glamorous career option: many people love , meeting authors, and discussing their favourite books. However, there is much more to working in publishing than dealing with manuscripts and writers - the range of jobs varies enormously depending on what kind of publishing you find yourself in and which department.

Types of publishers Publishers in Scotland range from ‘trade’ publishing or general, consumer publishing (the kinds of books you find most often in your local bookshop: fiction and non-fiction) to children’s, to academic (aimed at the higher education sector), to educational (aimed at schools), reference (dictionaries etc), and Scientific, Technical and Medical (STM for short), all the way to online, digital publishing (e-books etc). A browse through our list of Publisher Members gives a good overview of publishers in Scotland.

Types of jobs What sorts of jobs can you hope to find? As publishing is a bit of an umbrella term, then the jobs are equally varied. Working in the editorial department will involve a different set of skills from those demanded in the production department where a more technical knowledge is required. The marketing department demands imagination, persistence, networking and social media skills.

There are also the lesser-known jobs (but no less interesting) such as selling rights and picture research, as well as being a rep for a company or working on a company’s website. The National Occupational Standards for Publishing provide detailed descriptions of the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to perform the main roles and responsibilities within publishing. The standards are set out on the Creative Skillset website.

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In smaller publishers, a job may involve elements of several jobs eg mainly editorial but some marketing, or equal commissioning and editorial project management. Generally, skills in demand include digital awareness, flexibility and a can-do attitude.

Work experience, qualifications and training It’s invaluable to get some work experience before you apply for a job. That may involve working as an intern, or taking some work away to do at home. Getting your first job in publishing can be difficult but work experience is often the best way to get in. In addition to work experience, you may also want to consider a publishing qualification or participating in training courses. Publishing Scotland runs short courses in areas such as proofreading, design and marketing: all of our courses are listed on the training pages.

Most entrants to publishing are educated to degree level and many of them now have publishing degrees or post-graduate qualifications. Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Stirling both offer courses in Scotland:

Napier University, Edinburgh MSc in Publishing (full-time and part-time programmes of study)

Stirling University MLitt in Publishing Studies MRes in Publishing Studies (full-time and part-time programmes of study)

Advice on finding a job in the Scottish publishing Industry The key is to be flexible and open to the range of jobs involved. You may have your heart set on being a fiction editor but there are many other interesting and satisfying jobs that may suit you equally well or better.

Often publishers, particularly if they’re of a small or medium size, may not advertise at all, preferring to fill their vacancies by word-of-mouth, from interns or from previous applicants. That means that your contacts with potential employers are extremely important whether you meet them at networking events or are sending a speculative application for an internship or job. Networking events run by the Society of Young Publishers in Scotland, BookMachine and others can prove to be useful as well as enjoyable. When applying for internships or jobs, do your research and tailor your covering letter and CV to the company you are approaching. There’s a lot of competition for posts so ensure your communications are word perfect and well presented.

The Bookseller and The Guardian occasionally carry Scottish publishing jobs. And of course the jobs section of our Publishing Scotland website advertises vacancies from our members: we also Tweet them and include them in our Industry Bulletin (deadlines permitting).

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Advice on working as a freelancer Publishers are increasingly outsourcing publishing tasks. See our list of network members for examples of the wide range of services freelancers can offer. However, the area we get asked about most is editorial. Many freelancers working as proofreaders or copy-editors already have some formal training or experience gained from having worked in-house, as well as contacts. For those without experience or who wish to get formal training, there are reputable training courses where you can learn the skills, and gain an understanding of where proofreading and copy- sit in the publishing process.

In Scotland, Publishing Scotland runs an annual training programme that includes both introductory proofreading and copy-editing courses. We also run a course on Starting Up as a Freelancer. If you are interested in attending the next date for the course, contact Joan Lyle. Details of all of our courses are listed on the training pages of our website. The Publishing Training Centre in London and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders also offer highly-respected courses.

Do be aware that freelance editorial work is not highly paid and publishers vary greatly in their levels of pay, from an hourly rate to a one-off fee. There are no standard fees. Some publishers will give potential freelancers an advance exercise to judge their ability. The Society for Editors and Proofreaders’ website is a good source of information and advice on this area of publishing.

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RESOURCES

Books The standard text for students and useful for anyone interested in publishing is Inside Publishing by Giles Clark and Angus Phillips (Routledge, 2008). There is also an online course based on the book. Information and resources are available on the Inside Book Publishing website.

How to Get a Job in Publishing: A Really Practical Guide to Careers in Books and Magazines by Alison Baverstock (A & C Black Publishers, 2008)

Networking The Society of Young Publishers, Scotland and Book Machine run networking events

Social media Blogs can give an insight into internships or publishing jobs eg Diary of a Publishing Professional

Jon Reed runs digital and print magazine Publishing Talk and his website is full of useful resources and links

Students and tutors at the Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication blog, Tweet etc and give a good insight into current issues in the industry and for students and jobseekers

Publishing by Degrees is the blog of publishing students at Edinburgh Napier

Trade publications The Bookseller is the main source of news about the book business. Its print magazine is published weekly. It is also a good source of jobs. The Guardian. Its Guardian Books section on its website is good on trade books in particular. Publishing jobs are advertised in Guardian Jobs under media.

Websites Bookcareers.com is an independent careers advice service specialising in the book industry Creative Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the creative industries including publishing Publishing Scotland runs training courses in Edinburgh The Publishing Training Centre runs training courses in London The Bookseller is the main source of news about the book business

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