So you want to work in publishing...
By Lauren Simmonds
If movies are anything to go by, the world of publishing is not only incredibly glamorous (The Proposal, Fifty Shades of Grey, and the After series all spring to mind), but also incredibly easy to get into. One minute you are walking down the streets of London, fresh out of university and then, BOOM. You are suddenly a senior editor in a top publishing house. Seldom, if ever, has it been the case.
Our bi-annual work experience for 15-17-year-olds took place a couple of weeks ago (if you know anyone who’d like to take part then they can apply to our next programme by keeping an eye on our website or LinkedIn page. We run them twice a year, during the Easter and Summer breaks – it's a fantastic opportunity and always gets rave reviews). While we’re still fired up by the eagerness of all the young people who took part, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some insights on how to get a job in the industry – as it wasn’t long ago I did it myself! If you know any book/TV/general media lovers who have just finished their A Levels or degrees, please send this to them.
The first thing to say is that it takes a ginormous village to raise a book. Most people will know about editors, but equally as important to a book’s creation are those who work in production, sales, publicity, marketing, rights, audio, finance, contracts and more. If you want to explore these different jobs, see the Penguin careers website and have a look around their handy Business Areas tab.
And of course, there’s more than just the jobs in a publishing house. As if it was yesterday, I remember sitting in a seminar room at university where I was studying English and Creative Writing, talking with one of my lecturers. ‘How do you even get a book published?’ I asked her, a vision of a gold heavenly gate in my head, one that magically opened for some books but didn’t for others. As she took me through the process of how her book was published, she explained to me the job of an agent, which my colleague Hattie wrote about a few Substacks ago. ‘That sounds rather good,’ I said. I liked the idea of having a collaborative, client facing role, and also the creative and deal-making side of being an agent. It seemed like something I would really enjoy being a part of. (Coincidentally, the agent my lecturer was referring to was Hattie!)
Later, when I began job searching, I made a point of searching for agency assistant jobs, as well as applying to every junior editorial job I could find online. I went on all the usual suspects (Media Beans – which sadly I think is no longer – and Indeed), but also on specific publishing houses and agency websites, eager to see what roles were available. I came across The Blair Partnership; they needed an Agency Assistant (hurray!), I applied and … I did not get the job. My start time was later than ideal, and I didn’t have quite enough experience to hit the ground running. I still had some time left at university and continued the lengthy process of writing cover letters and wishing on every star that I might get a reply from someone.
I then saw The Blair Partnership was hiring again, this time for a Front of House Assistant. It wasn’t exactly what I had planned, but it would get me closer, and I was willing to try it. I noticed there was a small typo in one of the questions, and as one of the necessary skills was to have a keen eye for detail, I thought it would be good, if not funny, to mention this. The manager for this role thought this stood me out, and if nothing else showed I had a bit of character needed for a front of house role. After two interview rounds, the job was mine. I let the company know my ambitions for my future, and I helped the agency team whenever time allowed, writing reading reports and taking on admin and small tasks.
I stayed in that wonderful first job for 18 months until my colleague Rhian’s promotion from agency assistant to associate agent meant there was space for me to move over into the agency team. I am now agency assistant, and I couldn’t be happier. My new role also covers brand development, meaning I work on brand deals and speaking engagements for our clients – again not something I originally had planned, but something I immensely enjoy.
My time in my first role was invaluable; I learnt so much about the industry and the company, my confidence grew, my time-management improved – I walked out of that role with a completely different mindset than when I walked in. Now I am learning new skills and improving on ones I have, all over again. When you talk to people who work in publishing, so many didn’t get into the position they originally wanted on their first try. Soaking up all the context and knowledge wherever you can get a foot in the door can be so valuable, and lead you to where you want to be eventually.
Helping me demonstrate the numerous different paths you can take to end up in publishing are Rhian Parry (the aforementioned associate agent at TBP) and two members from The Society of Young Publishers, Tara Hiralal and Joanne Boustead.
Tara’s experience: ‘My career in publishing started with a Publishing MA at Kingston University, which I feel gave me a great overview of the industry and allowed me to make amazing connections. Through the programme, I was lucky to have various placements, including with a literary agency and The Bookseller, as well as interning with CILIP, the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals. It's through this last internship that I networked with CILIP's publishing house, Facet Publishing, and later on interviewed for a Sales Officer role with them. I've now been with Facet for almost two years and I recently got my new position as Sales and Marketing Manager.’
Joanne’s experience: ‘Like most publishing hopefuls trying to get a foot in the door of the industry, my path into publishing was not a straightforward one. Since graduating with an MA Publishing degree in 2022 from the University of Derby, I’ve held multiple voluntary positions, including with The Publishing Post and Society of Young Publishers (SYP). I was incredibly lucky to receive support from the SYP as a mentee in their Mentorship Scheme during my postgrad year. My mentor gave me invaluable advice and guidance, and played a huge role in arranging a casual interview for an internship with an independent publisher (at the London Book Fair, of all places!). The interview led to a three-month voluntary internship as an Editorial and Marketing Intern, where I discovered that marketing was the department I wanted to start a career in.’
Much like myself, Joanne then went through the lengthy process of tailoring cover letters and dissecting rejection feedback, eventually landing her current role as an Editorial Assistant. Joanne advises, ‘For anyone who is trying to find their way into publishing: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so jump at every opportunity. Apply for jobs and opportunities even when you don’t think you tick every box on the ‘who we’re looking for’ list, because you’ll never know if you don’t try.’ Which I wholeheartedly agree with.
Rhian’s experience: ‘My journey into publishing is a little obscure. I studied a BSc Business Studies degree at university, then went straight into a super corporate, City of London management consultancy job (don’t ask me what management consultants actually do – I’m still not even sure myself). After that, I worked in the customer service department of a health tech start-up, which was better but still not right for me. It was at this point I realised I just really like books and a career in publishing—something I didn’t even know existed growing up in Wales as someone whose parents never attended uni—became something tangible. I decided to study a Publishing MA (thank you redundancy money from management consultant job), did a paid publishing internship while studying, then started working as an agency assistant at TBP while writing my dissertation!’ The rest is history!
A huge thank you to Rhian, Joanne, and Tara for their input. Everyone’s experiences will vary but I hope if you take anything from this Substack, it is that there is no ‘right way’ of getting a job in the industry. Don’t overlook jobs that can help you get a foot in the door; there is always time for change. In the words of my mother, you are not a tree – you can move!
Finally, if you’re applying for an entry level job in publishing, read on for a few pointers from one of our agents, Emily Barrett, who hired various editorial assistants in her previous role.
If you’re interested in a job in publishing and you’re currently deciding what course to study at uni: What you study doesn’t matter. Lots of people in publishing have undergraduate degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing, but plenty studied history (me included), languages and more besides. If a person had studied Maths or a science, that could actually make the candidate stand out from the pack. I’d personally have loved to have seen more people applying with Business Studies degrees (oh hi Rhian!). But it honestly isn’t what hiring managers care about, nor does it matter these days where you studied (as an aside, many publishers technically don’t require candidates to have a degree at all).
Only do an MA in publishing if the thought of it really excites you. Having one might give you more of an idea of what publishing is like before you get a job in it, and can offer up networking opportunities as Tara and Joanne can attest, but it doesn’t make you more employable - you can absolutely get into the industry without one. So long as you can demonstrate in your application that you’re passionate about books and, more importantly, that you’re keen to work in the creation of a product for an audience which might be completely different to you, that’s what matters.
Work experience and internships can lead to other opportunities, maybe even a role at that company, but – unlike in days gone by – you definitely don’t need them on your CV to get an entry level job.
The biggest mistake candidates would make in a cover letter or when answering the application questions would be to only talk about their experience. Your experience is crucial, and you should make sure to give examples for the skills the job ad has highlighted. But you might struggle to get an interview if you only talk about your experience at the expense of the company you’re applying for. Companies want to know why you want to work for them - what is it about the specific job ad you’re looking at that excites you, and what do you already know and like about the company and its roster of books? It’s worth researching the company and the editors on the team and using that to help make this argument in an authentic and interesting way (NB it's obvious when people are being generic or clutching at something to say!).
Try your hardest to bring in examples for your skillset that don’t just rely on your university experience. Hiring managers will give you a lot of leeway here, understanding that if it’s your first job you won’t have much else to draw from. But studying and writing your dissertation is rarely comparable to navigating an office job, and you’ll stand out much more from the pack if you can bring in other examples that demonstrates more about you, your interests and personality.
If you can’t get a job in publishing, get any job, and then apply again. Lots of people work for booksellers in the meantime which can give you valuable insight, but honestly any job that gives you experience of working in a busy environment and juggling a heavy workload will help you to write a persuasive application when the next job ad comes up. I started in publishing over 10 years ago now, but I got my job off the back of work experience. My boss was given two candidates to consider for the placement - one was someone who’d already done a handful of publishing work experiences, and I was the other one. I was chosen because I’d had an entry level job for six months in a food and drink PR agency. My boss told me she thought I’d be the one to hit the ground running in what was a very busy team.
And finally - DO NOT USE AI TO WRITE YOUR APPLICATION. First, because applications are now put through an AI checker to make sure the text is original - if you’re found out then you will automatically be rejected. Second, because if you don’t feel you can write a good application without tech, then to be honest you’re applying for the wrong job! Trust in your writing abilities, which you will need to rely on for the whole of your publishing career, no matter which part of publishing you land in. And then proofread, proofread, proofread before you press send.
You can follow Lauren on Instagram and The Blair Partnership on Instagram.
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