Getting Ahead in Publishing

Posted on May 12, 2009 in Uncategorized

A room of hopeful faces rose early for the Society of Young Publishers’ 9:30am seminar on ‘Getting Ahead in Publishing’, which kicked off the London Book Fair on Monday morning. Those among us looking for the secret to getting a foot in the door in publishing were eager to hear the advice of the panel: Kate O’Connor, Executive Director of Skillset; Desmond O’Rourke, Treasurer of the UK Association for Publishing Education and Director of the MA in Publishing at LCC; Nancy Roberts, Production Manager at Dorling Kindersley; and Gavin Sharrock, Journal Publisher at Wiley Blackwell.

There were no revelations, it must be said, as to how one can get in and move up in the industry, but there were quite a few helpful and optimistic tips to help aspiring publishers at every level.

Education
Both Kate O’Connor and Desmond O’Rourke spoke about the importance of qualifications and the many ways in which they can be attained. From short courses in specific areas of publishing with the Publishing Training Centre; more general postgraduate courses at the likes of Oxford Brookes and Stirling University to more specific, production-geared courses, there is something to suit everyone’s tastes and budgets. O’Rourke has run a very successful initiative with the Arts Council to provide ethnic minority graduates with MA scholarships, and internships within several of the major UK publishing houses. Getting into a company and doing hands-on work can often be a means to making yourself indispensable: Nancy Roberts hosted an intern at DK and when the internship ended, immediately hired her as a permanent member of staff.

Getting the job
Roberts emphasised the importance of making your CV stand out from the pile – jobs advertised in the national press can attract up to 2,000 applicants for a single position. How can you make yours jump out? A snappy mission statement that can be quickly read can help to convey your message if you have something particular you want to highlight, but make it individual, not general. Of utmost importance is checking for errors: any CVs with typos will be thrown straight in the bin. Consider registering with a recruitment consultant as well as applying for roles directly: they know the industry well and can help get the good CVs straight to the publishers.

Some words of wisdom
Gavin Sharrock has worked in journal publishing with Wiley since the beginning of his career, and his succinct advice pertains to everyone in the industry, whether you’re getting your first job or seeking a promotion or change of role.

1. Don’t do anything stupid
2. Try to stand out
3. Stack the odds in your favour

To elaborate on these wise words, Sharrock says that you should be prepared for seemingly simple questions in any interview, like ‘Why do you want to go into publishing?’ Loving books is not enough, but you must be passionate about what it is that drew you to publishing. Think about it, and know what you’re going to say before you get there. Standing out and stacking the odds in your favour go hand in hand, and there are so many simple things you can do online that will help with this: getting a profile on LinkedIn helps with networking and making contacts, and using Twitter keeps you up to date with current news and allows you to become part of the online community of publishers. Read related blogs, or write your own, and whatever you’re doing online, shout about it on your CV – as long as the content is appropriate for employers’ eyes.

A lot of very helpful advice then, from a panel remaining realistic but positive about the future for young publishers in this exciting, challenging time.

Elaina O’Neill