#SYPontheRoad Exeter Edition

Posted on October 29, 2017 in Uncategorized

Following the success of our first On the Road event in Bristol, we headed back out again last week, this time to Exeter. We were joined by four fantastic speakers across editorial, productions, marketing and publicity, and sales to talk about their varied routes into the industry and what their jobs entail.

Rosie Stewart, Senior Production Editor at Swales & Willis, told us about working in production, and the many tasks involved in actually creating a book – from proof-reading to typesetting. She told us that there are many differences between producing a journal and producing a book, but most significant is the speed. Where books are planned up to 18 months in advance, journals are timely and have to be produced rapidly to remain topical and up to date. As a ‘packager’ Swales & Willis are effectively a publishing service, hired by many publishers for specific projects which means they work on a huge variety of titles and on both books and journals. Rosie urged the audience to consider publishing services as a way into the industry and to look at all that is out there when looking for your first role.

Sarah Sleath, Marketing and Publicity Manager at Impress Books, talked about some of the titles she has worked on during her 2 years with the publisher and explained that they find a lot of their talent through their annual writing competition. They don’t tend to compete with large publishers for authors as the bigger companies will usually only work through literary agents whereas Impress go directly to the author. Although Marketing and Publicity are sometimes separate departments, they work closely together and in smaller companies are often combined as with Sarah’s role. Where marketing involves the paid for advertising, publicity is about dealing with the press and with bloggers, getting reviews and interviews for the author, and gaining word-of-mouth exposure.

Sarah also talked about undertaking internships in London before being pleased to find a publishing job in Devon. There are a surprising number of publishers in the South West, with more cropping up all the time so don’t feel you have to move to London. Although this is where the big ones are based, smaller publishers give you the chance to learn about and get involved in different aspects of publishing and gain more hands-on experience. You are also integral to the companies success without the large corporate budget to cushion decisions. If you do take work experience or internships in London, take a look at the Spare Room Project which provides accommodation for those from outside the city. The Book Trade Charity is also there to help those that need an extra hand – whether that be with travel expenses, accommodation or even appropriate workplace attire.

Becky Taylor, Publisher at SAGE, talked about her varied career through over 17 years of publishing. She talked about working on multi-media projects and the close relationship between editorial and production to effectively bring these products to life. She said that whilst digital is now very much a part of most publishing roles, and she has needed to develop some understanding in order to visualise products and their possibilities, there are no specific digital skills required in order to get into a role like hers. Becky reiterated the need to research what roles are out there and understand what area it is you want to be part of.

Matt Reynolds, Managing Director at Little Brother Books, shared his unconventional route into publishing from a sales job at Kelloggs. This taught him many transferable skills such as communication and people skills, and negotiation. Little Brother specialises in Annuals for Christmas but they are working hard all year-round to spot trends and prepare products for the winter rush. He told us a little about licencing and going to large conventions, such as Licensing Expo in Vegas, to meet with licensees and discuss what he can offer them. Some publishers, like Penguin Random House, may be able to offer a global reach, but Little Brother’s focused speciality, Annuals, have the advantage of being saleable in a broader range of outlets. Not only can they be stocked in bookshops, they are also seen in shops like Primark, toy stores and supermarkets.

Whilst there is no magic formula to getting that first job, the panel agreed that research and proactivity are key. Go to events like this, find out what the industry is talking about and get involved in the discussion, ask questions and demonstrate opinions. Show your passion and dedication even before you apply, whether that be through proofreading online or writing a blog, and don’t underestimate the value of office-based skills in any entry-level role. Experience in this environment will get you a long way.