SYP South West: Reflections on the Pathways into Publishing event

Posted on October 25, 2022 in South West

The SYP South West Team were delighted to be able to take part in the Pathways into Publishing event as part of the annual Storytale Festival in Bristol. The event, aimed at young people considering publishing as a career, was a resounding success: during the panel event we heard from agency assistant, partnerships manager and author Callen Martin, author Mimi Thebo and sales assistant Ana Carter, all of whom have had very different routes into and through their journeys in publishing and the book industry.

Callen Martin highlighted the need to use your initiative to adapt to an industry that is London-centric and often reserved for those with wealth. After finishing his degree, knowing he wanted to work in publishing but unable to move from Bath Spa, Callen showed that with some thinking outside of the box, beginning your publishing career doesn’t require immediately moving to London. With an impressive CV including freelance editorial work, remote sensitivity reading as well as his own writing, Callen was able to begin his career from the South West. He highlighted freelance opportunities as a way to grow your professional experiences and make contacts within the industry.

Mimi Thebo grew up far away from any publishing cultural hub but, with a chance meeting and friendship with William ‘Bill’ S. Burroughs, she was able to foresee a future career in the literary world. While working on her own creative writing, Mimi worked various other jobs including a career in freelance journalism, as a teacher, waitress and a stint as managing editor of a magazine. She studied the Creative Writing MA at Bath Spa where she discovered the process of ‘rewriting’ and went on to publish her MA manuscript. She became a pioneering force leading the Creative Writing MA course at the University of Bristol with the aim of making the literary world accessible to all, especially those who have been traditionally underrepresented.

Ana Carter shone a spotlight on Creative Access, a website that helps underrepresented individuals looking for a creative career. She also highlighted the difference that hybrid working has made to the industry – she could apply for internships in London and Cambridge and take on work without having to move to London. Remote accessibility has opened up the industry to a broader area and made it possible to acquire talent from different parts of the country. Ana was able to do an internship at Head of Zeus and has since begun a permanent position at Kogan Page. She also highlighted the need to send off lots of applications when you’re looking for a role in publishing: the industry is undeniably competitive, but the more applications you do, the higher the chance of success. Don’t be disheartened by the number of rejections you receive!

The group discussed the current difficulties in the book world, including squeezed margins and material/cost issues facing publishers – such as the high cost of paper – meaning that it is harder for publishers to take a chance on new talent. Low author earnings were also discussed, something that forces talent to take other jobs and devote less time to their passion, or drop out of the talent pool completely (thus making writing a middle-class hobby for middle-class people and reducing diversity in writing). A similar issue was raised about publishing professionals who often either have to have wealth or a support network in London in order to work in the industry, leading to an oversaturation of White, middle-class, able-bodied and heterosexual people in the publishing world. Money issues in publishing were also being reflected in entry-level and mid-level wages, according to Ana and Callen. Changes are being made, incrementally, but the hourly pay is still not good given the amount of overtime the industry often requires.

On a more positive note, Mimi was excited about the future of publishing in communities – she highlighted Knights Of, a publishing house publishing underrepresented voices – and anthology publications such as The Good Immigrant. She also praised small, agile publishers standing up to big corporate publishing houses. Ana spoke about how Bookstagram and BookTok have changed the landscape of the publishing industry; the phenomena can be the make or break of current bestsellers, and publishers should pay close attention to both in the future. Readers are now helping to shape the industry in a completely different way than before.

In terms of practical advice, Ana said that having a degree in publishing is not a necessity for a career in publishing. She advised that work experience and taking on extracurricular activities outside relevant to the industry were far more valuable to prospective employers. Callen recommended utilising Twitter and the publishing network that exists on social media. He also suggested using a disruptive cover letter when applying for jobs in order to make your letter stand out as much as possible while you still have the reader’s attention. Mimi made it clear to research the company you are applying to and Ana reminded people to tailor their cover letters to the roles they are applying for.

We rounded off with festival organiser Ellie Freeman talking about the need to highlight the literary world in Bristol, have literary events be accessible and representative, and break down barriers to encourage young people interested in the book industry. We hope this event was helpful to everyone who came along, and we already can’t wait for next year’s Storytale Festival!