Selling Sales: Why You Should Consider a Publishing Role in Sales

Posted on September 8, 2023 in UK

Let’s be honest, sales gets a bad rep. When people think of a job in sales, their mind might go to cold calling strangers, schmoozing people into buying something they don’t want or need, and doing a hefty amount of maths. Since many people decide to pursue a career in publishing because they love books and reading, sales is often low on the list of ideal departments to work in at a publishing house. But I’m here to change your mind! The truth is, a sales job in publishing is nothing like the things I listed above. The traits that really make a good publishing salesperson are enjoying meeting and talking to people, thinking strategically and loving books. So if you think you have any of those qualities, please read on.

My aim in this blog piece is to demystify what a publishing sales job actually looks like. There are lots of different roles that fall under sales, and often the job titles and responsibilities will differ between publishing houses, so I’m going to break it down. The first area of sales is often called Home Sales, and the people in this department are responsible for selling books to domestic customers, primarily Waterstones, the supermarkets, Amazon and WH Smith. The second area is Export or International Sales, and the people here are selling the English editions of books overseas. The third is Special or Non-Trade Sales, and the people here sell into retailers that primarily stock things other than books (e.g. Oliver Bonas and Urban Outfitters), as well as wholesalers like Costco and bargain retailers like The Works and ALDI. There are other people who make up the sales team too, and these include Sales Operations colleagues who manage the logistics of getting books from one place to another and handling stock, as well as field sales reps, who travel the country selling to the independent bookshops. These roles will all look different, and often have different job titles, from one company to another. Smaller publishers may have 1 person covering a larger area, while bigger publishers may have separate teams, for example for fiction, non-fiction, children’s titles. 

So there are lots of different routes you can go within sales. If you dream of traveling the world, International Sales could be for you. If you’re brilliant at problem solving and managing logistics, you could be perfect for Sales Operations. And if you like to think outside the box and find new opportunities, Non-Trade or Special Sales is a great bet.

Beyond the various job titles and departments, there are some things that I think make sales as a whole a really exciting place to be. The first is the opportunity to have a say in what gets published. Having market knowledge about what sells where means that the voice of the sales team is incredibly important in helping to decide which books are published by any publishing house. The second is being able to make a real difference in the life of a book. When you find a book that you’re particularly passionate about, it shows. It shows to the retailers you work with and your colleagues, and often that excitement means you can pitch a book more powerfully and get retailers excited about it too, leading to opportunities for displays, promotions, and even special editions of the book. The third great part about working in sales is having an outward-facing perspective. You’re the person who knows what readers want, and where they shop. This is an incredibly important and powerful thing, and means you are best placed to think, for every book, ‘who is this book perfect for? Who might unexpectedly fall in love with it?’ and then ‘how do we get it to them?’ You’re playing the crucial role of getting books to the readers who will love them, which is a pretty amazing thing to do.

And finally, what does a day in the life of a sales person look like? Rest assured, there’s no cold calling. The day-to-day of sales in publishing is great because it’s so varied. One day might find you preparing for or delivering a pitch to a customer for your upcoming titles. Another might find you doing research into new trends in the market and visiting bookshops to see what’s on the shelves or traveling to international markets and book fairs. You’ll work closely with colleagues across editorial, marketing and publicity as well as with retailers. You may have the opportunity to go to book launches and author events too. Sales is ultimately a people-oriented job, so although (as with all publishing jobs), there is a fair amount of work behind the desk, the heart of the job is building relationships and talking about books. What’s not to love?