SYP Conference: Publishing Career Development

Posted on December 3, 2008 in Uncategorized

A slight technical hitch meant that I was late for the Publishing Career Development workshop. Unfortunately, the doorway to Malet Place, where the workshop was held, could only be opened by a key card, or by somebody standing inside it. The marshal inside the doorway just before this workshop happened to be me, and regrettably, the person who was supposed to be covering me arrived late. Still, such minor crises will always happen at any conference. I just hope the speakers did not think I was too rude – I was not texting throughout the workshop, but writing my notes into my mobile phone pda (from which I’d just been reading an e-book edition of A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man – all very Web 2.0!)

Nicholas Jones, Managing Director of Strathmore Publishing, began the session, saying that all people working in publishing have to be a marketer to enthuse their sales directors. He then went on to say that it’s useful to know what kind of roles that you prefer to play on a team, mentioning Dr. Meredith Belbin’s Team Role Theory. Nicholas related that Nielsen has transformed the bestseller list, as it’s now so accurate, and that the value of books sold is going up and up. However, one of the most important aspects of career development is keeping an eye on what’s currently happening. For instance, many of our customers now derive from the new iPod generation, and are accustomed to devices that do many things. Nicholas stated that there are about 40,000 titles that make up iTunes sales (which is much the same number as you can find in a traditional high street bookshop). So, all the money’s still in the head, not the long tail. According to The Register, Chris Anderson’s Long Tail theory, which suggests that businesses will sell less of blockbusters in the future and more of less well-known items, is seriously flawed. However, to counter this, Mark Thwaite, Managing Editor of The Book Depository, stated in the conference’s opening session that his company are finding the long tail to be very profitable indeed. Nicholas continued on his theme by stating that just as bands are now making money from touring and playing gigs, so authors are making more money from the literary festivals circuit. He then went onto discuss the concept of Disintermediation – i.e. “cutting out the middle man”, which could have disturbing implications for publishers, as we are the middle men that could seemingly be dispensed with in this new Web 2.0 world. However, publishers add value, and are very good at communicating with their audience. New technologies such as Print on Demand mean that there are now more than 100,000 titles published a year, whereas it used to be more like 30,000. There is also the example of audiobooks, which have been transformed by digital downloads (so much more convenient than messing around with 20 audio cassettes while trying to listen to an unabridged book). Giles Clark, author of Inside Book Publishing, then stated that only half a dozen European publishers control the mass market. Giles Clark and Nicholas Jones Now, the tendency is to licence content, which is a move from a product-based model to a service one. And unlike other careers you could choose, you can get more responsibility in publishing early on, although usually with much lower pay.
Suzanne Collier, Business Manager of Bookcareers.com, has given careers advice for the last 20 years, and so she also proved to be an ideal speaker on the issue of career development. Suzanne stated that publishing’s main aim is to make money. Publishing is now in the most exciting phase ever with digital, and asked the delegates to question themselves – how will they cope? One of the most important things you can do is to improve your publishing skills. If you want to work in editorial, make friends with the editorial department. She also advised delegates to keep an eye on current affairs, so that they would have ideas for future books. You mustn’t be shy in pushing yourself forward at work, to volunteer. It’s also always worthwhile seeing if you can come to an arrangement with your employer for them to pay for your training. You must also invest in yourself, to improve your computer skills, speed-reading, and business sense. If you want a promotion, it’s always a good idea to read your company’s business plan, to see where they are expanding. At the end of the day, when you’re seeking to advance, what you are doing is marketing, and the product is you. If you’re not getting any interviews, then it’s probably down to your CV, so make sure that you have someone else check it over for you. Most of all, though, publishers want enthusiastic employees.
So, although I missed the beginning of this workshop, I did get a great deal out of it. One of the delegates I spoke to told me that some of the other workshops did not tie in very well with the theme of the conference (Publishing 2.0: The Reader Revolution), however I am glad to report that the Publishing Career Development workshop most definitely did.