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OxfordGuideToCareers2017
OxfordGuideToCareers2017
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PUBLISHING<br />
Publishing is a commercial industry like any other, and<br />
offers roles across a full spectrum of business roles. The<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are over 8,000 publishing companies in the UK,<br />
with the three largest companies (Penguin Random<br />
House, Hachette Livre, HarperCollins) taking around half<br />
of total UK sales. Other large employers include Pan<br />
Macmillan, Pearson Education, OUP, Bloomsbury, Simon &<br />
Schuster and John Wiley & Sons, with many other smaller<br />
independent publishers.<br />
The Publishers Association website (www.publishers.<br />
org.uk) provides lots of information on the industry, roles<br />
and careers. Generally, the processes of publishing are<br />
divided into editorial, design and production, marketing,<br />
distribution, contracts and rights, and administration.<br />
<br />
to Editorial or Publishing Assistant, from Copy Editor to<br />
<br />
Web Developer as the rapid growth of online and digital<br />
publishing drive change across the industry.<br />
There are also literary agencies, which act as intermediaries<br />
between trade publishers and writers. Normally working in<br />
<br />
books with authors, convincing publishers to buy them, and<br />
dealing with contracts and media enquiries –and, of course,<br />
reading lots too.<br />
Salaries in publishing can be lower than other sectors, but<br />
<br />
their passion for the industry.<br />
GETTING IN AND ENTRY POINTS<br />
A few publishers run formal graduate schemes, including<br />
Cambridge University Press and HarperCollins. Most,<br />
<br />
marketing, and the majority of people in publishing start<br />
in administrative positions and work their way upwards.<br />
One common entry role is to work as an Editorial Assistant;<br />
this role may involve many duties, including preparing<br />
scripts for handover to publishing services, chasing readers’<br />
reports for new book proposals, drawing up and sending<br />
out author contracts – as well as doing market research and<br />
commissioning book proposals in consultation with their<br />
editor.<br />
For any job, a demonstrated interest in the sector is<br />
extremely important, and having relevant work experience<br />
can be a real advantage. A few large players, such as<br />
Penguin and Oxford University Press, offer formal internship<br />
schemes, but outside these make speculative approaches<br />
to seek work experience, and working in a bookshop will<br />
give you useful insights into the market.<br />
CareerConnect is a useful source of vacancies for jobs<br />
and work experience in the sector. Key external job sites<br />
include The Bookseller, Oxford Brookes’ list of publishing<br />
jobs and internships (they run an MA in Publishing) and<br />
the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) job board. Many<br />
<br />
agencies, do not formally advertise vacancies, which means<br />
you need to get in touch speculatively to enquire.<br />
Clarissa Pabi<br />
Senior Digital<br />
Marketing Executive,<br />
Penguin Random House<br />
“Publishing can be right for anyone, and<br />
don’t ever think otherwise. Editorial is<br />
just the starting point - publishing also<br />
involves creative ideas, production, rights,<br />
sales, digital sales, finance, law, PR,<br />
marketing, art design.”<br />
EXTRA-CURRICULAR IDEAS<br />
+ Join the Society of Young Publishers. Run by young<br />
professionals in the sector, it holds regular networking<br />
nights in Oxford.<br />
+ Demonstrate interest by joining other related student<br />
societies, such as the Society of Bibliophiles.<br />
+ Gain experience by working for a student publication,<br />
eg, the Oxford Student, Cherwell, Isis, Bang! and so on.<br />
Many offer experience in editorial and technical roles.<br />
+ Attend the London Book Fair in April: a huge exhibition<br />
aimed at the publishing industry, it’s a great way to learn<br />
more about the sector and build your network.<br />
+ Offer to help in your department or College, for<br />
example, to support the production of conference<br />
materials and reports, internal documents or<br />
promotional material.<br />
MORE INFORMATION:<br />
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/publishing<br />
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