Types of publishers
Types of jobs
Publishing resources
Education programs
Seattle is not exactly a publishing hub... so job openings are very limited and most local presses are small and specialized. If you are hoping to work in a large publishing house, you will need to relocate to one of the larger publishing centers (e.g., New York, Boston, Chicago, San Franscisco). In any location, those seeking jobs in editing and publishing far exceed the number of jobs available; competition is very vigorous. If you are interested in working in publishing and/or editing, you should consider pursuing an internship with any of the following types of publishers:
TRADE PUBLISHERS are commercial publishers of fiction and non-fiction books
and magazines aimed at a wide audience and circulated through bookstores,
libraries, etc.
Some local examples:
PROFESSIONAL AND SCHOLARLY PUBLISHERS produce books and journals aimed at
professionals in a variety of industries: law, business, medicine, technology,
etc.
Some local examples:
UNIVERSITY PRESSES are affiliated nonprofit publishing houses specializing
in academic books and journals.
Some local examples:
EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS produce textbooks, workbooks, software, etc. designed
to be used at all educational levels, from elementary schools to universities.
Some local examples:
INDEPENDENT PRESSES come in all shapes and sizes and represent an alternative
to mainstream presses, often specializing in experimental or innovative publications.
Some local Examples:
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA are
often produced by publishing companies as supplements to conventional print
materials, but some presses
specialize in them.
Some local examples:
MAGAZINE PUBLISHING is a different arena from book publishing. There are a number of local magazines that accept interns.
Some local examples:
WEB PUBLISHING: Probably the largest arena in terms of job availability in editing and publishing is through commercial, governmental, and non profit websites. All types of organizations need to produce and edit web content, from large companies to government agencies to small non profit organizations. Many companies and organizations also publish newsletters or feature articles on their websites.
There are many different kinds of jobs within the field of publishing, and depending on your skills and interests you may find yourself working on either the editorial side or the marketing side, or a combination of the two.
EDITORIAL
An editor acquires and develops book projects for publication. Editorial assistants
work for a specific editor or editorial group, and daily duties might include:
PROMOTIONS
Promotions departments are responsible for overseeing the creation of all catalogs
and promotional/sales materials. Department responsibilities include:
PUBLICITY
Publicists promote individual titles and authors through mass mailings, author
tours (radio, television, and public readings/signings), and book parties.
Daily activities for the department include:
SALES
Publishing sales departments call upon traditional bookstores, retail accounts,
libraries, academic institutions, book clubs, online vendors, and additional
special markets. Daily activities include:
SUBSIDIARY
RIGHTS
This department finds additional sources of profit for a title, including serials,
book clubs, and paperback, audio, and e-book rights. Activities include:
If you are working for a magazine, you might find yourself in one of the following roles:
MAGAZINE EDITOR
Magazine editors manage the content of the magazine. While some editors do
more writing, others are more heavily involved with assigning stories and editing
them.
COPY EDITOR
This person edits magazine articles for grammar and usage. If you're a stickler
for detail, a job as a copy editor could be perfect for you.
FACT CHECKER
Magazines rely on fact checkers to ensure that quotes and all factual information
included in an article are accurate.
Association of American Publishers (AAP)
American Booksellers Association (ABA)
BookJobs.com
Inside Book Publishing
Magazine Publishers of America
Northwest Independent Editors Guild
PublishingCrossing.com
Publishing Careers at Blogspot
Washington
Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA)
Media in Seattle from Wikipedia
Washington Occupational
Information System (WOIS) - at this site, you can research
various professions and gain valuable information about typical job tasks and
qualifications, employment outlooks, salary information, career development,
and more.
Beyond your bachelor's degree, special training is not required in this field. The most important qualifications will be your demonstrated skills, your experience, and the contacts you've made in this industry. An internship is a great way to gain experience and to network with professionals. There are also some campus opportunities through which you can gain experience, such as becoming involved with the UW Daily, the campus newspaper; with Bricolage, the undergraduate literary arts journal; with AU, the UW's speculative fiction journal; with the Comparative History of Ideas journal, intersections; with the Seattle Review, and with other campus publications.
There are some short-term publishing programs (usually four to eight weeks) that, along with training courses, provide opportunities to network and often assist with placement in jobs or internships. Some examples are the Denver Publishing Institute, the Columbia Publishing Course, and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. There are also a number of master's programs in publishing and related fields, some of which are listed at bookjobs.com. The UW Professional and Continuing Education offers a certificate program in editing as well as other certificate programs in public relations, marketing, new media, etc.
careers
in editing and publishing
