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Career Success in PublishingChoice or Chance?
Nicholas Jones
Giles Clark
Suzanne Collier
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Publishing is . . .
• packaging information, getting it from the author to the end-user at the right price for the market and the lowest possible cost to the producer
• a business, part of the media industry
• matching marketable ideas to good authors
• ‘Infinite attention to detail’ – Billy Collins
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What is Success?
• happy?• rich?• famous?• powerful?
• what are you doing now?
• what do you want to do next?
• what skills do you need for that?
• are you missing any of these?
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What Departments Do (1)
• Editorial: work on projects that make money
• Rights: work on projects that make money
• Sales: work on projects that make money
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What Departments Do (2)
• Marketing:work on promoting projects cost-effectively so that they make money
• Production: work on manufacturing projects cost-effectively so that they make money
• Accounts: count up the money and stop everyone else in the company from spending it unless they really have to
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Market Sectors: Summary
• entertainment– fiction– non-fiction
• education and information
• others (multi-media, special sales, etc.)
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‘Entertainment’ Fiction
• mass-market
• literary
• children’s
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‘Entertainment’ Non-fiction
• mass-market
• ‘niche’
• coffee-table
• children’s
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Education and Information
• primary schools
• secondary schools
• tertiary (college and university)
• hobby and instructional
• legal
• business
• scientific / technical / medical (STM)
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Multi-media / Electronic
• database
• research abstracts
• interactive educational
• audio on CD and download
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Other Markets
• book clubs
• special sales (own brand, etc.)
• covermounts
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Exciting times – what next?
• audiobooks
• e-books
• i-books (on iPods and iPhones)
• virtual books?
• the walls are being removed, but …
• will the floor go too?
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Where do Books Come From?
• radio / television / newspapers
• research (societies, clubs)
• series
• agents
• slush pile
• links with organizations
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Roles in the Publishing Process(Summary)
• editorial
• production
• marketing
• rights
• sales
• other
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Editorial Work
Three stages in all publishing:
• list-building / acquisition
• desk-editing
• editorial management / copy-editing
and in educational and STM publishing:
• field editing
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Production
• estimating (take into account Rights income)
• design: graphics; typography; art editing
• jacket design and printing
• print-buying: typesetting; scans; paper; printing; binding
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Marketing
• promotion to the book trade
• promotion to the customer
using:
• direct mail
• advertising: media, outdoor and POS
• PR
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Rights
• US and other English language; translations
• co-editions; paperback; book club
• television, film and radio
• serial (first and second)
• merchandising
• licensed editions (large print / own brand); electronic media; audio
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Sales
• home – reps.– sales office (key accounts)
• export – overseas reps.– agents
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Other Roles
• warehousing; distribution
• finance
• IT and systems
• authors’ agents
• picture research
• rights (outside publishing – scouts, etc.)
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Publishers need readers, so earn up to £500 per week NOW!!!!!
Work from home – minimal outlayPhone us today
Become a Proofreader
No - this is how NOT to!
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Reputable Proofreading Courses
• Publishing Training Centre
• London School of Publishing
• Society of Editors and Proofreaders
• Recognised Universities who offer publishing training, for example Oxford Brookes, City University, etc.
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Best skill to learn to be an Editorial Director?
• How to read a balance sheet and P&L
• Learn how to present at head offices
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Viking Penguin
• 80 unsolicited manuscripts per WEEK
• Publish 85 books per YEAR
• Employ 7 Editors
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Chatto & Windus
• 40 unsolicited manuscripts per WEEK
• Publish 45 books per YEAR
• Employ 5 Editors
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You think you are in a session aboutPublishing Career Success …
• but you aren’t –
• you are in a session about • marketing
• and the product is• YOU!
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Key Skills (1)
• computer skills: PC and Mac
• good telephone manner
• excellent spoken and written English
• reading skills, particularly speed reading
• commercial and business sense
• market awareness
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Computer Skills
• General: Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, database
• Design: Quark XPress, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator (CS3)
• Web: HTML, XML, Dreamweaver
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What Publishers Look For
• enthusiasm
• willingness to learn
• people who don’t turn their nose up at a task because they feel it is ‘beneath them’
• willingness to accept responsibility
• people who will work for low pay
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Key Skills (2)
• selling an idea
• convincing your colleagues
• selling into the trade
• even in production – how will the book ‘present’ in the shop
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Need to Persuade and Sell
• no illusions – publishing is a business
• this underlies your approach to your job
• everything you do should ask ‘who is this aimed at?’
• … so let’s put this into practice
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How to Present an Idea
• synopsis• author biog. / track record / marketability• market• comparable titles and USP • suggested format
– possible production demands/problems
• marketing strategy • PR strategy• serialisation and rights possibilities
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Resources
• Bookcareers.com
• The Bookseller Magazine online at www.thebookseller.com
• Society of Young Publishers
• Directory of Publishing
• Inside Book Publishing by Giles Clark
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Where to Find Jobs
ADVERTISED
Bookseller
Guardian
Specialist Employment Agencies
NOT ADVERTISED
Speculative letters
Work experience
Society of Young Publishers
Bookcareers.com
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Bookcareers.com
• CV Clearing House
• Careers Clinic
• Salary Survey
• Career Development
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Contacts
• Nicholas Jones• [email protected]
• Giles Clark• [email protected]
• Suzanne Collier• [email protected]