The Latest Publishing Job Vacancies This Week...

• Eager to work in children’s publishing? Andersen Press, a successful publisher of children’s books, has an opening for a Publicity and Marketing Assistant. The role involves working on events, press campaigns and marketing. The position is based in Central London and the deadline for applications is Monday 10th August.
• The Taylor & Francis Group is seeking an Editorial Assistant to work on the Routledge Mental Health books list. This role would involve tasks such as handing manuscripts over to production, writing copy and commissioning peer reviews of proposals and manuscripts. The position is based in Milton Park, Oxfordshire and and the closing date for applications is Friday 31st July.
• For anyone interested in rights, Oxford University Press is looking to recruit a Rights Assistant to join their Rights Department in the Translations and Reprints Team. The role is likely to involve drafting contracts and rights research. The position is based in Oxford and the deadline for applications is Sunday 2nd August.
• Palgrave Macmillan, a leading global publisher in the Humanities and Social Sciences, is advertising for an Editorial Assistant to join their Scholarly Division in the Economics and Development Studies team. Key responsibilities include managing editorial processes and the peer review process, preparing manuscripts for handover to production and liaising with authors. The position is based at their new King’s Cross offices and the deadline for applications is Wednesday 5th August.
• Lion Hudson, a publisher of adult’s and child’s fiction inspired by the Christian faith, is seeking an International Sales Administrator to support the sale of their books to distributors and publishers worldwide. The position is based in Oxford and the closing date for applications is Friday 14th August.
• If you’re looking for a role within educational publishing, Hodder Education is looking for an Publishing/Operations Assistant to support their Publishing and Editorial teams. The position is based in London and the deadline for applications is Friday 31st July.

Internship & Job Opportunities...

First of all, here are some graduate job opportunities I’ve come across this week:

• Do you have a passion for children’s books? Make Believe Ideas, a small children’s publisher, has an exciting opening for an Editorial Assistant/Junior Editor. The position is based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and the deadline for applications is Friday 31st July.
• Cambridge University Press has an opening for a Production Assistant (12-month contract) to help provide administrative assistance to their Academic Production team. The position is based in Cambridge and the deadline for applications is Friday 24th July.
• If you’re interested in STM publishing, the Institution of Engineering and Technology is looking to recruit a full-time Editorial and Production Assistant (contract ending in December 2015) to manage the journal peer-review and production processes. The IET’s offices are based in Stevenage, so this is a great opportunity for anyone who lives in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire.
• SAGE Publications is looking for an Editorial Assistant (Research Methods). This position is based in London and the deadline for applications is Friday 31st July. (To see the details of this position click on the link above, then just scroll down and click on the ‘view all open job positions’ link.)

If you’re looking for publishing internships, here are a few opportunities I’ve found recently:

• Profile Books, a non-fiction publisher based in Central London, runs an eight-week, full-time internship for graduates which is now open for applications. The internship involves working in editorial, administration, marketing and publicity, and all interns are paid a living wage.
• If you’re interested in academic publishing, Rowman & Littlefield International is offering a 6–8 week editorial internship starting in late July/early August. The intern will carry out editorial tasks and provide support to commissioning editors. This is a paid internship based in Kennington, South London and the deadline for applications is Monday 20th July.
• Plexus Publishing, a publisher of illustrated non-fiction books, is looking for an Editorial Assistant Intern to provide administrative and editorial support to their Editorial Director. The internship is based in Clapham, London and the deadline for applications is Friday 31st July.

Success! How I Secured My First Job in Publishing as an Editorial Assistant

My hunt for my first job in publishing officially started when I finished university in May, and after trawling through publishers’ websites, sending out triple-checked covering letters and CVs, and interviewing at a few pretty big academic publishing houses, I’ve recently accepted my first publishing job at Palgrave Macmillan as an Editorial Assistant. I feel like my hard work has finally paid off and I cannot wait to take the first step in my publishing career in a couple of weeks’ time.

But just in case you’re wondering how I reached this point (and how you can too), here are some of the most important things I did which helped me land my first publishing job:

Researched the industry

Technically, the process began for me during my first year at university three years ago when I was already considering the possibility of a career in publishing. Knowing very little about the publishing industry at the time, I decided my first step would be to start doing some research. The first, and by far the most useful, book I came across was How to Get a Job in Publishing by Alison Baverstock, Susannah Bowen and Steve Carey. This book provided me with the introduction to the industry I really needed. It discusses all the different types of publishing (trade, professional, education, academic, journal and magazine) as well as the different job roles within publishing (editorial, sales, marketing, production and rights), helping you to find out which areas of the industry might best suit your skills and interests. It also has some great advice on how to find internships, write flawless covering letters and CVs, and impress in interviews, as well as lots of useful tips from professionals inside the industry. So this book really is a great place to start if you’re eager for a career in publishing – it definitely helped me land my first job in the industry!

Completed internships

After reading the book mentioned above, I realised that completing an internship or gaining work experience was a must if I wanted to have any chance of finding a job in this notoriously competitive industry. I was lucky enough to complete two editorial internships at a small academic publishing house during my summers away from university, and these placements really were invaluable. Although unpaid, interning gave me a thorough insight into the editorial side of academic publishing and helped me catch the eye of prospective employers when I started applying for jobs after university. They were also a great way of proving my unwavering commitment to the industry.

There are a few things to think about, however, before you start applying for internships or work experience. First, these placements are often unpaid, so they might not be an option for everyone. Second, as tempting as it is, don’t just apply for every single opportunity you come across. You should think about which type of publishing you want to go into and which department you want to work in. Yes, any experience is good experience, but it will be much more valuable in the future if it’s an area you actually want to work in! You might want to look for marketing internships at non-fiction trade publishers, for example. So once you’ve considered what areas you’re interested in, try and find a handful of small publishing houses within these areas (don’t just go for the big names), see what internship/work experience opportunities they offer, and tailor your covering letter and CV for every role you apply for. This method brought me some great results and gave me lots of relevant industry experience.

Created standout covering letters and CVs

Once I’d completed a couple of internships and finished university, I was ready to start applying for full-time jobs in publishing – this meant creating the perfect covering letter and CV for each role I applied for.

With my covering letter, I didn’t want it to look like I was just sending out the same standard letter to each publishing house. So instead, in every letter I sent out, I not only highlighted my relevant publishing experience, but also emphasised my knowledge of, and interest in, the particular publishing house I was applying to. In my covering letter for the position at Palgrave Macmillan, for instance, I mentioned a title of theirs which I’d read at university and I also congratulated them on the success of their new Palgrave Pivot book format. So your covering letter should demonstrate both your suitability for the role and your interest in the publishing house. Is there a title of theirs you recently enjoyed reading? What excites you about this particular publishing house? Have they won any awards recently? Make the publisher feel like you really want to work there. Just think, if you were reading the hundreds of covering letters that came in for one vacancy, what would impress you?

Alternatively with my CV, I made sure to draw attention to my relevant editorial internships and include detailed descriptions of what these placements involved. I also referred back to the job description for each role I applied for to see what specific skills they were asking for and then added examples of where I’d previously demonstrated these skills to my CV.

So make your covering letters and CVs stand out by tailoring them for every role you apply for. Although it is time consuming, making an effort like this will really increase your chances of being invited to an interview. It’s definitely worth it!

Prepared thoroughly for interviews

Averill Chase, a now retired publishing professional, gives the following advice to publishing interviewees: “sell yourself – no-one else will”. I loved coming across this quote. It made me think, how well could I actually talk about me? Could I explain how suitable I was for an editorial assistant position persuasively and effectively? The starting point for my interview preparation was, therefore, to focus on ME. This meant making sure I could talk positively about myself and could discuss in detail all my skills and experience relevant for the position. I practised this simply by talking to myself out loud!

Once I was confident that I could sell myself well, I spent the rest of my time doing more research on the publishing house. I made sure that I’d read a few of their titles, that I could demonstrate a familiarity with the list I’d be working on, and that I was aware of their new and innovative projects. I also researched the company’s values and memorised their mission statement so I could make brief references to these during my interview.

Next I prepared a list of questions ready to ask the interviewer. These included one about the job role, one about the interviewer’s own publishing career, and one about the publishing house itself. Some questions I asked were:

• What will be my biggest challenge in this position?
• What’s your own experience of working at this publishing house in terms of career progression and company culture?
• Are there any areas of your list which you’re currently trying to develop?

My final bit of interview prep involved guessing questions that might come up and having answers ready for them. You can read more about this in my previous blog post: 5 questions likely to come up in a publishing interview.

Started writing this blog!

Finally, I think setting up this blog whilst job hunting actually helped me secure my first publishing position. During my second interview at Palgrave Macmillan, I was asked whether there were any projects I was working on outside of university, giving me the perfect opportunity to talk about my blog. The interviewer seemed really impressed when I explained how I was writing about my pursuit of a publishing career whilst trying to help other people with similar aspirations to me. So this blog might have just set me apart from the other candidates I was up against! If you’re thinking about setting up a blog related to publishing, reviewing books is a great way to show that you’re keeping up with the latest and most popular books gracing the shelves.

So they were some of the most important steps I took which helped me land my first job in publishing. Maybe they’ll do the same for you!

Career Opportunities!

Here are some entry-level job opportunities I’ve come across recently:

• Endeavour Press, a leading independent digital publisher of fiction and non-fiction based in London, is looking for a full-time Editorial Assistant. The role involves proofreading and formatting manuscripts, writing copy, and commissioning titles. The ideal candidate will be able to start immediately.
• Are you a fan of contemporary literary fiction and classics? Alma Books, an award-winning trade publisher, is looking for a Marketing Assistant to help develop digital and print campaigns. Their offices are based in Richmond, Greater London and the closing date for applications is Friday 17th July.
• If you’re interested in the contracts and rights side of publishing, Thames & Hudson has a great opportunity for a Contracts Assistant to support their Legal & Business Affairs department. Their offices are based in Holborn, London and the deadline for applications is Monday 13th July.

• BioMed Central, a scientific publisher who is owned by Springer and specialises in open access journal publishing, is seeking an Editorial Assistant to join their Journal Editorial Office. The role will involve tasks such as managing the peer-review process and communicating with authors, reviewers and editors. The position is based in London.

• Macmillan Science and Education is looking for an Editorial Assistant to join their Nature Reviews Department. The role will involve providing support to authors, reviewers and editors, as well as other administrative tasks. The position is based at their new King’s Cross offices and the deadline for applications is Wednesday 8th July.

5 Questions Likely to Come Up in a Publishing Interview

After spending the last month applying for editorial assistant job vacancies, I’m pleased to say that a lot of my time recently has been taken up by interviews at a few (pretty big) academic publishing houses.

During these interviews I obviously met a wide variety of professionals in the industry (editors, assistant editors and publishers) from all different publishing houses, but there was one thing I noticed that didn’t vary quite so much: the interview questions.

I found that certain questions just kept reappearing; some I’d envisaged (thankfully) and pre-prepared answers to, others completely stumped me the first time round. So to help you prepare (and preparation is key), here are five questions that I think are extremely likely to come up in a publishing interview and my advice on how to answer them:

1.      What led you to wanting a career in publishing?

This is an obvious question that is bound to come up, but an impressive and original answer needs preparation. Try to come up with something that isn’t just, “I love reading” – that’s not enough. Think about the type of publishing you’re trying to enter into. Why does that particular area interest you? For me, academic publishing became an interest at university after researching lots of literature essays. I got a real buzz out of finding useful, up to date and high-quality scholarly titles, so being a part of the publication process for cutting-edge academic research genuinely excites me. If, alternatively, you’re interested in trade publishing, where, when and why did that interest start? An influential book in your childhood? Or maybe there was one book that changed your outlook on life. The point here is to be original – this is much easier than you think when you’re pursuing a goal you feel really passionate about.

2.     Why do you want to work for this particular publishing house?

When answering this question, make sure you show off all the research you’ve done on the publishing house. Find their mission statement, browse their website, see if they’ve been in the news recently, read a couple of their recently released titles. After carrying out this research, what did you find that particularly excites you about the publisher? For me personally, a career at Palgrave Macmillan interested me not only because they’re a prestigious and highly-regarded academic publisher, but also because they’re extremely innovative and forward-thinking with projects like Palgrave Pivot, Palgrave Open and Palgrave Connect. So find something specific that attracts you to this particular publishing house and use it to show your genuine excitement at the possibility of a career there.

3.     What do you think are the main job responsibilities for this editorial assistant position and what skills do you possess which will allow you to carry out these responsibilities successfully?

This was a question I actually quite liked as it gave me the chance to demonstrate two things. First, that I had a clear understanding of what the role would involve (publishers like this), and second, how suitable I was for the position. When preparing for your interview it really is worth going through the job description and finding the main responsibilities you will be tasked with. Once you’ve picked out the main ones, ask yourself what skills will each of these responsibilities require? Then come up with examples of where you’ve previously used each of these skills. So, for example, one of the job responsibilities for an editorial assistant at Palgrave Macmillan was managing editorial processes and the peer review process. A task like this obviously requires great organisation and time management skills, so I took examples from my time as an editorial intern when I often had to juggle a variety of tasks given to me by project editors. So approach this question logically; make sure you know exactly what the role will involve, think about the skills needed to carry out these responsibilities, and have examples ready to demonstrate these skills.

4.     Which publishing houses are our main competitors and are any of them doing something you think we should be doing?

The competitors question came up during my interviews at Cambridge University Press and Palgrave Macmillan. Although I was aware of their main competitors and could easily list them, the second part of the question gave me a slight panic attack. But after taking a few moments to actually think, I came up with a pretty good answer. I knew from my research that academic publishing is currently undergoing immense change because publishers are making the conscious effort to become more digitally focused. This reminded me of the competing eBook digital platforms that numerous academic publishers now offer to universities (Palgrave Connect from Palgrave Macmillan and University Publishing Online from Cambridge University Press). So I based my answers around comparisons of these platforms and came up with some good areas for improvement. Remember, publishers ask questions like this one to test your knowledge of the industry, so it’s a great way to show you’re keeping up with current trends. My advice is to not only research the publishing house you’re interviewing at, but also one or two of their main competitors. Make sure you have an idea of how competing publishers are trying to outdo each other!

5.     Do you have any areas of weakness? If so, what are they?

This is a pretty standard question for any interview, but it was one I’d completely forgotten to prepare for. First off, make sure you actually give them a weakness – we all have more than one. Then, try to emphasise that it is a weakness, but a weakness you’re working on. Give an example of how you’ve recently made an effort to improve in this area. This says a lot about you as an individual.

Ace these likely questions and you might just ace the interview! There’s really no excuse not to have an impressive answer to each of these questions. Preparation really is key!