The publishing industry is a single name that covers a very wide career option, with many distinct and unique job positions. Why is the publishing world so vast? Put bluntly, there are so many different writing jobs and styles out there, and so there needs to be a large variety of publishers a writer can turn to.
A publisher by definition is the one in charge of getting the written word printed, and then making it available to the general public. A publisher can be over many specific works—from newspapers and magazines to novels and textbooks. There are publishers solely concerned with children’s books and publishers that focus on creating only textbooks. To discover which area would best suit you, you must consider personal taste. If you only ever read children’s books, your judgment in the newspaper industry may not be as appreciated. But if you were to get involved in children’s book publishing, your advice and critical eye will be much more accurate.
Once you have determined which aspect of publishing appeals most to you, it is important to point out that a publisher—though not necessarily the leading manager—is the supervisor over editors, and by extension, contributing authors. You will need to have good management skills! You will be dealing with deadlines and there will be intense moments with lots of pressure. You will be given a number of books to publish for the year—books that must sell and make a good profit. You will need to sift through many works submitted by writers and editors alike, and find the best potential among them. You will need to understand what is and what is not popular in the literary world.
Next to good literary taste, you will need to have a firm grasp of the English language and mechanics. Editors will look to you for answers, and you will need to be able to not only understand their work, but also be capable of doing it. Editing jobs are all about fixing grammatical errors and cleaning up a writer’s style. You would be the head editor as a publisher, and though an English major is not required, you will need to be more than adept at writing.
You do not need a specific degree to succeed as a publisher. Some are English majors of course, but others earned their degrees in communications, business, or even journalism. Some select publishing companies will want a certain degree and level of education, but most care more about your taste and personality.
Unless you have personal recommendations and a very impressive degree, you will probably start out in the publishing world as an editor or even in assistant editor jobs. Practically everyone in the publishing world began there, but if you have a desire to become a publisher, it is not difficult for a hard worker to rise through the ranks and reach the level you want. At this starting level, you would be making around $30,000, to $35,000 a year.
As a publisher, you will not only be reading and preparing books for sale. You will work with designers, and it would be your job to keep advertising to a strict budget. Your work will be varied, and you will interact with many different people. You will need good communication skills, and be able to multi task.
An important question to ask before settling on any career is job security. As a publisher security is assured. Though many children and adults are seeking entertainment through video games instead of books, the majority of the population holds books in high respect. Going to the movies happens as often as reading a good novel, and parents and teachers everywhere are putting a great effort into showing children the joy books can offer. The written word is so important to society’s survival and most recognize that fact. It has been said that even if the entire world failed, two aspects of life would remain—by necessity—the same. There would still be a need for medicine and the written word.
All writers need publishers—freelance writers, journalists, novelists—all of them need a publisher to make their career a success. A writer may influence the world with their work, but behind them was a publisher that saw their potential, and paved the way. The influence a single publisher has on the entire literary world is staggering.
