A question was asked:What can you do to improve your chances of getting a job in publishing? The writer has work experience and two bachelor’s degrees and wants to be an editorial assistant.
I’m going to start with the basics, which you may already know, but others may not.
Consider what an editorial assistant does, and what makes a good one different from the rest.
- They handle a lot of the administrative detail, so strong typing and organizational skills will be critical.
- Editorial assistants also need to have tact and good judgment when dealing with authors and agents.
- They need to be able to sort the marketable books from the trash when reading slush. And, last but not least,
- They need the motivation and ability to absorb large amounts of information, and to endure long stretches of routine tasks.
Your task is to show a potential boss that your past experience and education fit you with those skills and demonstrate those qualities. You should also show an awareness of the type of books that they produce and an interest in that kind of material.
Each element of your application and interview for the job should pass the “so what?” test. In other words, put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. Ask yourself whether you would care about this piece of information. Does it demonstrate some ability or skill that will make you-the-candidate good at the job? Does it say something that they need to know?
And one more thing: be prepared for the dreadful pay and long hours. You’ll be expected to work like a slave in this industry, but you’ll never get rich, or even “comfortable.” Still, it’s a lot of fun, if you’re bent that way. (I am.)
Did that help? Does anyone out there have further or better suggestions?
Can you give a specific number/s to illustrate what you mean by “dreadful pay”?
An entry level position for a college graduate, in NYC, will be somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000. Usually at the low end.
To give perspective: My companies’ editorial assistants always had to have roommates and a second job in order to survive. (Or wealthy parents who kicked in funds — some really did fit that stereotype of the trust-fund baby. Not many, but some.)
Does the payment get any better as you move up in the company? (You mentioned that entry level positions get dreadful pay)
Also, I’ve been researching a career in publishing, and I’ve only seen assistant-level jobs mentioned. Are there higher positions and, if so, how would one get to that level? Thank you.
You do get more money, but it’s still a lot less than comparable posts in most other industries.
It’s quite hard to enter at mid- or higher level in design, production, editorial or marketing. It’s less true in operations and finance — but it should be true. The problems are still pretty industry specific, but the execs doing the hiring are often unaware of that fact.
So, no, I don’t think you can count on entering at a higher level.