Thinking of working in publishing, but don't know where to start? Below you'll find PDFs of two guides designed to give you a helping hand.

Click on the title you would like to download (this may take a minute):

The first is a general guide to careers in book and journal publishing, while the second provides information on higher education courses in publishing.

Book and Journal Publishing: A guide to the industry and career opportunities (file size: 266KB – opens in a new window)

HigherEdGuide.pdf (file size: 750KB – opens in a new window)

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For a detailed introduction to the book publishing industry, read Inside Book Publishing by Giles Clark and Angus Phillips, or enrol for our new online course Understanding Book Publishing.

Skillset (The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media) offers the following advice on getting into publishing:

“So you want to work in publishing? Then you are joining a very big club. How can you make yourself stand out? Make sure you research the job, company and sector that you are interested in. Know as much as you can about them, their markets and any competitors. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you will have demonstrated your insight and ability to research. The other critical thing is to know yourself. Many people think they want to go into marketing, but don’t really like talking to people or haggling. Lots of people want to work in editorial, but may be much better suited to sales and closing a deal. Think about what you like doing and are good at, then have a look at the National Occupational Standards for Publishing to find out what different roles need you to be able to do. Now ask yourself: am I really suited to that job?”

There is more information from Skillset available here:

• Recruitment consultant links for publishing
• General careers information for publishing
• Some publishing job profiles
• Career progression routes
• Some generic fact sheets on CVs, working as a freelancer, and so on

Please note the copyright notice and disclaimer relating to material on the website.

Discounts for students, recent graduates who have yet to find work and publishing staff who have been made redundant are available, please contact us for details, or visit our Discounts and Funding page.