i want a career in book publishing, what should i do first?

Question

i am currently majoring in literature, but i don't know if i should swich majors or what.

Answer 1

First, get an internship with a publishing company near you. Don't expect to get paid, or to do much that challenges your brain, but you will have an opportunity to find out who does what, and whether or not you might like it.

Education will be a good starting point, but not sufficient. You will also need experience, even if unpaid, or school-based.

Some exposure to marketing, or to the vagaries of bookselling may also be useful.

Consider attending one of the publishing certificate programs, or graduate programs. You might also, instead, consider attending one of the seminar series that surround BEA, if you're in the US. BEA is the biggest publishing conference in the States. It's held in late May or early June every year, and an eye-opening experience for those new to the industry.

Subscribe to Publishers' Weekly, as well. That will tell you what is happening in the business.

Answer 2

it doesn't really matter what major you decide on if you want to work in book publishing. but it also depends on what aspect of book publishing you want to be in. there's the acutal publishing side and then there's the business side. either way, literature would be good for publishing.

and try to do some internships if you can. if you do internsthips at 2 different publishing companies, then when you apply for a real job, they can see that you are really into the field and it'll increase your chances of getting a job in publishing.

Answer 3

A major in literature gives you a strong background in critical thinking and prepares you for scholarly writing. If you want to write for the general public you need to focus on other courses.

If you want to be a journalist or work for a news station, then journalism is the way the go. (I know that seems obvious but I'm trying to be thourough..).

If you are more interested in writing popular lit., such as romance novels, science fiction or drama, Then a school with a strong program in creative writing is the best way to go. Look for courses taught by professors who have actually published.

There is also business writing. People who train to do techincal writing, manuals, and business statements. Usually Public Relations writing will fall under this category, but some schools put it with journalism. This also includes political speeches.

There is even a subcategory under creative writing that focuses on childrens literature and young adult works.

So the first step is to know what sort of things you wish to write.

The first rule of writing is write what you know -- So decide to go with something you have a strong interest in already. If you really aren't sure - do some research!

A strong education is a good foundation. The next part is being sure you can structure yourself enough to write every day. Most of what you write will not be publishable. But some of it will be good enough to mine and refine into usuable materials.

When you have a few drafts that you feel are strong enough to reccommend the whole story, then get yourself a writers agent. JR Rowlings has a website and one of the links is a list of agents, publishers and websites for aspiring authors.

If you do a websearch there will be tons. The hard part is to get an agent who is reliable and honest. It is good to get references. Also ask professors you know who have published -- They will have an agent they can probably reccomend to you.

The agent will help your manuscript(s) get the attention of the publisher. That is their job.

Good luck!!

Answer 4

I would say you can first finish your majors in litt and then plan a publishing career. A good beginning could be work as a representative(marketing/selling) of a good publisher and gain experience in the nitty gritty of the publishing industry. Retain links with your professors because they would be the sources for authoring and putting your publications on the anvil and also on the active sales track. You need to be very good in public relations and also be in a position to invest money.

Answer 5

That's a good start, but it really depends on what you want to do for the publishing house. Do you want to work as an author's representative? Do you want to edit manuscripts? Do you want to want to work on the visual layout of the books? Obviously each of those jobs would require different skills.

Some universities offer Master's degrees in Publishing. I'll link to one below so that you can see what that type of program looks like.

Answer 6

Look at the sites for publishing companies and see what their job openings are looking for. With a degree in literature you might be an editor or an agent for writers.

Answer 7

First! and fourmost, you must be cappable of propperr spelling and puncktuashun.

You are. That's a big plus.

Submit a sample of your work to the major publishers, as well as a follow-up phone call. Then take it from there.

Most importantly, you must be capable of taking (constructive) criticism and building on it from there. Never give up.

Good luck. See you on the NY Times Best Seller's List!

Answer 8

You need to start publishing your own books and e-books under a company name that you create. That way you can have a proven track record of your success. Don't wait for somebody to define who you are. Take the "shackles off" and start thinking outside of the box.

Answer 9

Find and contact a publisher and try to do some volunteer or internship in order to learn how that business works. Or just contact a publisher and ask them how to get started.

Answer 10

You should post posters of publisher up for hiring. Then if someone calls u to be a publisher 4 there book, they u will be very lucky!!!