FIVE HIGH-PAYING CAREER OPTIONS IN PUBLISHING

You might have read tens or hundreds of books, newspapers, magazines, etc. But have you ever wondered how the written words came into being?

If you are an avid reader and seek to learn what happens in the publishing industry or how your favorite authors deliver their reading material to the market, landing a job in the publishing industry might be your calling.

Publishing is a vast industry that is home to communications and creativity. People with bright minds present their original and innovative ideas and thoughts to the world in this industry.

Simply put, publishing is all about connecting with other people. From children’s books to fashion magazines and thrilling novels to current news, publishers bring their ideas to the audience, and the world loves reading them.

Excellent communication skills, an eye for detail, and a knack for writing and editing are crucial if you wish to step your foot in this remarkable field, no matter the job position or organization.

So have you made up your mind to pursue publishing as a career? That’s great because the field offers a diverse range of exciting career opportunities for aspiring individuals.

Let’s take a closer look at six lucrative career options in the publishing industry:

• Book editor

Among various careers in publishing, a book editor has to be the most popular one. It is no secret that every writer needs editing.

Whether the writer is a self-publisher or working for a firm, the writing piece must undergo editing to make it more polished. That is where the role of the book editor comes into play.

However, it is to note that book editors are more than just reading and editing the raw writing piece. Instead, they are also in charge of which books should go for publishing and which ones should not.

Your day to day job duties as an editor can include:

• Acquire the manuscript for editing
• Read and edit raw manuscripts
• Authenticate facts and stats mentioned in the content
• Ensure the content complies with the publisher’s policies, specifications, and design
• Meet strict deadlines

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary of editors is $63,350 per year as of May 2021.

• Literary agents

Do you wish to meet your favorite author and sign a deal? Unquestionably, this career path can help you fulfill your dream.

Literary agents are responsible for finding potential writers that want to get their material published and connecting them with the publishing house. In other words, literary agents work as a middleman.

To excel in this career, you will need to have a sound knowledge of the market. You must also learn how to negotiate contracts on behalf of both parties.

Thus, excellent analytical, communication, and networking skills are necessary for this job role.

Following are the job responsibilities of a literary agent:

• Identify potential literary talent
• Requesting and reading writers’ manuscripts and deciding which ones are most suitable for submission
• Suggesting changes to the authors
• Pitching authors’ manuscripts to publishers and negotiating deals
• Stay abreast of the latest industry developments

According to Glassdoor, literary agents can earn around $69,582 per year in the United States.

• Publicist

Do you wish to work in the field of media and marketing? In that case, look no other than pursuing a career as a publicist.

The professionals in this career are responsible for getting press coverage for their clients. As a publicist, your primary job responsibility is to create and manage publicity campaigns and generate awareness.

Thus, you will work together with the marketing team of a publishing house to promote the authors and their scripts.

You must hone strong interpersonal and communications skills, both written and verbal, to take your career as a publicist to the next level.

In addition, you must also possess crisis management skills since you will be conducting damage control in cases when the author or the publishing house gets themselves in the hot waters.

Below are the typical job duties of a publicist:

• Plan and implement publicity campaigns
• Build good relationships with journalists and media outlets
• Write and edit press releases
• Analyze publicity strategies and make necessary changes

The average salary of a Publicist is $56,882 per year.

• Proofreader

If you are proficient in English and detail-oriented, consider becoming a proofreader. Your primary job responsibility is to detect any grammatical errors or typo mistakes. Of course, all types of content go through different phases before the final publication.

Whether an author creates a digital or physical book, the proofreader reviews the material and ensures it is error-free and accurate according to the publisher’s style guide and format.

Therefore, as a proofreader, you must be meticulous and understand grammar and punctuation. In addition, you must possess impeccable teamwork and people skills since you will be working together with authors.

The job responsibilities of a proofreader can include:

• Reviewing content and checking grammar, punctuation, and brand voice
• Ensuring the content is original
• Providing constructive feedback and guiding the author about changes
• Ensuring character/word count meets clients’ expectations
• Evaluating the document and ensuring the formatting conforms to the publisher’s style guidelines

According to the BLS, the average wage of a proofreader is $40,630 as of May 2019.

• Copywriter

A copywriter’s job is to create compelling and engaging content for marketing or sales purposes. Your main objective is to lure the readers into taking a specific action.

Simply put, you will be in charge of translating your client’s marketing objectives into captivating content to inspire the relevant audience to take action.

Being a copywriter, you must have excellent communication, research, and creativity skills. In addition, being a problem solver and having an ability to multi-task can also come in handy for this job role.

However, keep in mind that the copywriting job is arduous in a publishing house since it is a fast-paced job.

Below are the typical job duties of a copywriter:

• Interpreting the client’s brief properly before brainstorming ideas and writing
• Collaborating with authors, editors, and other professionals in a publication company to produce content
• Creating well-researched and plagiarism-free content that meets the client’s requirements and objectives
• Learning various writing styles to write a copy

According to Glassdoor, the median salary of a copywriter is $76,057 per year in the United States.

Summing up

Let’s face it; there is nothing more exciting and pleasurable for a person to find a job that aligns with their hobby or passion.

So, if reading is your passion and you have a creative mindset, surely pursuing a career in the publishing industry must have passed through your mind.

The good part of becoming a part of this industry is that the profession offers various career opportunities to its people, depending on their interests and skills.