AMA: I work in book publishing

[booksandstories]

Recently advertised for a job joining the team I lead and received 200+ applications so I thought there might be interest in book publishing!

I work for one of the Big Five book publishers and have done for several years.

I work across fiction and non fiction.

Ask me anything!

Yes - that would be production. The jobs you might look at could be production controller or production director.

Ebook production is highly valued in-house and can be a good mix of creative and logical so that might suit you too.

Publishers also have busy IT teams, not least as stressed authors sometimes accidentally delete their manuscripts!

The best of luck! I'd think if you have a sizeable following you won't struggle to get a book deal - try approaching agents with an outline and a couple of chapters and see where you get to!

I agree, sloppiness makes books really irritating to read. It takes the reader out of their flow when there's an error in fiction.

I have to say I haven't noticed it across all books but some publishers definitely have more thorough editing processes than others.

Where do you review? Is it with proofs or finished copies?

I don't know that publishing is the best career if she wants to write, it is quite a different skill set.

She would be better off getting a copywriting job to hone her writing.

Working in publishing because you want to be an author is a bit like becoming a mechanic if you want to be a racing driver!

It's interesting to understand how it all works but it's not the way to launch yourself into that career. That said, quite a few industry people do write on the side so it clearly works for them! I think I'd find it quite frustrating to see other people living my dream.

Most editors and proofreaders today are freelance. Before getting work with a new publisher we often have to take an editing/proofreading test. But many editors don't work for publishers - including the Big 5 - because their rates are so abysmal!!! £18 an hour for proofreading is normal.

But I disagree with your comment. Not all books have errors. Certainly not all books have lots of errors. Check out the CIEP website and feel reassured!

If she wants to write, she should just write! Sit down and start! Maybe join a writing group.

Very interesting AMA, thank you OP.

OP, what are good sales in hardback, paperback and ebook? Is that the same as five years ago?

Thanks OP for your responses 🙏it’s all very interesting😊

Ah this makes sense - thank you, I will tamp down my irritation!

Thank you! Yes the fluctuations are quite broad aren't they, and I'm surprised by how often a new-ish book will briefly be 99p. Sadly I am all too well acquainted with the monthly and daily kindle deals, and my gigantic TBR kindle list is groaning at the seams.

@booksandstories

Hi there, I love this thread! So interesting to hear what is involved in other people's line of work.

My daughter is 17 and a really talented artist. She's keen to become an illustrator. How would she go about getting noticed?

@bloodyunicorns Thank you for replying, she does write and reads - all the time! However, that won't necessarily pay rent or put food on the table when she leaves University.
@booksandstories Thank you for replying, I don't know anything about being a copywriter so will get her to look into this. I'm not sure about your analogy, surely if she enjoys reading and is also a stickler for grammar a career in publishing or editing would be enjoyable while writing on the side and hopefully becoming an author one day?

It is a good question because it goes back to the size of the advance paid to the author.

Very broadly, around 25,000 paperbacks is seen as about average in a trade publisher for a fiction title.

About 10,000 hardbacks would be pretty good - at £20 a hardback that would usually go fairly far to pay off the advance. Ebooks and audio massively vary depending on the genre but ebooks can be another 50% on top. More if there has been a Kindle deal.

Books are tasked on making a certain percentage of profit, which pays back the advance, covers the production costs, and generates revenue for further projects. Some of that profit might come from foreign rights deals/overseas sales too.

I'd say the changes apart from ebooks and audio in the last five years is that the big celeb books don't get AS massive advances as they used to, while ebook only publishing is more popular.

Companies like Bookouture are highly respected by many for their work.

She just needs to create a portfolio and look out for opportunities to submit her work - there are often digital open days where illustrators can contact publishers. Hachette Children's do this.

If she loves grammar she would probably enjoy it in that case! I interpreted it as that she wants to write a book so will work in publishing while she does that which I wouldn't really recommend. When I get job applications from people who clearly want to be authors I can always tell, and it makes me wonder about how fulfilling they will find their job.

The best way to become a writer is just to write. Either to work as a creative copywriter and write in the evenings, or, best case scenario, for her to live at home with you and write as much as she can and have a low-stakes job to pay the bills until she hopefully gets a break.

There's a phenomenon of 'shadow careers' (Steven Pressfield writes about it) in the creative industries where people who are too nervous to take a leap into what they really want to do end up having parallel careers. It then gets harder as time goes on to cross over into the creative side. That said, some publishing people do write and combine both.

I currently mainly read children's books as I have a 3 year old and often spot typos/grammar errors, even in books that have had many reprints. Should I 'report' them to the publishers? Would they take notice?

Definitely! They keep a list and add into the next reprint.

Thankyou @booksandstories such a helpful reply. For some reason I just assumed she'd build a career and write on the side. I hadn't given much thought to the possibility of writing being the main role and having a lower paid job to supplement this. Thank you for pointing this out, I need to adjust my thinking as I want to continue to be supportive of her dreams. Too many of us find ourselves on the treadmill of career and money as goals and never really love what we do - although saying that, it's this path that we took that will potentially enable us to support my DD. Swings and roundabouts.

She could look at being a proofreader or copy editor and write on the side? Lots of editors also write, and this experience helps them to empathise with their clients. But your dd needs to look at writing job ads, see what qualifications are required, then work towards getting those.

Hi, thank you for being so generous with your answers and time!

I would like to ask a very specific question regarding publishers hiring freelance proofreaders and copyeditors. I am a freelance proofreader, fully trained with the CIEP and their intermediate member. This year, I've been trying to get jobs with publishers, as I need to have 500 hours of experience to upgrade my CIEP membership to Professional Member grade within the next 3 years. The hours must be of work experience done for publishers. I've been looking for jobs for nearly a year now and have 70 hours so far (3 jobs with one of the big fives and 2 jobs with small indie presses). It takes ages to even get in touch with someone in a publishing house and virtually impossible to find out whom to contact and how... Only one publisher I know has that information on their website. I look for people working for publishers on LinkedIn, ask to connect them to connect and start a conversation. It took me recently 3 months from the initial contact to getting a one-off job with one small publisher...

My question: is there any more efficient way to get on publishers' freelancers lists?

I'd be really grateful for your answer.

@JustBooks GREAT question! Good luck with your qualification.

This is such a network driven industry - slowly changing but editorial freelancers have very very often been in-house first. Once the wheels start turning you'll be recommended more and more - that is the usual run of things!

There is always demand for amazing copyeditors and proofreaders.

There are websites like Reedsy you can get on but realistically you might find outreach from publishers is in short supply as it's such a stretched industry.

So LinkedIn is good, and also Bookmachine. I think The Empowered Author has a directory of freelancers too.

But I'd keep badgering your contacts - and also use Twitter to hawk your services using hashtags - I have picked up lots of freelancers that way as it's a bit 'Johnny on the spot' at times when it's busy- you just want someone who is available. I got my first ever publishing job from a Big 5 publisher who tweeted that they needed a temp.

Thank you! I do have an account with the Book Machine but I haven't really used it much yet. Getting a Twitter account is another thing on my to-do list. I will continue with trying to get jobs via LinkedIn.

One more question: is a freelancer's online presence, i.e., website, really important for publishers who are cold emailed? I am still building mine and was wondering whether not having one disadvantages me in any way. I've just concentrated on other things first. Do publishers check freelancers' websites to verify them? I had one indie asking about my website, whereas the Big 5 publisher simply sent me a proofreading test after seeing my CV.

@booksandstories PS It is really great to chat with you! It is quite a rare opportunity for a freelancer to be able to ask questions to someone working at a publisher!