Publishing career

[Aheadfullofwords]

Does anyone work in publishing? My dream job is as a proofreader. I'm about to start year 2 of my degree in English Literature and Creative Writing with the Open University. And I was wondering how one gets into that career.

Nonsense. I'm an editor and proofreader and I'm fully booked doing both.

There are still plenty of designers, formatters and typesetters too, btw.

I’ve worked in publishing - sort of. Lots of small vanity publishers hire editors, proof readers and ghost writers on a freelance basis. Pay isn’t great but better than jobs like retail or hospitality.

In my time doing this I’ve realised it’s very easy to set yourself up as a publisher. You get a client who wants to write a book, then help them write it (hiring freelancers as required for layout, illustration, whatever). Purchase an ISBN and stick it on the cover. Take it to a printer and get a few copies for the author. Register it on Amazon and with book distributors. Authors are paying about £7000 for this service. They rarely sell more than a few copies, it’s totally a vanity project. The profit comes from charging the author not from selling the books.

For example rethinkpress.com

My understanding is that the big five publishers are hard to get jobs with, but lots of small vanity publishers hire freelancers to assist in the process described above.

Thank you for your reply, it's really helpful. I've just been googling copy editing and it is certainly something that I would enjoy.

I work for a big five. You can read the jobs
section on The Bookseller website to get an idea of jobs out there, skills needed etc

We do book proofreaders but we tend to use very experienced editors who used to work full time in the industry. We get CVs every week so it might be worth focusing on your existing area of knowledge whether that is education, science, retail anything really that has a publication or online text

And we use proofreaders because AI can be rubbish - you’d be amazed at what gets through every stage of the publishing process

Thank you for your reply, this is helpful to know and something to think about.

😆

Thank you. Another helpful reply.

I worked in commercial publishing in London in my 20s. Was quite glamorous at times, pay was utter crap, and I quickly realised it wasn't for me as it's really just about selling a product. I went in idealistic and lost that fairly quickly. I then became a midwife! I still have lots of friends who work in the wider industry, although quite a lot also left for other things.

Yes, this. Until recently I worked as an editor in trade publishing for one of the big 5, and all the copy editors and proofreaders I used had a background of 'working as an editor in a big trade house for a minimum of 10 years and then going freelance'.

I'd also echo pp's comments of it not being a very well-paid industry. I joined straight after university and by my late 20s realised I'd made it very difficult for myself to buy a house/achieve financial security. There's loads I love about the industry but if I went back in time to advise my past self I'd do something better paid.

Good luck!

This is exactly what AI does. I think you don’t want to ‘hear’ what people are telling you. Look for a different specialism, this one isn’t going to be worthwhile.

Your dream job is proofreading, but you don't seem to know the difference between that and copy-editing? Proofreading is literally checking that all changes marked on the proof have been made accurately. It is not a creative process.

I'm so glad you can read minds 🙄 about I don't want to 'hear' what people are telling me 🤣 I don't want to hear what people who don't work in the industry or have no experience of said role think or their opinion. I specifically asked for people who work in publishing. You comment offers no substance whatsoever. And others who have the experience have offered so much helpful insight

Again, yet another lurker who leaves comments which are irrelevant to what is being asked 🤣 I do know exactly what proofreading is thank you. Yes I wasn't sure what copy editing is exactly, but people who know what they are talking about; those who have experience, have given me much to think about, such helpful feedback.

Thanks for your reply. Ahhh ok. That's something for me to think about then.

Thanks for replying. Ahhh ok. Honestly, I love your honesty and perhaps it's something for me to rethink. I know the degree I'm doing will be useful in other areas, but I wanted honest, good advice off people like yourself.

You are coming across incredibly rude and unpleasant in your replies.

To answer your question, you’re very unlikely to get into book publishing industry.

It’s incredibly cliquey/about who knows who. The pay is very low. It’s hugely competitive.

Entry-level jobs in a big five publishing house will be snapped up by someone with 5 yrs freelance experience, an MA in creative writing, whose had their own book published, been a judge for a writing competition, and is probably cousins with someone who already works there. All for a salary which is incredibly low (I see experienced editorial assistant jobs advertised for about £25k).

And yes, AI is already becoming a factor in all writing and editing jobs.

Not to those who actually have experience and know what they are talking about about. Instead of those who have no experience of the industry and are just commenting for the sake of commenting 🤣

“Lurker”? Why are you so rude to people? That is going to be an issue in whatever career you try to enter.

I have over ten years as a Desk Editor managing freelance copy-editors and proofreaders as part of my role.

Ok 🤣🤣🤣

That's terrible, @EchoGreen. I was on approx £20K as an Ed Assistant in 2005!

I've worked in publishing for about 25 years. You are coming across as quite rude. HTH.

Wow! Mumsnet is an open forum you know. As for the human eye you may well be right, but ime even a human eye is not infallible. FYI I do proofread DDs books both prior to and post publication. Found some stinkers recently even though the book had been proof read and edited by professionals.