“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." —Confucius

Every year millions of young people complete their education and embark on a hunt for employment. National Career Week is a week-long event that runs from 1st – 6th March 2021. It brings together students, career counsellors, advisors through different seminars and talks. It focuses on career guidance that will ensure young graduates have a clear direction in mind and can pursue their own career path. 

Many book-aficionados with a writing flair would love to become an author, while some would take their chances on pursuing a career in book publishing. Pursuing publishing as a career can be fruitful if you are passionate about books and are up-to-date with all things bookish!  This National Careers Week, we bring you seven career options that you can certainly give a go if you want to start your career in the publishing industry.  

• Acquisitions

The job of an acquisitor is to look out for authors or manuscripts that have the potential and are likely to be successful. If you are a keen observer and have a great gut-instinct, this job could be the one for you. If you have strong editing skills and eye for detail in the next upcoming topics, working in acquisitions can be an extremely rewarding career choice!

• Copy-editing

A copy editor’s main role is to proofread the manuscript before getting the book published. They check for spelling mistakes, grammatical and punctuation errors and inconsistent sentence structures. They go in-depth in finding any nonsensical statement and correct the errors to make the end product look polished. Hundreds of authors submit their manuscripts every month, so you’ll have to validate that all text flows smoothly and has a proper structure. To be a copy editor, you don’t need an English degree. But you sure need to have an exceptional command of the language and reading skills. 

• Marketing

The marketing team is responsible for making sure a book reaches as many people as possible. It is necessary to develop a strategic marketing plan and promotional blueprint which you can follow to market the books on every relevant platform. Whether it’s a book shop, book distributor or any other channel, the marketing team take charge of promotions online and offline. They run campaigns on social media which are beneficial and can produce great turnout in terms of book sales. These days everyone is active on Twitter and Instagram, and bolstering your campaign on these platforms can be very impactful. 

• Production Management

A career in publishing as a production manager is ideal for someone with a keen interest for product design. Top book publishers such as Austin Macauley Publishers are responsible for selecting the page layout of the book, how to source paper and other materials, and which printer would be ideal considering the financial budget. Production managers schedule the publishing workflow and ensure files get distributed to printers or suppliers on time. They work with different printed and digital book formats, including paperback, hardback, eBooks, and audiobooks.

• Design

You can choose a career in publishing in the design department for making sure the book visually stands out from the rest. From picking the right type-face to book formatting, the designer does all of it. A designer makes graphics and mockups that are utilized in social media campaigns and promotional materials. You need to have prior knowledge about designing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign before you can take on this job.

• Literary Agents

Although this job requires a high level and experience, it sure is the most lucrative one. Ever wanted to meet your favourite author? Well, this job might fulfil your dream. A literary agent’s objective is to negotiate deals, review manuscripts, and guide the career of an author. Extraordinary interpersonal and negotiation skills are a must-have for this job. Along with that, comprehensive literary knowledge and an eye for talent are some skills that can propel your career in the publishing industry as a literary agent. 

We hope you all enjoyed this informative blog and gained insights into various careers in publishing. At Austin Macauley, we are currently accepting manuscripts for submission. So, do check our online submission form if you would like to get your book published. To stay up to date with all of Austin Macauley’s new releases, authors’ news, and book recommendations, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For any queries, feel free to contact us.