Working at a publishing house allows you to be part of a legacy that will pass from generation to generation.
However, transforming a manuscript into a work ready to market involves many tasks and a team of skilled professionals. That’s why answering the question ‘how to work at a publishing house’ is not as obvious as it seems.
So, if you are passionate about the idea of imagining your future surrounded by books and literary works, keep in mind that there is a wide variety of university degrees you can study to work in a publishing house.
But let’s take it one step at a time…
What does a publisher house do?
Publishing houses play a crucial role in the literary world, providing a structured pathway for transforming manuscripts into published books. To this end, they oversee every aspect of the book production process, from acquisition to distribution, ensuring that readers receive high-quality literature.
The process typically starts with acquiring manuscripts from authors, either through submissions or literary agents. Once a manuscript is accepted, the editorial team works closely with the author to refine and enhance the content. This involves developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading to ensure the manuscript is up to par.
After the editorial process, the manuscript moves to the design and production phase. Here, designers create the book’s layout, cover, and illustrations. Production teams handle the printing and binding of the book, ensuring that it meets the publisher’s house standards.
And finally, the marketing team is responsible for choosing the different distribution channels and designing the most effective promotional strategies to publicize the book, including social media, book tours and press releases.
Roles and types of employers in a publishing house
The roles within a publishing house are diverse and offer a range of career paths for those passionate about the literary world. Here are the different jobs you can apply to work at a publishing house:
- Developmental Editors
Developmental Editors work with authors to refine the structure and content of a manuscript. They focus on the big picture, helping to shape the story and improve pacing and character development.
- Copy Editors
Copy Editors focus on the finer details, ensuring the text is free of grammatical errors and inconsistencies. They polish the manuscript to enhance readability.
- Proofreaders
Proofreaders are the last to check the texts to ensure they are free of any remaining typos or errors.
- Book Designers
Book Designers create the visual elements of a book, including the cover design and layout, ensuring the book is visually appealing and aligns with the publisher’s branding.
- Illustrators
Illustrators provide artwork for books, especially important in children’s literature and graphic novels.
- Marketing Managers
Marketing Managers develop and execute marketing strategies to promote books, including social media campaigns, book tours, and advertising.
- Publicists
They work to get media coverage for books and authors, arranging interviews, book signings, and other promotional events.
- Sales Representatives
Sales Representatives work with bookstores, libraries, and other retailers to ensure books are available to the public. They often travel to pitch new titles and secure orders.
- Distributors
They handle the logistics of getting books from the printer to retailers and customers.
As you can see, each one of these positions requires specific skills. Therefore, I guess you must already notice that there is no single path to work at a publishing house.
What to study to work at a publishing house
Probably, when you think about how to work in a publishing house, careers such as Language and Literature or Philology come to your mind, right?
Well, as we have already mentioned, publishing a book or a magazine requires a wide variety of profiles, so many degrees can be useful for working in the book industry.
Would you like to see them?
1 – Communication Degrees
One of the most common studies within the publishing houses is the Communication Degrees. As they include degrees such as Journalism or Communication, which are closely linked to the world of information.
Both journalists and Communication students acquire skills to write quality texts, work with different content formats and communicate effectively. These skills are highly valued in the publishing world because a good editor must be able to improve the texts and give them the most appropriate format for the audience.
2 – Language and Literature
Another interesting option, especially if you want to work as a book editor, is to study Language and Literature. Although this degree does not focus directly on the publishing world, it allows students to acquire a deep knowledge of the language, which is essential to work at a publishing house.
Language and Literature students learn to analyze texts, understand linguistic structures and detect grammatical or stylistic errors. Everything you need to ensure the quality of any publication.
3 – Translation and Interpretation
In an increasingly globalized world, the ability to translate books into different languages is a valuable asset.
But Translation and Interpretation graduates, in addition to knowing how to translate accurately, possess advanced linguistic skills, so they are also able to modify the original text to better adapt it to different language idioms.
4 – Graphic Design
To work at a publishing house, it is not strictly necessary to study careers related to writing and editing. The aesthetic aspect is also important.
So, if you decide to study graphic design, you will learn everything you need to lay out texts and images, which is essential to present the contents more attractively and functionally.
5 – Marketing and Advertising
Last but not least, we have the Marketing and Advertising Degrees. It is clear that the promotion of a new book is essential to ensure a good reception among the public. However, studying Marketing and Advertising also opens the door to many other profiles, such as literary agents.
A literary agent is the person in charge of disseminating the work of writers and getting the best possible contract with the different publishing houses. A job that combines a passion for literature and a commercial vision.
And now you know what to study to work at a publishing house, how about if we continue with where to do it?
At CIS University, we offer you the opportunity to study for your Marketing and Communication degree in Madrid, the capital of Spain, through the American educational system.
This means that you can obtain a 100% certified American degree while immersing yourself in the rich language and culture of Spain.
An unforgettable experience that will enrich you both personally and linguistically.
