Sales jobs in publishing often vary from one business to another, which can make it difficult for young graduates to determine the role that is best suited to them. Positions available depend on the size of the company, the area of business and a few other factors. In this blog, we will be looking at the most common sales jobs in publishing and where they sit in the industry to give you a clearer idea of which roles to look for on your publishing career journey.
What is the importance of sales roles in publishing?
While working in sales is often overlooked by publishing hopefuls, it is an integral part of businesses across the industry. Sales jobs are a brilliant opportunity to influence the book market. Most importantly, these roles will allow you to work on your networking skills while building connections with industry professionals.
Not only this, but sales is a less competitive entry-level role, which means it’s perfect for any graduate looking to enter the publishing world.
Common sales jobs in publishing
Some of the most common roles you will see include:
- Sales assistant
- Sales coordinator
- Sales executive
- Account/sales manager
How to understand a sales job description
There are two ways of understanding a sales job description.
First is the job title. The second is the division. One of the most common entry-level sales jobs is sales assistant – however, this role can look very different depending on which division it is in or which genre it falls under, for exampleYoung Adult.
In this blog, we will be looking at the job titles.
What does a sales assistant do?
The main responsibility of a sales assistant is to support the wider sales team, which means that no two days will look the same. One day, you might be analysing sales figures, and on another, assisting with customer services or catching up on some admin.
In any sales role, you will likely be collaborating with lots of other departments, including marketing, publicity, design and even editorial. This means that having strong organisational acumen, people skills and a love of books will take you far. These are also the skills you want to highlight to potential employers.
What does a sales co-ordinator do?
A sales co-ordinator is central to the administrative operations of a publishing house. They streamline the communications, data analysis and administration for the rest of the sales team. For this role, it is vital to have a strong sense of logistics and be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment. You should also be comfortable with taking initiative to independently problem solve.
What does a sales executive do?
This job role is one step up from the sales co-ordinator and usually requires previous experience in sales. Within the scope of this role, you will be presenting sales figures, creating order forms and responding to customer queries. Having a good sense of numbers is key, as you may also need to effectively negotiate and offer special discounts to clients. A sales executive should be in touch with the latest book trends and have excellent communication and strong IT skills.
What does an account/sales manager do?
This is the most senior sales job in publishing that we will talk about in this blog. An account manager ensures that there is a strong sales strategy in place for the rest of the team. They use their strong commercial awareness to identify key opportunities for new business, maintain a goal-driven mindset to support long-term sales goals and use their interpersonal skills to preserve strong relationships with established clients. With this in mind, the ability to motivate a team and encourage clients to buy your product are vital transferable skills if you are looking to enter publishing later in your career.
How to find sales jobs in publishing
Are you looking for sales jobs in publishing? On Jobs in Books, we have a wide range of sales roles from across the industry, including the job titles mentioned in this blog.
Register for free on Jobs in Books today to set up email alerts and follow us on X, BlueSky and LinkedIn so you don’t miss the latest opportunities.