Publishing is a diverse industry that encompasses many job titles, many of which are entry-level. As a graduate looking to enter the industry, you may be surprised at the number of jobs available to you.
In this blog, we will be looking at the most common entry-level book jobs.
These include:
- Assistant to the literary agent
- Editorial assistant
- Production assistant
- Design assistant
- Sales assistant
- Rights assistant
- Marketing assistant
This list also chronologically coincides with a book’s life cycle, which may help you figure out the role that suits you best.
What does an assistant to the literary agent do?
An assistant to the literary agent usually works alongside an agent to support the administrative and organisational running of their office. In this entry-level job, you would provide exceptional author care and act as the main point of contact for external communication. This is a hands-on role that would allow you to work on contracts, rights negotiations, metadata and various digital platforms on behalf of your clients. You may be working with a variety of authors from different genres, so having a passion for reading is essential.
What does an editorial assistant do?
An editorial assistant works at the heart of the publishing industry. They see a book from manuscript to publication and work closely with authors, marketing, sales and production to create the finished product. To be successful in this entry-level book job, you should be an excellent administrator, have a strong knowledge of the book industry and an enthusiasm for author care, while possessing great written and verbal communication skills.
What does a production assistant do?
Production assistants work on the physical parts of a book. You might be approving cover designs, typesetting (if a company does not outsource this),formatting a book correctly, standardising the specifications of a book’s assets and ensuring the printers are keeping to their deadline. It is good to have familiarity with the in-house software used but not essential. Having strong organisational and IT skills is also key. Production assistants are also central to a book’s creation, keeping wider teams to their timelines from start to finish.
What does a design assistant do?
A design assistant is a great entry-level book role for those who are visually creative. This role works closely with editors and authors to envision how a book will look on the shelves, including for reprinted titles. From designing the cover and commissioning an illustrator (if required) to producing marketing material for a book’s promotion, this is a great opportunity for artistic people to influence the book market. You may also liaise with production, marketing and occasionally sales to pitch designs and ensure a book brand’s alignment across teams.
What does a sales assistant do?
A sales assistant works to support the wider sales team. Like many entry-level publishing roles, this position requires a high level of administrative skill. You may be organising travel for the team to various book fairs, supporting diary management, analysing sales data and assisting customer service. A sales assistant also works to ensure team targets are met and there is a smooth running of day-to-day tasks.
What does a rights assistant do?
To outsiders, rights might seem confusing. At its core, it’s the selling, negotiation and invoicing of the translated version of a book to international regions. It may also mean selling the rights to production companies for film/tv adaptation, or the audio rights for audiobook usage. It is very rare that a publisher will buy the global rights to a book, so it is the role of a rights assistant to track and ensure the smooth running of each rights deal. Rights is a huge source of income for publishing and widely underrepresented in discussions about entry-level book jobs.
What does a marketing assistant do?
A marketing assistant supports the marketing team in its campaigns to promote upcoming titles. These campaigns usually involve finding advertising and paid promotional content that creates greater visibility and sales for a book. You could be working across a number of campaigns and handling the admin for the team. One day, you may be correcting the metadata for each title, and on another, maintaining mailing databases or carrying out market research. Depending on the size of the team, you could also be working on publicity for the book as well. This means unpaid promotion, such as book reviews and author appearances.
Are you looking for an entry-level book job? On Jobs in Books, we have a wide range of junior roles from across the publishing industry, including the job titles mentioned in this blog.
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