Journal publishing is an important asset within the publishing sphere. Not only do journals bring in a considerable amount of revenue, but they help amplify educational voices, inform the public and work on the edge of important research. It is therefore the job of publishers to ensure the work is accurate, accessible and wide-reaching.
What is journal publishing?
Journal publishing is the periodic publishing of academic, research-based or otherwise scientific works. Publishers can be small or own multiple journals, such as Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis or Springer Nature.
These journals are mainly published digitally but some remain in print. Though, it is an interesting time for journal publishing, as most journals are transitioning from a subscription model to using open access, which provides unlimited use of articles without a paywall. In this sense, it is key for journals to maintain relationships with universities and libraries, as well as with open-access platforms they may work with.
Whatever the size, all journals will have similar teams, such as editorial, sales and marketing. So, if you are interested in a career in publishing, this could be a great fit for you. Below, we will explore the different ways you can find job listings for journal publishing roles.
Here are four ways you can find entry-level journal publishing jobs:
- Specialised job boards
- Notifications from the journal’s website
- Recruitment agencies
- Career coaches
Specialised job boards
In trade publishing, mainstream platforms such as Indeed or Totaljobs can be very helpful to find job listings. However, in journal publishing (sometimes known as academic publishing), it is more common to find openings on specific forums, job boards and websites. These include the Publishers Association, The Bookseller and Creative Access, which specialise in careers in publishing. You can either search by department, company name or publishing type .
Key words to search for are ‘Assistant’ and ‘Co-ordinator’, preceded by the department you are interested in. Bear in mind that the terminology for journal publishing may be different to trade roles. For example, ‘Publishing Assistant’ may be interchangeable with ‘Editorial Assistant’, so make sure to double check the job description to ensure you are applying for a suitable position.
Notifications from the journal’s website
If you have a specific journal you would like to work for, you can subscribe to its newsletter or enable vacancy notifications from its website.
If you do not have a specific journal in mind, it is recommended that you spend some time researching different organisations. This could be through curated databases and journal finders, such as on Wiley, Scopus or JSTOR. Of course, the larger the journal the more likely there is to be a job opening, so this should certainly factor into your decision to subscribe to different organisations.
Another benefit to subscribing to a particular journal’s newsletter is that you will learn more about the organisation, and this is great knowledge to show off in cover letters, interviews and even your first few weeks in the role.
Recruitment agencies
As part of their job, recruiters will be one of the first to know about new job opportunities. Whether this be communicated through listings on their website or through direct communication with a recruiter, subscribing to a few larger recruitment agencies is key. These include Inspired Selection, Redwood Publishing Recruitment and Think Selection. These agencies also offer slightly different services, so it is worth checking out what is on offer.
When looking at their websites, you will notice that you can also submit your CV to recruiters, and they can enter you for job openings with your permission. They can also act as consultants offering bespoke advice on applications to ensure you have the best chance of being recognised by a hiring manager.
Career coaches
Career coaches are well-placed specialists who often know about the hiring opportunities within the industry. They may be able to offer you insider knowledge on hiring protocols or put you in touch with publishing professionals to kickstart your career journey.
Career coaches can also help you narrow down the kind of role you are looking for in journal publishing and help frame your applications so they are well suited to the position. While career coaches are not specific to journal publishing, their insights will be tailored to your needs.
Are you interested in entry-level jobs within journal publishing?
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