Kate Beal, MD and Publisher of Muswell Press, takes the reins of My Job in 5 this week.

1. Describe your role

I am the joint MD and Publisher with my sister Sarah Beal at Muswell Press. After many years of working for some of the best and biggest independent publishing companies in the UK we decided to be our own bosses and have the freedom to publish exactly what we want and the books we love that match our values, purpose and creativity. We work very closely with our authors and with a brilliant, small but committed team of freelancers on design, editorial and publicity. So running a small Independent with a full-time team of two means that my role is really varied and covers all aspects of the publishing business. A typical day starts with looking at sales figures and then I am thrown into whatever needs to be done, from writing and sending material to our sales team in the UK and Export, reading new submissions, catching up with our authors, re-writing our five-year plan, organising ebook promotions, updating Nielsen, to running to the Post Office to send off yet more proofs.

2. What do you like best about your role?

Flexibility. We publish books that some of the larger publishers wouldn’t look at with their decisions made by committees. We just publish the type of books we love to read and the type of books we know will have a market, and it is a pleasure to work on these books and to work with the authors across all the traditional publishing departments. The worst thing about my role is the challenge of creating thinking time to plan for mid and long-term issues. But the very best bit is when the finished copies arrive and look great – that makes all the hard work worthwhile.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

We are currently working on our Autumn 2019 publication schedule; acquiring new titles and commissioning a new Biography/Travel series. The two titles I am mainly working on at present is our recently published A Beer in the Loire, having just reprinted I am looking at new sales, marketing and publicity opportunities. The other book is Close to the Edge, a brilliant new thriller by Toby Faber that we are publishing in April 2019, where we are working on the marketing materials and PR plan for the UK and Export markets.

4. What skills do you need for your role?

Experience and calmness. We have to problem-solve as we go along. It is easy for us to be creative and innovative but we have also had to create a good structure and critical path to allow us that freedom. Communication skills are also vital as is the ability to work quickly. Finally, you need to have no shame and be prepared to ask for advice when you need it. Publishing is a generous industry and friends and colleagues are always happy to help.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Don’t think you need an MA in publishing to get into the industry. Apply for internships at publishers that pay a fair wage and try to experience work in all departments to see what suits you best and what you are best at. Work in the sales department will show you the harsh reality of the industry and work in the editorial department will teach you where some of the magic is made. Work hard, ask questions and be vocal. The industry wants new talent and is in my experience a nurturing environment.

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Lily Mac Mahon, Editorial Assistant of Classical Studies and Archaeology at Bloomsbury Publishing, shares all about her new role.

1. Describe your role

I am the editorial assistant of Classical Studies and Archaeology at Bloomsbury Publishing. My main job is to oversee the publishing schedule of each book from the initial drawing up of the contract, to overseeing the progression of the manuscript, and finally to preparing it for production. A normal day generally involves responding to emails from authors, proofreading manuscripts, sending out books for review, building a website, and various other tasks which come my way.

2. What do you like best about your role?

Professionally, the best part of my job is working in editorial with books I really enjoy reading, as I studied Classics at university. On a more personal level, I feel very fortunate to work with such lively and intelligent people. This is not just true of my colleagues, but also of the authors I get to work with.

3. Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

Our list at Bloomsbury is ever-expanding, especially with the recent acquisition of I.B.Tauris Publishers. I’m always excited to see new manuscripts come in which are part of our Classical Reception series, as they generally have such a fresh approach to the subject. For example, we recently published a volume of essays on Frankenstein and Its Classics which looks at the influence of Greek and Roman literature on Shelley’s work. Also, I’ve just been working on the manuscript for Looking at Ajax (edited by David Stuttard) – it is a privilege to work on titles that have such an excellent level of scholarship.

4. What skills do you need for your role?

As an editorial assistant, I think you have need to be highly organised, have a good eye for detail and an ability to learn quickly. One skill which is often overlooked in editorial is the ability to relate to people. Most of my day involves being in contact with authors and as an editorial assistant, it is also your responsibility to cultivate harmonious relationships.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

If you’re looking to get into the industry, the key is to get some publishing-related experience on your CV. Volunteering at organisations is just as good as doing internships, especially since the latter are quite difficult to get. Network as much as you can, join societies and make sure to attend literary events where you’ll meet other publishing professionals. And lastly, persevere!

Discover editorial assistant roles here.