Part 1 (1/2)

How to Get a Job in Publis.h.i.+ng.

A Really Practical Guide to Careers in Books and Magazines.

Alison Baverstock.

Susannah Bowen.

Steve Carey.

Forewords.

On books, by Richard Charkin, Bloomsbury Publis.h.i.+ng.

The t.i.tle of this book begs a question. Why should anyone want a job in publis.h.i.+ng? By and large it's a poorly-paid industry, not very profitable, arguably in a slow or no-growth market sector, and with many significant threats to its future prosperity and even survival. And yet and yet ... Every year the Macmillan graduate recruit scheme is oversubscribed a hundredfold; response rates to job advertis.e.m.e.nts are excellent; I receive any number of e-mails from would-be members of our industry.

The reasons for this enthusiasm are neither consistent nor clear but these are the reasons I enjoy this business and have rarely regretted the series of events that led me to it.

1. I like the people. My database of publis.h.i.+ng contacts is well over three thousand and there are only half a dozen people in it I would rather not meet again. The rest have been stimulating, decent, hard-working and fun.

2. I like the product. Books and magazines can be good, bad or indifferent and we've all been involved in all three categories but, however badly something sells or however badly it is reviewed every book (oh, maybe there are a few exceptions) has a redeeming feature and some intrinsic value. Compare that with, for instance, a poor-selling and badly-designed mobile phone.

3. I like the process. Publis.h.i.+ng is not easy. Every product is different and needs individual care and attention. Prices are low. Supply chains are long. Egos can be huge. Everything is more complex than it could or should be. That's what makes it challenging and constantly interesting.

4. The world of publis.h.i.+ng is changing so quickly that speed of action is now more valuable than years of acquired experience. This brings in new people, new ideas and new business models to keep us on our toes.

When I started in the publis.h.i.+ng business finding a job was a matter of who you knew or (as in my case) pure luck. Fortunately, things are different now. Human capital is such an important a.s.set to a business based on creativity and entrepreneurism that we take enormous care when recruiting.

This book will certainly not guarantee you a job in publis.h.i.+ng. It may even dissuade you from trying. But I reckon that anyone who genuinely wants a career in the book or magazine business should read this from cover to cover and back again. Someone (a cricket lover presumably) once said that the Bible is the Wisden of religion. This is the Wisden of how to get into publis.h.i.+ng.

On magazines, by Linda Kelsey,

former Editor of SHE and Cosmopolitan.

Whenever one of the magazines to which I subscribe Conde Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, Vogue plops through my letter box, I still get a little thrill of antic.i.p.ation as I tear open the plastic wrapping. Even after more than 30 years in the magazine business, there is something about the glossy package and its glamorous promise that makes my heart beat a little faster.

I've worked hard and I've been fortunate. I started at 18 making tea and typing (badly) and eventually became Editor of Cosmopolitan, then of SHE, and more recently Executive Editor on the launch of In Style. I did stints on Options (now extinct), Good Housekeeping (still going strong) and Company (ditto). In between I launched two little magazines, both now dead and buried, of which I'm quite proud. One was called Having A Baby, which transformed the frumpy, dumpy image of pregnancy magazines in the early 90s, the other was called Wedding Day, in which I ran an 8-page fas.h.i.+on story called 'Here Comes The Pregnant Bride' and upset a few vicars.

I trained as a sub editor, which I loved, became a stylist of food and homes features, a job at which I was hopeless, and then a commissioning and features editor.

The biggest change, perhaps, in the prospects for magazine journalists regardless of whether you work on a small trade magazine or a big consumer glossy is that today you can switch between magazines and newspapers with relative ease, giving you a much broader canvas than when I was training and Fleet Street sneered at the soft, mushy world of magazines. This and the Internet have really opened up what was once a specialist and somewhat limiting field.

Like every field of media, the magazine industry is more compet.i.tive than ever. As the authors make clear, you have to be smart and sharp to get in, dedicated and very determined to get to the top. And if making a quick stash or even a slow one is your main aim, it would be wise to look elsewhere.

But if you know magazine journalism is really what you want to do, it's never too early to start. Get involved with your college paper. Blag a seat at the London fas.h.i.+on shows and write a report, review an Almodvar movie, or write an impa.s.sioned feature on global warming. Show you mean business.

I like the practical, myth-debunking style of this book. Read it. Get your CV sorted. And good luck.

Introduction.

Over our years (many) in magazine and book publis.h.i.+ng, each of us has heard thousands of times:.

'I've always wanted to work in publis.h.i.+ng. How did you get started?'

So we thought it was time there was a resource to guide people. And, given that no-one else had written it, we thought we'd get in there!

We've all been job applicants, employers and freelancers, in many different kinds of publis.h.i.+ng. We've learned the hard way and we'd like to pa.s.s on the smart tips we've worked out between us over the years. We hope this book helps you in your search for your perfect job.

It's commonly said that the world is moving ever faster - and this book really was created 24/7. Around the time Alison clocked off for the day in the UK, Susannah and Steve started work in Australia. As well as being colleagues, the three of us are friends and have managed to remain so, with no fallings-out over artistic differences or editorial style (so far). The international perspective we offer (dare we use a current bit of publis.h.i.+ng jargon and say 'boundarylessness'?) is particularly valuable these days; publishers worldwide are facing the same issues and we hope that this book will help you find a job, wherever you want to work.

We will spare you the Oscar-style tears, but there are a number of thank yous to be made. We consulted widely, and are grateful to all the following people. Some others made candid comments and preferred to remain anonymous.

Guy Allen; Amy Blower; Sarah Ca.s.sie; Richard Charkin; Averill Chase; Jane Cholmonley; Suzanne Collier; Tim Coronel; Christie Davies; Suzie Doore; Anthony Forbes Watson; Helen Fraser; Patrick Gallagher; Travis G.o.dfredson; Stephen Hanc.o.c.ks; Greg Ingham; Kristy Jacobs; Ruth Jelley; Andy Jones; Nicholas Jones; Stuart Jones; Su Jones; Linda Kelsey; Anna Kiernan; Jenny Lee; Emma Lee-Potter; Rachel McDiarmid; Robert McKay; Natalie Meylan; Rose Michael; Margaret Mills; Julia Moffatt; Martin Neild; Charles Nettleton; Rob Pegley; Teresa Ponchard; Bridget s.h.i.+ne; Liz Small; Peter Smith; Sarah Townsend; Jeremy Trevathan; Paul Watt; Andrew Wilkins and Louise Wirz.

All job t.i.tles and affiliations of the people we've quoted in the book were correct at the time of writing.

Finally we would like to thank our publishers A & C Black, in particular Lisa Carden, who commissioned the work and who always sounds so cheerful; our agent Jenny Brown; and our families for ongoing support, endless listening and the provision of hot meals while we were busy writing.

Alison Baverstock, Surrey.

Susannah Bowen, Melbourne.

Steve Carey, Melbourne.

January 2008.

Part I: Publis.h.i.+ng.

- what's it all about?

Chapter One.

Why publis.h.i.+ng and why you?

It took me a long time to get my first job in publis.h.i.+ng, but someone (a publisher) said to me, 'Everyone who really wants to get in does, so just persist', which I did and it worked.