Publishing Jobs in the United States

Publishing Jobs Overview

The U.S. publishing industry is worth billions of dollars and offers many job opportunities. Whether you're an artist, a writer, or a manager, you can find publishing jobs you'll enjoy. This vast field covers the production of magazines, books, newspapers, online content, and more.

Are you curious about publishing jobs? These are some of the most common ones:

• Writer: Writers create content for books, magazines, newspapers, and other media.
• Journalist: Journalists create written, video, or audio content for media companies.
• Editor: Editors plan and assign content, give instructions to writers, and make edits to polish pieces.
• Copy editor: Copy editors read the text before publication, mark errors, and suggest other minor changes. They usually take over after an editor has reviewed the work.
• Proofreader: Proofreaders step in after copy editors (except at some jobs where these positions are merged) to read the work shortly before publication and correct unnoticed mistakes.
• Magazine designer: Magazine designers create layouts for magazine pages.
• Production assistant: Production assistants help a production department with design, layout, photo editing, and print production coordination.
• Literary agent: Authors hire literary agents to find publishers to buy their work. Agents also suggest changes to proposals and drafts, negotiate book deals, and serve as liaisons between publishers and authors.
• Sales manager: Sales managers supervise a sales team selling the final product or the product's ad space. Some sales managers are also responsible for direct sales.
• Book illustrator: A book illustrator creates images for books, such as children's literature and cover art.

Salaries for Publishing Jobs

Curious about what you'll make in the publishing industry? Median salaries vary depending on position, experience, and location, but these are some examples of median earnings nationwide:

• Editor: $24.50 hourly pay
• Proofreader: $21.72 hourly pay
• Art director: $81,659 annual salary

For more details, use Monster'sSalary Tool.You can easily find the median salary in cities around the country.

How to Find Publishing Roles That Fit You

There are many factors you should consider when choosing between jobs. These are some essential ones:

• Does a fast-paced environment with quick turnarounds stimulate you, or do you want to avoid it? Working for a newspaper or online publication that publishes material daily is often more hectic than working for a book publisher or monthly magazine.
• Do you want to create content, or do you prefer to edit and organize it? If you thrive on getting a byline or a caption with your name, consider becoming a writer, illustrator, or photographer. If you prefer to coordinate and manage content, go into editing or production.
• Do you prefer to work with others or in a team? Art and production departments often collaborate on projects, and sales staff work closely with customers.
• Do you want growth opportunities? Choose jobs with a clear path to advancement, such as workplaces where you can progress to a chief marketing officer, publisher, editor-in-chief, or other leadership job.

Of course, you'll also want to account for the salary and benefits, but it's common not to discuss this until you get a job offer. Work-life balance and other aspects of the work culture can be difficult to gauge in advance, but sometimes there are words in the ads that can give a clue, such as "team player" or "high-speed environment."

How to Apply to Publishing Jobs

Creating a well-written job application is key to getting the right job. Include relevant keywords from the job description in your resume to increase the likelihood that your application passes through applicant screening software.

While you should pay extra attention to design and layout for art-related jobs, the content is as important. In thisresume for an art director, you can see how to draw attention to accomplishments at past jobs by placing them under a separate headline.

If you're a new graduate or a current student about to enter the workforce, remember that you can also include accomplishments from school. For example, in this journalistcover letter, you can see how to highlight college journalism experience and college awards.

Create a Portfolio

You'll often need aportfolio of work samplesfor publishing jobs. Choose your best work, including samples representing the style or subject you'll focus on at the job. Good clips also showcase your technical skills, subject variety, different techniques, and original ideas. (It's fine to include work samples from your time as a student if this is the first position you'll apply to in your field.)

Get a New Cover Letter and Resume from Monster

Writing a job application is tricky, even for writers. Narrowing down your experience and qualifications to just a few sentences can be challenging. Getting expert help from Monster'sprofessional resume and cover letter writerscan be helpful. They'll also know what keywords to use when you apply to publishing jobs and how to find a unique value proposition for your cover letter. Sign up to get a new resume and cover letter in a few days.

Post Your Resume on Monster

As a publishing professional, you know the number of people you can reach is as important as your writing. Publish your resume on Monster so recruiters and hiring managers can find you and contact you for new job opportunities. Create aMonster profileand upload your resume to get started. You can also use your profile to apply directly to jobs.

Follow Up With an Employer

If your application doesn't result in a job interview, following up with the employer might give it the boost it needs. If it's been at least a week, send a brief email to the recruiter or hiring manager. Your email should summarize the value you'd add. Remember that a follow-up email should be short and shouldn't look like a second cover letter.

Before you follow up, check your spam folder to ensure you haven't received a message confirming that the employer has your application. Large companies often have automatic systems set up to send you email updates.

Interviewing Tips

If you've had a job interview before, you're likely familiar withcommon interview questions. You should also prepare for questions specific to the job and employer. Here are some examples of interview questions you might get for publishing jobs:

• How do you ensure you meet publication deadlines?
• What do you do if you find an error in a text right before publication?
• What would you change about the way our product looks?
• What are your favorite publications to read?

The next step is to research the company to develop some unique questions you can ask the employer during the interview. Studying the company also helps you assess the corporate culture, what you should wear to the interview, and how to answer questions like "Why do you want to work for us?"

What to Do When You Get an Offer

Congratulations, you got an offer! If you're ready to accept it, make sure you get a written offer that includes the job title, starting date, salary, and benefits. Most employers are open to negotiation, so consider asking for a number slightly higher than the offer. Make sure you have the facts to back it up, such as salary statistics and the unique advantages you bring to the table to increase the likelihood that the employer will raise your salary.

Career Paths for Publishing Jobs

These are the most common careers in publishing:

• Writing: If you're a writer at heart, consider a career writing books, articles, or web content. Common majors for writers are English, creative writing, and communications. If you want to work in news media, get a degree in journalism. With experience, writers can advance to editor jobs.
• Editing: You'll be responsible for planning and editing content. While job titles vary in different industries, a common career path is editorial assistant, assistant editor, associate editor, managing editor, editor-in-chief, or publisher.
• Art: You'll create artwork for published products, for example, as a photographer, designer, or illustrator. An art job in publishing can lead to a management job as an art director.
• Production: Production staff coordinate and oversee the production process of a digital or printed product. Entry-level positions include production assistant and production coordinator. Leadership roles include head of production and production manager.
• Sales and marketing: For entry-level sales jobs, you may not need a college degree, but most jobs require a bachelor's degree in sales, marketing, business, or similar. Common job titles are sales associate, sales manager, marketing manager, and marketing director.

For many of these jobs, completing an internship in college can greatly increase your chances of getting the job you want. Networking is important as well. Consider joining professional associations and attending conferences, trade shows, and book fairs.

Similar Occupations

Not sure if publishing is for you? These are some similar jobs that might interest you:

• Package designer
• Communications manager
• Television writer