A Career in Publishing

I totally want to know the answer to this as well, as I'd love to be a lit agent someday.

Hmm. I don't work in publishing, but I teach at a university, so here's some perspective from that direction.

I think your best bet in terms of education, if you want to work in writing and publishing, is to get a broad liberal arts education at a school that doesn't restrict you to your major, but allows you to take a wide array of courses. Creative writing courses are fine but you may not know now what genres you will end up writing in so take some sciences (for help with SF and for worldbuilding in F --- a nice enviironmental studies course could help you understand the parameters of your imaginary ecosystems). Take some English classes to help you understand the art and craft behind a great text. Take some psychology classes and some in Religious Studies. Take some hiistory, and not just for historical fiction. History is about storytelling and it is about truth, and both are crucial elements of great fiction (can you tell I was a history major?). You can major in anything yoou like.

And one final, more practical tip. If I were in high school and I knew I wanted to work in publishing some day, whether as an editor or an agent, I would definitely apply to colleges in New York City. The best foot in the door to these careers seems to be an unpaid internship at some point, and this will be far, far easier both logistically and financialy to arrange if you are on site.

I hope someone in the business will chime in with some more specific answers. Good luck!

Major

Journalism, English Lit, and creative writing programs can all lead to a career in publishing. The trick is to do your best to work on the college newspaper, college literary journals, etc.

I studied English and Philosophy at college, in a bid to make myself the least employable person in the British Isles. Despite this obvious handicap, I managed to get a temp job as an editorial assistant, which is the usual entry-level editorial job. There were quite a few English graduates in the department, but also Politics, French, Art and Japanese 'majors', and in one memorable case, a guy with an MA in Theology who then went on to do a stint in the Army. The main things employers are looking for are organizational skills, attention to detail, and a good knowledge of the uses and abuses of the English language; a degree (of whatever sort) will help convince them that you have some stickability, too. (I don't know anybody who got in to publishing on the back of a creative writing course, but I'm sure they must exist.)

It's certain that you'll have the best chance at a job in your nearest metropolis, I'm afraid...

You don't have to study English or creative writing, but a strong foundation in language and how to use it will be invaluable. If you're interested in becoming an editor, a broad educational background can help. Keep in mind that nonfiction/reference works also need editors, and in such instances, a specialized background can help, such as in history, U.S. politics, or science. If you have a degree in any area and the ability to command the language, you can leverage that into opportunity.

New York City is a publishing center, but there are also publishers elsewhere in the country, such as in Boston, Washington, DC, and San Francisco and many universities maintain their own presses. All, I'm sure, love interns.

Careers in publishing can include editors, agents, IT specialists (SGML, XML), marketing and sales people, and product managers. Technology is a good tool to have on your resume regardless of the position you're aiming for.

And finally, hone your attention to detail!

Editor

Quite possibly the best way to get a good job as an editor is to first become a successful writer. Successful writers seldom begin life as editorial assistants or interns, but as full-blown editors.

Whatever you major in ....

Make sure you are getting a degree that will allow you to support yourself. You might change your mind, your life may will take unexpected turns... or you might find out you love editing & prefer it to writing. You just never know.

Books have actually been written by people that are just long-winded complaints about, "I majored in Poverty, had six children, and now I am on welfare as a college graduate!" Get a clue! (not you, them!)

At other points in history people could be educated for the sake of education. If your last name is Hilton or Rockefeller or Kennedy, this may still be true. Unless you are independently wealthy, however, a college degree is a TOOL, a tool for future employment. Number one, it proves you can be trained & will stick with it. Number two, it prepares you nominally for a career.

And before you go believing people who say, "oh, this degree can provide a path for many careers!" there is something you should know. Your first step to getting any job will be a lackey assistant in the HR department. Or worse, an online computer-program that will sort your application by key words on your resume. Unless you have a strong social network to get your foot in the door, your degree must have the proper wording on it for you to get that job.

An example? My hubby got into a business by unusual means, and does not have the typical degree. However, he has several years' experience & is soaring in his job. Even with his dad working for a particular company he wanted to get on with (before he found his current one, which is better), he could NOT get his resume past the HR department. Even with personal contacts, nepotism, and industry experience working in his favor. About twice a month that company's automated system still sends him results for current job openings he would be suited for -- jobs that are several pay grades below what he currently does.

One of my cousins has a Aerospace Engineering degree -- arguably one of the most difficult degrees to get. Any engineer will tell you that he is well suited for anything a Mechanical Engineer (a more broad degree) could do. But he is making about half of what my husband makes, because HR departments see that A.E. degree on his resume & think, "well we aren't Boeing, what would we do with HIM?" It is only because my husband has insanely good luck that we aren't in the same position.

Decide what you want to do -- and find jobs (temp agencies are a great place to start) in that related field so that you can have a better idea if it is a good fit for you. Start broad your freshman year so that if you change your mind those credits won't be lost. And when you finally know 'for sure' (at least as sure as any college student can be), get the degree that will put you in line for that job!

And good luck --



wee

PS -- I have a degree in English. My diploma is in a plastic tub somewhere. Luckily I'm a SAHM & haven't needed it, because the career path I had chosen wouldn't work for me now. I'd probably have to go to law school to be able to support my kids if I needed to now.

Wee,
I completely disagree with what you've just written. i have an English degree, and a graduate degree in same. I've been able to work in publishing most of my life, and I've done okay. I'm not rich, but I've made a pretty good living, and I've enjoyed it (for the most part) the entire time. English degrees are very flexible in the workplace and it isn't going to hurt you to have one. I'm sorry that your family's experience has been different, but I don't think you can make such blanket declarations about particular degrees.

Provrb, what state do you live in?

If you can, go to the local JC and get all the breadth classes out of the way. Experiment with some fun classes, too, and see what you like. You may still end up as an English major, but by going to the local college for the first couple of years you won't break the bank like you will in NYC.

When you transfer to the other college, your diploma will have the right 'pedigree' for success.