How can I get experience in the publication field?

Hello! There are several important steps and things to keep in mind if you want to become a book editor (but are geographically limited). Many companies are switching to using freelance or in-house editors, so you could look for positions on websites like LinkedIn and job sites that allow you to work remotely. Having a LinkedIn profile that highlights your passion for editing will help recruiters find you even as you are looking for them. Depending on where you are in your education (high school, considering college, graduating from college), consider what you are most interested in studying or what skills you want develop to be a competitive, unique professional.

Your first job in the field might not be actually editing. Be open to any position that will get you in the door and help you learn about the industry. Even being an administrative assistant will help you learn names, faces, and how everyone interacts. These are important things to know!

Here are a couple articles that might be helpful:

• https://thesyp.org.uk/how-do-i-get-a-job-in-publishing/
• https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/feb/15/by-the-book-six-ways-to-break-into-publishing

Hi Kimberly,

I've been a book editor for 9 years, and I was in a similar position to you when I was in high school. I signed up for anything writing related. It's great that you're pursuing some work for a blog, but I would also consider a school newspaper or volunteer opportunities.

Book editors generally have college degrees, so if moving away for college is an option for you, I strongly urge you to do so. New York City is hands down the best place to go for this, as that's where almost all of book publishing happens. There's a very healthy magazine and newspaper publishing presence here as well. If it's possible for you to work your way into an internship in the Big Apple, you absolutely should do that. It's very difficult to land a book publishing job otherwise, if that's what interests you, and other types of publishers like to see a New York City gig as well.

Many universities have publishing programs; expensive ones include NYU, Columbia, and Yale. However, don't be dismayed; Hofstra University in Long Island has an excellent one, and they're close enough to New York City that you can still gain valuable internship experience while you study. And if none of these options are possible for you, do not despair; many of my colleagues entered the field through other colleges, studying English, marketing, and other valuable disciplines. It means you might have to work a little harder to get noticed, but it can be done.

If you are at a school that has a writing center or have the option of studying somewhere that does, the best piece of advice I can give you is to get a job there. Not only will you be paid for such work, you will really stand out when you're looking for internships. A writing center is a phenomenal place to learn how to work with writers. If you can't work in a writing center, look for volunteer work that's similar. I volunteered with a local homeless shelter and another domestic violence shelter to help the people there write resumes and cover letters. If there is a cause of this nature that is important to you, bring your greatest skills to the table to make a difference. Every little bit counts.

The final thing you can do--and possibly the easiest--is to spearhead your own work. Do you know how to use WordPress? If not, are you willing to learn? The world has really changed, most especially in publishing. If you want a future in this industry, you have to show that you are willing to change with it. Many publishers really value these technical skills.

But don't stop there: use your WordPress site to write and showcase your work. Use Medium to do the same thing. Write about anything. Showcase anything you do--create links to your work from other sources; if you do end up working on that blog, that's a great example of something that should go on your personal page. Build a strong portfolio of the work you can be proud of to demonstrate how motivated and talented you are, and you will definitely catch someone's eye.

And finally, don't be afraid to build a network! I'm personally always happy to give advice or lend a hand where it's needed. The fact that you've already reached out to this community is an excellent start.

Hi, Kimberly - My answer is based on my five years of experience as a freelance writer and editor. Being freelance means I don't work for a company. I work with lots of different individual clients. While I have never been a full-time book editor, I have helped some of my clients edit their books.

If you want to become an editor, the most important thing to do now is simply to read a lot and write a lot yourself. Put a lot of energy into your English classes. Get involved in an extracurricular activities (like student publications) that give you opportunities to write or edit. If you have friends who write Wattpad stories, volunteer to edit their stories for them.

I'm betting there are more publications businesses in your area than you realize. For example, is there an academic press? Is there a business that helps self-published authors? These could be great places to intern. You would probably not be editing as part of these internships. But you will learn about an editor's job and form professional relationships with people who can open doors to future opportunities.

Kimberly,

Develop good technical skills: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, web coding - you can find classes online or in your community. Writing/editing skills, software skills, and a can-do attitude will improve your chances at finding work in publishing.

Use some of the online tools available to create a publication - zine, blog, website, book. Share your work in an online portfolio. Find work that inspires you online or in your community. Reach out to those people and organizations that inspire you. It takes time. You'll be ignored. Don't lose hope. Work is out there.

Here's a link to the 6-week Columbia Publishing Workshop: https://journalism.columbia.edu/columbia-publishing-course. This type of training gives you skills but also provides contacts within the industry. Networking and building relationships will help you move forward in the industry.

Hi, Kimberly,

I've been a book editor for twenty years. If you want to work as an editor for a book publishing company, you will need to live near one. While most publishers are in New York City or Nashville, there are book publishers all over the country. Many of them are looking for interns. I recommend you search for any book publishers in your area.

If you ever are ready to move, I recommend you look at a book publishing program, such as Denver Publishing Institute or Columbia's Publishing Course. They will give you a leg up on the competition. Whether you want an in-house editor position or if you want to try to get freelance editing jobs, you will need to be familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style. It's a hefty style manual available for an annual subscription or in a print edition. This is the bible of book publishing.

Hope this helps.

Hi there!

So the first thing -- love books!! I served as an editor for a small publishing company for years, and while it's a lot of reading at work, I would still come home and dive into novels. It also helps to know what is popular with readers right now, not just to follow the trend, but to see where things could go. Be passionate about what you want to do, and also cognizant of what others are doing around you.

My path to becoming a book editor was unconventional. I have a Bachelor's degree in Literature (okay, that part's straightforward, haha) but I've held jobs in a lot of different industries. For example, my first job out of college was as a purchasing assistant for a cheese importer. Was it my dream job? No (also you smell like cheese every day so there's that too). But it all helps for experience. I learned office tasks and how to put together newsletters. That lead me to a job as a reporter and analyst for a food trade magazine. Then I was in sales and did coding before I found a job as an assistant editor. Each job will help you and teach you in ways you don't expect, and can be amazing experience for jobs down the road.

As the previous comment states, your first job in publishing will probably not be editing. But again, that's okay! Keep your chin up! It'll be something to get your foot in the door. Plus, even if your first position is fact checking or as an office assistant, when the time comes for an assistant or associate editor to be hired, they'll be more likely to consider you if you've worked there and understand how the company works. This happened all the time at the publisher where I worked.

You mentioned not having any publishing houses nearby. Would you be able to commute or relocate? I know when I was an editor, it was imperative to be in the office. I had to not only read manuscripts, but test out recipes (we published mostly cookbooks), maintain author relationships, help with design/layout, liaison with copy editors, proofreaders and indexers, assist in marketing, write back cover copy, tip sheets and other sales material... There's definitely more to the position than just editing, and it's not something a lot of employers would hire a freelance position for, especially without prior experience.

Based on the advice others have given me, you might need to move to a city where publishing jobs are concentrated, such as New York City. Be aware that even entry level editorial assistant positions may require several years worth of experience. If you want to build up experience on your resume beforehand, you can also look for remote internship opportunities on sites such as Bookjobs.com. Make sure to research these remote companies and find out whether or not their postings are scams. As for networking, try finding any employees at your company of choice who could refer you and see if you have any mutual connections. Once they accept your invitation, then you could ask them for referrals.

Howdy,

I'm also in the same boat, I'm from a small town, and an even smaller state! One thing most towns have, is a newspaper, of some sort. You could totally try and contact the individuals running the paper and see if they need any volunteer/interning. I mean, why not! You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

As for myself, I decided to take a more passive route and studied the style manuals. I'd recommend learning a bit about the Chicago Manual of Style while you're still young! It's laughably expensive, but I'm sure your local library has its' contents online, or even better, a physical copy on the shelves marinated in dust.

Having the culture of reading and writing book

This is great! Hopefully you have Internet access...a good place to start is to compose a portfolio of your editing. Most companies will ask for samples of your work. Then choose either where you want to work, or search for remote work (from home). It might be helpful to narrow down what you’d like to edit, as far as your search goes. Best wishes and Good luck!

You can do an online internship, or fellowship remotely if there are none in your town.

You can also look for "gig" economy work -- but it's often not as satisfying or advisory.

I sometimes offer editorial and writing, internships for my film blog and my poetry/fiction anthology (paid if the budget for the year allows) to people of all race, creeds, colors and orientations.

Hi Kimberly!

I've been publishing Thethinkclub Quarterly www.TheThinkClub.com since 1995. I also edited and published five books under the banner of Thethinkclub Publication. The best way to start for you will be to seek a position either as an intern or a volunteer with a publishing house. You may also approach local newspapers and magazines for a similar position. The idea is to get a feel and bag some credential for yourself.

Best of luck to you in all your endeavors!

Sincerely,

Anil Shrivastava