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.

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.