Throughout my time as a publishing student at Edinburgh Napier University I’ve had the pleasure to attend a number of talks and conferences about what it’s like to work in the industry. Listening to publishing professionals has always been very enjoyable and inspiring, and I’ve been made to feel assured that it’s a wonderful creative industry full of kind and interesting people. However, one thing has always been made abundantly clear: it is very difficult to get a job in publishing. The constant discussion of competition for jobs and how much persistence is required to land your first (badly paid) entry-level job in publishing starts to wear you down. No matter how much I love books, or how capable I believe I could be working in publishing, I’m still left with the voice in the back of my head that I might not have enough drive, or enough to make me stand out, to worm my way into the industry. 

A moment that stood out to me was at a talk hosted by the Bloomsbury Institute here in Edinburgh. The talk was a discussion about how to start a career in publishing, with a panel comprised of an editor, a literary agent, and a publishing lecturer from Stirling University. Everyone attending was very young, very attentive, and very hopeful. When we were asked to raise our hands if we were a student almost every hand in the room went up. The discussion was full of insightful advice and friendly encouragement. However, when one of the panelists was asked how she got her first job in editorial, she awkwardly confessed that she had been referred for the job by someone she knew. Clearly, they weren’t overestimating the importance of networking afterall. 

The issue is how are we meant to compete with people who don’t have to network; who already have the contacts necessary to get a job in publishing? The thousands of English Lit Oxbridge graduates whose parents work in creative industries, with a network of handy contacts built up from their careers, their university days and their private educations? 

There’s no shortage of evidence of nepotism in the industry. Research conducted by The Bookseller revealed that publishing professionals frequently witness jobs being offered to connections of employees of the company without being publicly advertised, sometimes even with another member of staff being dismissed just to create an opening. 

Fortunately, my very first experience working in publishing actually defied these expectations I had built up of the industry entirely. For my placement with SmashBear Publishing there was no requirement to submit a CV where I desperately attempted to make my previous experience sound relevant to publishing. In fact there was no selection process whatsoever – anyone who wanted to gain some experience was welcome to do so with SmashBear. 

In an industry where so many people are trying everything they can to get a foot in the door, it was truly refreshing to come across a company that is so generous and inclusive in offering work experience. My hope was restored that there are opportunities out there to get into publishing, and individuals such as Loredana (the CEO of SmashBear) who are committed to breaking down the barriers to entry to the industry.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash