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Publishing is a popular career choice for graduates, yet many find it ferociously tough to break into. “It seems impenetrable to people who don’t understand the routes in,” says Des O’Rourke, Course Director for the MA Publishing at London College of Communication. Nor do people fully understand the variety of roles available within the publishing industry.

 

However, you can give yourself an edge by studying a postgraduate course in Publishing. Studying an MA in publishing will give you the opportunity to gain experience on a placement whilst gaining in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the publishing industry then consider studying a postgraduate publishing course as this will not only develop your skills and understanding, but will allow a faster rate of career progression.

The publishing industry is the second largest of all the creative industries internationally. Walk into any of the large bookstores and you will see thousands of books and magazines. Add to that the huge explosion in digital publishing and you begin to realise how big the industry really is.

“The publishing industry is more large and diverse that you could possibly imagine. It’s not just concerned with the popular magazines, newspapers and books,” says O’Rourke.

Behind the well-known magazines like Hello and Vogue, or the famous brand names like Penguin and Random House, are hundreds of thousands of specialist consumer and business-to-business magazines, professional journals and education textbooks that represent the backbone of the industry – many of them booming “cash cows”. Did you know that New Scientist has a massive circulation of over one million, or that there are over 100 publications concerned with legal affairs, or that there are around 20 magazines aimed at fishing enthusiasts? Whilst working on publications with titles such as Flyfisher’s Journal, Patent World, Chiropody Review or Hydraulics and Pneumatics may not have the same appeal as Glamour or Mojo, those kind of publications are where many editors, journalists and publishers have cut their teeth and launched successful careers.

What publishing roles can I do?

As well as the editorial and production side, there are specialists dealing with intellectual property rights, design, IT, events, distribution, sales and marketing. You could find yourself dealing with author interviews for the media, or handling arrangements for an exhibition stand the Frankfurt Book Fair. Alternatively, you might be arranging negotiating worldwide rights for a new novel, or handling the advertising for a national magazine.