If there’s one thing we at Bookstr know intimately — other than books, of course — it’s that breaking into the publishing industry is easier said than done. Jobs in media are notoriously low-paying and difficult to come by, but much about the current publishing landscape makes it particularly tricky to navigate. Here are a few of the challenges we’ve encountered while chasing our dreams.
Location Is Everything
The two nexuses of English-language publishing are New York in the US and London in the UK. Other smaller hubs for publishing include Chicago and Toronto. For those of us who live in areas where the publishing industry is less established, finding work that aligns with our interests and career goals can feel impossible. I live in Silicon Valley (also known as the San Francisco Bay Area), the tech capital of the US. There aren’t a lot of publishers out here, so job options for writers and editors are largely limited to academia, technical writing, or marketing copywriting. (Or worse: training LLMs.)
During the pandemic, many publishers and literary agencies made their internship programs entirely remote. This not only allowed them to continue taking on interns while complying with social distancing protocols, but also removed the barriers of travel and location, enabling more applicants from outside of New York to participate. While some publishing internships are still remote, publishers and agencies have largely transitioned back to in-person work. Those who advertise themselves as “hybrid” tend to either require some degree of in-office work or favor candidates who can work onsite.
This emphasis on in-person work renders publishing inaccessible to a number of otherwise perfectly qualified candidates. Some, like me, are unwilling or unable to relocate. Others might have difficulty with in-office work for a number of reasons, such as having a disability or a lack of childcare.
Publishing Doesn’t Pay
The unfortunate reality of a lot of creative fields is that they’re not very profitable. Internships tend to either pay stipends, small hourly wages, or nothing at all. Gaining enough experience for an entry-level publishing position often means putting in lots of time and labor for little to no pay. This system overwhelmingly favors people who can afford to focus on investing in their career without having to worry about paying rent, student loans, or other bills.
Even once you’ve entered the industry, salaries tend to barely cover the cost of living. New York and London are competitive housing markets and highly expensive. Penguin Random House only recently raised its entry-level salary to $51,000, the highest pay that any of the Big Five publishers offers — and it’s still not enough for a single person. Even as you move through the ranks, those figures barely increase: editors make anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000, just over $30 an hour. All this assumes you can find affordable housing, something many big cities have struggled to provide amid high demand. The long hours and heavy workload associated with publishing also limit opportunities and bandwidth for other jobs, even if they may provide much-needed supplemental income.
Intense Competition
With limited slots available for internships, competition is fierce. Editorial internships and positions are the most well-known in the industry and, as such, the hardest to break into. People dead-set on a publishing career are encouraged to explore alternative avenues into the industry, in departments like sales, contracts, subrights, and inventory — less glamorous, but no less important. If you’re anything like me, though, and you have a specific type of work you enjoy doing, you might feel discouraged.
This scarcity isn’t unique to internships. Over the past three decades, employment in publishing has declined in the US from nearly 100,000 to just over 50,000 — a 40% decrease. Publishers have been increasingly downsizing and outsourcing certain stages in the production process to save money. Smaller publishers may have more available openings, but they lack the resources of larger publishers and therefore will probably have lower wages and fewer benefits. And if they’re a nonprofit, they’ve likely lost quite a bit of funding due to recent government cuts.
It becomes imperative, then, to both craft an application that stands out and to apply widely across various companies and positions in order to maximize your chances. Some applicants are eventually accepted to a position after multiple application rounds. Others can go years without making it past the interview stage.
The unfortunate consequence of constant rejection (and this isn’t a problem unique to publishing) is that you start to wonder what you’re doing wrong. You scroll LinkedIn and compare yourself to your more successful counterparts. Do they work harder than you? Are they more qualified than you? Do they have a stronger skillset? Or are they better at interviews?
Qualifications and Experience
Across many industries, entry-level jobs are becoming increasingly difficult to apply for. They require years of experience that many of us just don’t have — hence, of course, why we’re applying in the first place. Limited internship opportunities mean many of us either have to get creative in developing our skillsets and experience or abandon our pursuits entirely for a more practical career. College can be a great place to build experience through coursework and campus publications, but not every college has these programs — and not everyone can afford to attend the schools that do.
Companies often encourage candidates to apply even if they don’t fit all of the qualifications, but certain aspects of your resume can still provide advantages or disadvantages. Recruiters and hiring managers tend to look unfavorably on employment gaps. Some internships only accept currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, or have a cutoff date for recent graduates. (Typically, this allows them to compensate their interns with college credit rather than actual wages.)
Applicants often have to tailor their resumes and cover letters to the specific position they want, which can be both time-consuming and mentally exhausting. In some cases, recruiters will dismiss resumes that demonstrate publishing experience if they’re not in the position being applied for. Prospective candidates for a marketing job might be advised not to include their editorial experience in order to dissuade them from transferring to an editorial position after being hired.
Scams and Ghost Listings
Not every job posting out there is legitimate. Some companies are required to post listings for positions even when there are no vacancies or when they have a candidate already lined up to fill them. Other companies just feel sketchy — like that one self-publishing company whose client testimonials consist entirely of recently deceased authors. (Really gives a whole new meaning to the word “ghostwriter.”)
When you only have so much time and energy to allocate toward job applications, the last thing you want is to feel exploited or like you’ve wasted your time. The lack of opportunities available in creative industries and the lack of respect for creative labor make us easier targets for scams.
If there’s one positive thing I can say amid all this ongoing frustration, though, it’s that Bookstr has provided many of us with a supportive environment where we can grow and build our skills. We have a remote team comprising people from a variety of ages, circumstances, and geographic locations, and we’ve not only bonded over our shared love of books, but we’ve also learned a lot from each other along the way. If you’re like us, looking for a place to get your feet wet before diving into the vast and treacherous ocean that is the publishing world, follow us on LinkedIn for updates on job openings. Or stop by our Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky to share your feelings.
Remember: it may be rough out there, but you’re not alone. You’ve got this — and we’ve got you.
Click here to read our article about Literary Agents of Change and their efforts to support BIPOC writers and publishing professionals.
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