A quick introduction…
The publishing industry is a diverse and exciting sector, which is largely due to the number of roles that are involved in producing books. I sometimes, however, feel that all some these positions in publishing are overlooked or overshadowed – there are a lot more jobs than people might expect. To help people who might be considering publishing as a career, or, for people like me, want to understand more about the different roles that go into publishing books, I thought I’d start a new feature on my blog called Pursuing Publishing. This series is not only about how different people managed to launch themselves into a competitive sector, but I want to shed light on the different jobs that are out there. In these posts, I’ll feature one division (e.g. publicity) and ask an insider on what a day in the life might look like and what their role entails. I want to not only learn more about these roles, but I hope to show other people just how diverse this industry is and to be open-minded about this sector.
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To kick-start this series, I thought we’d begin with probably the most competitive division of publishing: editorial. I’ve asked Phoebe Morgan, Editorial Director at Harper Collins and author, a few questions about being an editor and her experience in the industry, both as an editor and author.
Starting simple – what does an average day in your job look like?
It really varies! I will spend a lot of it answering emails from authors, agents and my team, but there will also be meetings – where we might be discussing book covers, sales figures, marketing and publicity plans or new editorial submissions. Most of my actual reading is done outside working hours, though sometimes I can get my head down and do a bit of editing during the week as well.
Can you explain your publishing journey and how you got to where you are now?
I began my publishing career at Octopus Books (Hachette) as a publishing assistant, working on children’s non-fiction books. I then moved into adult non-fiction at the same company, before moving to HarperCollins to be a fiction editor. I stayed at Harper for 3.5 years before covering a maternity role at Orion last year. I then moved back to a new role at HarperCollins, working across the Fiction Crime and Thriller team and the Avon team.
What is your favourite thing about your role?
I love working with my team! I am quite a collaborative person and I love the energy and enthusiasm other people bring to the office, and the way we all work together to get our books into readers’ hands and support our authors.
And what’s your least favourite thing?
Having to have tricky conversations – sometimes, despite all the best efforts a book doesn’t perform in the way that we hoped and we then need to chat this through with the author and the agent. It can be hard when authors are disappointed – but thankfully this doesn’t happen very often!
What are the main skills you need in order to work in editorial?
An ability to read a lot, an attention to detail, and a creative, entrepreneurial streak – we are often acting as champions for our books both internally and externally and you need to have a business mindset at times. You need to be passionate about books, about finding new talent, and able to articulate your thoughts effectively and clearly.
What advice would you give yourself/to someone looking to start their editorial career?
Don’t be too specific about what you apply for! Look at roles in other departments – PR, Sales, Rights – as lots of people move into editorial once they have got a foot in the door and it’s always great to gain experience in another division too. Also don’t be too specific about which genre you want to work in to begin with – you can move into your preferred genre further down the line if needs be, but it’s good to be open-minded at the start of your career, when there is a lot of competition for editorial roles.
What would you personally look for in an Editorial Assistant?
Someone who goes the extra mile and is brilliant at using their initiative. I’d also look for someone who would be comfortable liaising with authors if needs be, as publishing is quite a sociable business and often we need to be out and about so having someone who feels comfortable with that is really helpful. I would also look for market knowledge – someone who has really researched our list and knows which authors we publish – and a good eye for detail. No typos!
You’ve got an interesting perspective as both an editor and an author – do you find that this helps you in way when writing, or when looking at submissions?
I hope so – I think it makes me empathise a lot with my authors as I understand all the anxieties that go into writing a book and trying to get it published.
If you could describe the publishing industry in three words, what would they be?
Warm, creative, gossipy!
Finally, as this is a book review blog – what book are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?
I can’t wait to read the new Louise Candlish, she is a genius! I love her writing.
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I hope this has shed more light on the type of things you’d be doing and the skills you’d need to work in editorial. The next posts will focus on different divisions and their roles, hopefully creating a bigger picture of the publishing industry. If you have any specific divisions, people or questions you want me to ask, then feel free to drop me a message!
Finally, massive thank you to Phoebe for taking the time to answer all these questions, and make sure you check out her details here:
Twitter: @Phoebe_A_Morgan
Phoebe's Website
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