Whether you're at university and thinking about going into books and publishing as a career, or you've already graduated and are ready to get your career started – our guide provides some essential info to help you on your way.
What salary should I expect for an entry-level role in publishing?
Here's a list of the most common entry-level roles at publishing houses, with salary ranges (figures last updated November 2024).
Editorial – salaries for Editorial Assistant positions range from £25,500 to £27,500 for London-based roles, and are around the £25,000 mark outside of London.
Production – salaries for Production Assistant / Junior Production Controller positions range from £27,500 to £28,500 for London-based roles.
Marketing, communications and publicity – salaries for Marketing Assistant / Marcoms Executive / Publicity Assistant / Campaigns Assistant / Communications Assistant positions range from £25,000 to £28,500 in London, and are around the £25,000 mark outside London.
Rights and royalties – salaries for Royalties Assistant / International Rights Assistant roles range from £27,000 to £28,000 for London-based roles.
Design – salaries for Junior Designer / Artworker / Reprint Assistant range from £27,000 to £28,5000 for London-based roles.
And for roles at literary agencies:
Agency Assistant / Literary Agent Assistant – salaries range from £26,000 to £28,000 for London-based roles.
Translation Rights Assistant – salaries range from £26,000 to £27,500 for London-based roles.
Assistant to Literary Rights Agent – salaries up to £30,000 with some experience.
For a more detailed list of roles and salaries at the big publishing houses, independent publishing firms and literary agencies, see our insight article: What does an entry-level role in publishing pay? [Exclusive to Creative Careers Club members]
Salaries tend to be higher for roles based in London compared to other regions. Note that the 2023/24 UK Living Wage as an annual salary is around £23,400 and the London Living Wage is around £25,642.50. More info on the Living Wage.
The Publishers' Association has these guides on different roles in the publishing industry, explaining what each role involves and the career pathways for different specialisms .
Where should I look for entry-level jobs in books and publishing?
We've usually got several entry-level jobs in books and publishing on our jobs board. Other places where you'll find books and publishing jobs advertised include The Bookseller, Bookbrunch, the Publishers' Association and the Independent Publishers' Guild. And the Society of Young Publishers has a members-only job board.
Head to the following links to go directly to the job boards of major UK publishing companies – some of these pages include an option to sign up for job alerts by email:
What kind of skills do I need to get an entry-level job in books and publishing?
Employers will look for evidence of strong skills in areas such as:
organising your work and balancing different tasks and priorities
time management and meeting deadlines
attention to detail and ability to spot mistakes
problem-solving
copywriting
communicating and working with others
numeracy skills (for roles in rights and royalties).
What else will I need to show in my application?
Employers will want to see that you have a genuine interest and enthusiasm for working with books and writers – this is something you'll need to convey from the first stage of the application process.
A September 2024 job ad for an Editorial Associate at Penguin Random House said they wanted candidates to show that they're, "creative, curious and have a genuine interest in serious non-fiction and Penguin Classics" – and specified that the cover letter should give answers to two questions:
1) Tell us about some of your favourite non-fiction writers and what they do best.
2)What are three Penguin Classics you would recommend to anyone and why?
And an October 2024 job ad for an Editorial Assistant working on lifestyle titles at Penguin Random House's non-fiction imprint Ebury, specified that the cover letter should:
Tell us about a lifestyle content creator (in any area such as beauty, fashion, home styling, craft) that you admire, and what makes their content compelling to you (in no more than 250 words).
Creative Access asked an early-career professional at Penguin Random House for her advice on this topic: "She said that since working in the industry she’s realised that no one feels like they’re too important to have a conversation with you, so reach out to professionals in the industry and make connections. Other tips included demonstrating passion through whatever experience you have, whether that be through TikToks or retail experience for a bookseller."
What experience do I need to get an entry-level job in publishing?
Entry-level roles shouldn't require previous experience of working in publishing, and some employers are explicit about experience not being a requirement. A recent job ad for an Editorial Assistant at Penguin Random House put it this way: "You don’t need to have previous publishing experience to be considered: we are looking above all for an inquisitive reader with an interest in serious non-fiction and Penguin Classics."
Still, there's no doubt that some kind of practical experience that's relevant to the kind of role you want to do can be an advantage when you're applying for entry-level jobs. This is what Bloomsbury's guide to starting out in publishing says on the topic: "Relevant work experience is a real asset when applying for any publishing role. Whether you’ve shadowed someone in their role or completed a paid internship or apprenticeship, demonstrating that you have awareness of how the industry works will make you stand out to a potential employer."
While you're at university, or alongside your job search after university, it makes sense to find ways to gain some practical experience through work shadowing or work experience, or a longer internship. And while getting work experience or an internship at one of the big publishing houses may seem a longshot, there are lots of smaller and more niche publishers throughout the UK – so think broadly about where you might be able to find opportunities to gain experience.
Some experience of working in an office can be valuable for demonstrating that you have good organisational, time management and IT skills which will be relevant to most jobs in books and publishing. This might be something you can achieve through part-time work while you're at university, or temporary work after you've graduated and are looking for a publishing job. You can also gain this kind of experience through internships outside of the publishing industry, as many of the skills you gain will be transferable.
Voluntary work can help too – think about volunteering at university literary events such as author talks or book readings, or at local literary festivals. Or you could get involved in reading and literacy volunteering in your local community or online through charities like Bookmark.
How should I prepare for an interview in books and publishing?
Spend time going back over the job description and thinking about how you can show that you have the skills, interests and experience they're looking for. These are things you should have done for your initial application, but it's worth going over it again and thinking of more examples or experiences you can share.
Have you got a good understanding of the role and the more senior roles it connects into? This Penguin Random House guide gives a good explanation of the different editorial roles, from junior up to senior levels.
Spend time researching the company – which writers do they work with, what have they published recently? Take a look at the news or press releases section of their website as well as their social media accounts to get the latest insights. Try to find out about wider news in the industry – follow the socials of other companies in the sector, as well as those for trade titles like The Bookseller.
Think about what you might ask if you were interviewing someone for this role – perhaps you'd want to know which writers they'd most like to work with, or a newly published author they'd recommend to you, or the book they'd recommend to someone who's going on holiday?
Do I need a degree in English to work in publishing?
No, you don't need to have a degree in English. Employers will be most interested in the skills you will bring to the role, and your enthusiasm for working in the industry, rather than what subject you studied.
Not all entry-level jobs in publishing require a degree of any kind – you'll find some job ads specify that you'll need a degree, while other job ads won't include this as a requirement. For example, Penguin Random House removed the requirement for a degree for all of their entry-level jobs in 2016, and you won't need a degree to apply for an entry-level role at Bloomsbury either.
If you're looking to get into a specialist area of publishing, such as science or law, then it can be helpful to have a degree in the relevant area – some job ads will specify this as a requirement.
Bloomsbury and other publishing companies also offer apprenticeships as a route into publishing for people leaving education at 18. You can read about Bloomsbury's apprenticeship scheme here
Do any publishing houses offer graduate training schemes?
We know of two publishing houses that run traineeship schemes for individuals who are from groups that are under-represented in the publishing industry: The Scheme from Penguin Random House and the Hachette Traineeship. Note that you don't need to have a degree to apply to these programmes.
Will a masters degree in publishing help me get a job in the industry?
Completing an MA in publishing will give you knowledge of the publishing industry – but it's not a requirement we're seeing on any entry-level job ads.
Creative Access shares this insight from a panel of publishing professionals from Penguin Random House: "The team acknowledged that doing an MA is publishing is expensive and emphasised that it’s not important for them when looking at a CV; they want to see that you’re hands-on [and] take initiative." They were talking about working in publishing rights in particular, but the same principle can be applied more broadly to entry-level roles at Penguin Random House.
The Society of Young Publishers says: "An MA or PHD doesn’t guarantee you any extra chances of employment or extra salary; it is a personal choice whether you wish to continue your education. The same advice applies to studying for an MA in book publishing. Although these are becoming more popular, they do not guarantee you an entry level job within the industry or any extra salary."
And the same view is endorsed by the Bookcareers.com site, which says: "[studying for an MA] is a personal choice. Whilst there is no doubt that the university courses running MAs in publishing have lots of success in their postgraduates finding gainful employment in publishing there is no guarantee that you will find a job or have a more successful career than somebody without an MA. Statistics from the bookcareers.com salary survey also seem to suggest that those with an MA in publishing are on similar salaries as those without."
Are there any organisations, events or mentoring schemes that could help me start a career in books and publishing?
Attending books and publishing events is a great way to build knowledge and start developing a network that could help you in your future career.
Publishing events: The Society of Young Publishers (SYP) has a list of events around the country, including the annual London Career Speed Dating at Hachette.
Literary events: Book blogger Tales from Absurdia has collated an extensive list of UK literary events here.
Professional associations: You might also want to join the SYP – membership starts at £18 a year – so you can read their magazine and access their members-only jobs board. There may also be opportunities to get involved in running the organisation as an SYP volunteer.
Mentoring: The SYP runs the Spare Zoom project, which links up people who want to get into publishing with experienced professionals, for a 30 minute online chat where you can ask questions and get advice on starting your career in publishing. For longer-term support, there's the SYP mentorship scheme, which is open to people who have yet to secure their first permanent role in the publishing industry and to people who are already working in the industry and are looking for support to take the next step in their career.
Peer support: Have a look at the Publishing Hopefuls group on Facebook, which is exclusively for people trying to get their publishing career started. The group sometimes runs networking events with industry professionals too.
Is there any online learning or training I could do which will help me get into books and publishing?
Penguin's guide to getting into publishing (written from a USA perspective) recommends reading this list of 100 Common Publishing Terms to familiarise yourself with publishing jargon.
Bloomsbury's Starting Life in Publishing guide recommends Get into Book Publishing courses, which provide an introduction to publishing in general, as well as sessions on particular areas such as editorial, production and marketing. Fees for the courses range from £80 to £295, so it's not a cheap option – but they do also offer free places on their courses, so you can get in touch with them to find out if this could be an option for you.
Are you from a group that's under-represented in the publishing industry?
Some employers are taking active steps to increase diversity and representation in the books and publishing industry. Penguin Random House runs 6 month traineeships through The Scheme, with a salary of £25,500 pro rata. These traineeships are open to people from a lower socio-economic background.
Hachette's Traineeships run for a year and are open to individuals from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Do you need financial help to get your career in books and publishing started?
If you're trying to get your first job or internship in the books and publishing industry, the Book Trade Charity may be able to help you by funding career development sessions and helping with the cost of travel to interviews. They may also be able to provide help with relocation costs when you've secured a role. The charity supports young entrants into the book trade from all backgrounds, and recognise the additional barriers faced by under-represented groups.
The Society of Young Publishers runs the Spare Room Project, which helps people from outside London enter the industry by arranging free temporary accommodation for attending job interviews and short term internships. Spare Room hosts are all professionals who already work in the books and publishing trade.