Digital marketing, blogs, social media, podcasts and audio books are a few examples of new growth opportunities in the industry thanks to the digital age, says Monica Kandhari
The publishing industry offers multiple career options in the various aspects of the industry. like any other industry, a job in the publishing industry involves a fair amount of competition and grunt work and requires bright go-getters who are not afraid of hard work.
Work in the publishing industry is fast-paced and often requires the ability to manage expectations from various stakeholders like editors, authors, and publicists with ease and efficiency. There is much more to working in the industry than being an editor. There are different roles in the industry that calls for varying skill sets.
Aligning with personal interest and strengths plays a critical role in gaining job satisfaction and hence in building a successful career. An editor, for instance, is in the business of finding budding talents, editing and molding a written work into the final product that is ready for the shelves. Similarly, illustrators are responsible for designing accompany graphics and illustrations were required to make the final product informative as well as well designed to attract readers.
The role of marketers and distributors is to highlight the salient points of the published work and publicity of the work to gain maximum traction in sales.
While publishing has been traditionally associated with printed books and materials, the advent of the digital era meant that a lot is happening in the digital realm. From e-books to self-publishing over the Internet, there has been a continuous onslaught on the publishing industry. While sceptics have been proved wrong regarding the impending demise of the industry, the digital era has presented the industry with new avenues for growth opportunities.
Digital marketing, blogs, social media, podcasts and audio books are some examples of the new growth opportunities for the industry courtesy of the digital age.
Digitalisation and the increasing penetration of the Internet have had a significant impact on the publishing industry. The entire value chain of the industry right from how books are published, distributed, sold and eventually consumed by the readers have undergone massive changes. Self-publishing, on-demand printing and e-books, are some of the mainstays of the industry today. A positive development out of all these is that producing creative contents has become far easier with minimal cost and digitally distributing contents is cheap and reaches a wider audience as well.
A successful career in the industry requires a critical bent of mind, one that is analytical and passion for the job that borders on obsessive compulsion. Entry into the publishing industry is often through an internship or an assistant role, and with hard work and experience, one can expect to move into one of the more challenging roles to build a successful career.
The industry is one that is known for its long hours, crazy deadlines and variable job functions. From writing a pitch mail, Press releases, putting together a media list, media pitching, follow-ups, coordinating with authors to draw up a publicity plan, scheduling interviews and media appearance.
The work description also involves planning and implementation of marketing campaigns, writing blogs and managing social media channels. The job promises to be a challenging as well as satisfying experience for anyone willing to face the hard work.