Work experience and qualifications
It can be useful to get some work experience before you apply
for a job. It doesn't necessarily have to be in publishing -
related work can be extremely valuable eg bookselling, book
festivals, copywriting, events and general office
administration.
In addition to work experience, you may also want to consider a
publishing qualification or participating in training courses.
Publishing Scotland runs short courses in areas such as
proofreading, design and marketing: all of our courses are listed
on our training
pages.
University degrees
Traditionally entrants to publishing have been educated to
degree level and many of them now have publishing degrees or
post-graduate qualifications. Edinburgh Napier University and the
University of Stirling offer publishing courses in Scotland:
EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY
MSc in Publishing (programmes of study)
UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING
MLitt in
Publishing Studies
MRes in
Publishing Studies
But a degree is not always necessary
Increasingly when they are recruiting, publishers are not asking
for a degree or other higher education qualification in an attempt
to create a workforce that better represents the demography of the
UK.
And indeed many jobs in publishing involve skills and knowledge
not covered by a university course. Consider whether you have
relevant skills and the desire and flexibility to learn and don't
be put off applying.
Some big companies in London run training schemes that are open
to all and encourage applications from those without degrees or who
are under-represented in the industry. See eg Hachette, HarperCollins and Penguin Random House.
Some publishers in the south of England are also taking on
publishing apprenticeships. This new scheme (delivered by LDN Apprenticeships) started in September
2019.
Diversity in publishing
The publishing industry is not diverse enough yet and while
there have been some initiatives, much requires to be done. See
eg