Publisher - As a career option

Introduction

From the time our parents pick up our first alphabet book, to the time when we become mature enough to develop and collect art and information of our interest...literature, music, and information weave itself into the very fabric of life.

Whether your books get you through a class with good grades, or a good night’s sleep, or some information; books are invariably a part of human life. Bringing these instruments of knowledge and light to us, in sweet paperback and hardbound covers are Publishers.

Do Publisher just publish books?

Publishing refers to the broadcasting of literature, music or information without any direct comment from the audience. A publisher may be author/owner himself or maybe the owner of a publishing house under another imprint.

Types & Sub-Types of Publishing

• Literature
• Music
• Photo
• Information

Any sort of documented work fits to be published by a publisher. The whole story revolves around the content and quality of content of the documentation.

The work of a publisher is to aid artists, authors, and writers in terms of copyright issues and of course, help them receive recognition. Publishers also safeguard artists and writers from plagiarism that runs rampant in the art industry.

From the point of view of publishing, there are two kinds of authors

1. Paid Authors - writers that are paid to write or document on a certain subject matter to be printed
2. Unpaid Authors - writers that are still looking for a big break

Set of attributes required for Publishing

• The keen eye for grammar.
• Ability to rewrite and edit.
• Command over respective languages of publication.
• Command on copyright laws.

Eligibility criteria to become a Publisher

• +2: Students from either stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) are eligible.
• Bachelor’s Degree: Bachelors’ in English, Hindi, Urdu / Bachelor in Arts
• Master’s Degree: Masters in English, Hindi, Urdu, etc. / Masters in Arts

Publishing houses deal with a lot of content editing on a daily basis and therefore require people with impeccable abilities of language and grammar.

A standard print publishing house comprises of editors, copywriters, proofreaders, etc. who turn documentation into publications, which is then sent for printing. In the case of music, the format runs pretty much the same with just a sole change of medium; a music publishing organization will have sound editors, sound techs, etc.

This is how the importance of the published date of a book or song is more valuable than its date of completion.

A student aspiring to work at a publishing house could apply for a ‘Bachelors’ or a graduate level course in the language of his/her interest. Here, students are taught the art of writing and editing. From flyers to thesis and from information to fiction, there’s a style of writing everything.

Esteemed colleges offering graduation and post-graduation degrees in language

• St. Stephen’s College (SSC), University of Delhi (DU), New Delhi
• Hindu College (HU), University of Delhi (DU), New Delhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
• Jadavpur University (JU), Kolkata

A day in the life of a Publisher

Hello, I’m a publisher. A publisher’s job is to broadcast and highlight the works of writers. Publishing houses vary in their infrastructures and popularity. My job at the publishing house is that the Operation’s Manager in a print publishing with a moderate radius of distribution.

My job comprises the smooth running from when a book is first considered for publishing till it is published. We are a private publishing house and we cater to a variety of clients like:

• MNCs
• Small Business Owners
• Writers
• Academicians

Let’s get you up-close and personal to a day in my life:

7:00 AM: Wake-up time. Time to reboot and rise.

8:00 AM: Let’s see what the newspaper has to say. After 15 minutes of sifting through the pages, I’m now ready for what the day has to bring.

8:30 AM: I receive a mail from one of our clients. Now, this client is a professional writer and we are publishing his next novel. The launch is just a month away and our marketing team thinks that we haven’t really reached out to the sort of audience through our promotions. This needs a fix.

10:00 AM: I reach the office and call for a meeting with the marketing department. The team is already with the data and statistics. So, the proposed idea is to start a social media campaign to reach out to more people with the book’s upcoming release. This seems like a good idea and we’re good to go with it.

11:00 AM: We’re also working on a brochure for a private company (a great MNC with good budgets) that’s hosting some foreign clients. The job is to convey something very technical in the most artistic way possible. This also requires a lot of research since our writers may not be very well-versed with the technicalities of the operations and functions of the MNC. Meanwhile, I ask for some coffee.

2:00 PM: It’s post-lunchtime and I’m expecting to see an official from Flipkart. Apparently, our sales of a publication from last week is reportedly higher through them. This could be a nice opportunity to build grounds for long-term relations regarding our upcoming releases next month.

4:00 PM: We’re halfway through with the brochure work. It took some time to curtail the extra chunks for the sort of minimalistic advertising our MNC clients are looking for. Often clients come with a specific or definite demand for content. There is a great deal of learning in this profession. Often, research works for one particular project brings a copywriter closer to many pieces of general information.

6:00 PM: I’m now going through the final draft of a poetry collection by a writer/poet of contemporary literature. This is another way in which publishing becomes a rewarding profession. Publishers are the first people to set eyes and go through works that could become masterpieces of the future.

8:00 PM: I’m on my way home. Although some work remains pending that can wait. I’m starved for some jazz and scotch.

8:30 PM: Things are not always as rosy as they seem. I get a call from the office that a certain textbook we have finalized for publishing has five misprints, also the outlay of the book are out of line for most parts.

Fortunately, I have a team that could take care of this but the printing has to meet its deadline, plus I like being around ensuring order in the office. You-turn and en route to the office.

11:00 PM: We’ve taken care of the misprints. The outlay would take at least half an hour more. My editor-in-chief will be around until then and text me when the draft is ready.

12:30 PM: Kept beside my scotch glass, the cell phone beeps with a confirmation of order. The draft is ready and rid of all errors. My work desk at home is neatly stacked and I’m comfortably numb. Seems like a good way to turn in for the night.

This is how a typical day in my life looks like. Do you want to become like me? We hope this article has added something valuable to your research about this profession. Have your say in the comment box below. Enjoy reading!