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Publishing

Research careers and find opportunities in publishing

About publishing

Many of the large publishing houses are based in London, however there is a growing trend for independent publishers to set up outside the capital.

According to a 2021 report by the Publishing Association, there are 29,000 people employed in the UK publishing industry.

A career in publishing could involve working in a variety of areas such as design, production, contracts or publicity as well as editorial.


Roles, skills and salaries

There are a range of roles available that can suit people with a variety of skills and interests. There are roles in editing and commissioning as well as book production.

Job profiles

Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them.

These are some of the job profiles available:

Many other non-editorial/commissioning roles also exist within the publishing industry in areas such as marketing, advertising and sales.

Skills employers look for

The skills required to work in publishing can vary, depending on the role. There are a number of key skills that are common across most roles:

  • excellent oral and written communication skills
  • the ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines
  • teamworking
  • attention to detail
  • administrative and organisational skills
  • IT skills and an awareness of how technology is impacting on the sector
  • commercial awareness and negotiation skills
Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources:

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.


Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
  • browse our NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes directory. See examples of what our graduates were doing 15 months after their studies
  • use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
  • search our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank
  • attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
  • sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
  • attend events, including recruitment events and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.


Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started.

Career guides

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments can be useful for applications and interviews.

Examples include:

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

Open-days, talks and other sector events give valuable insights and the opportunity to make useful contacts.

Regular events for this sector include our annual Creative Careers with speakers from a range of careers in the creative sector. For more events, see Careers Service events.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network

Professional bodies often:

  • run networking events
  • have specialist groups you could join
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.


How to find opportunities

Some larger publishing companies advertise summer internships and work experience.

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search foradvertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities
  • use Researching employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs  and  employer and sector insights
  • contact employers speculatively – see  to help you find organisations to approach
  • follow companies on Social Media for latest news and updates
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance

Advertised work experience

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Publishing work experience is often voluntary and competition for places may be fierce.

Read a blog from a Newcastle University student who gained a week-long internship in a publishing house in Edinburgh.

Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.

Search for internships and placement years:

The following major UK book publishing houses offer opportunities for work experience or internships:

The above schemes are likely to be highly competitive so you should also consider applying to small, medium and independent publishing houses.

NCL Internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.

You can search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer - just type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.


Advertised graduate opportunities

A small number of graduate training schemes are available. You can also apply for graduate jobs. These can be with large or small to medium-sized companies and are available all year round.

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.

As well as traditional book and magazine publishers, other types of organisations may also publish significant amounts of material and employ in-house staff.

Examples include:

  • charities
  • government departments
  • large companies (corporate communications)
  • academic and educational institutions
  • STM (scientific/technical/medical)

Use the following resources to find advertised graduate schemes and graduate jobs

Vacancy sites
  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites
Vacancy sites for publishing
Worldwide vacancy sites

See  for details of overseas vacancy sites.

Access  for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements [change to work experience if placements/internships not appropriate] and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations
  • find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
  • use the business directories and databases on our  page
  • search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
UK organisations
  • Find companies on MyCareer - click ‘Search' then 'Organisations’ to find companies the Careers Service has worked with. Can filter by keyword, sector and region.
  • targetjobs: Organisations - search by sector, eg publishing
  • PPA Publisher Members Directory
  • Publishing Scotland Members List - directory of Scottish publishers and related organisations
  • Writers' and Artists' Yearbook - comprehensive media directory where free registration is required
  • Northern Fiction Alliance - a group of eleven independent publishers in the North of England.
  • LinkedIn Find Alumni tool – search through Newcastle University graduate profiles for inspiration. Filter by location, area of work, degree studied and skills to see where they are working. Consider how they got into their career, where they have worked, what kind of experience have they had etc
  • Researching employers – includes ways to source and research companies
  • Professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers.
Worldwide organisations

Publishers Global includes an international directory.

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.


Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in publishing. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.

Many major publishing houses may advertise their vacancies through specialist recruitment agencies. Bookcareers has a list of employment agencies specialising in book publishing vacancies.

See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies.

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:

  • Staffing agencies and temporary help firms
  • Executive recruiters and search firms

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.


Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.

  • attend events and network to make contacts and connections
  • writing for, or editing The Courier or other student publications, such as REACT or School specific blogs such as the one run by the School of English Literature and Linguistics
  • proofreading for small businesses or other students
  • voluntary work for charities focusing on their publications, website or social media
  • working in a book shop or library

Work for yourself

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:

  • support with idea generation
  • provide tailored advice
  • help you develop your skills
  • introduce you to like-minded peers
  • refer you to further support from mentors
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

Related sectors

You may also be interested in these related sectors: