How do I get a job in publishing?

We publish a lot of books about keeping a good work-life balance, but how do we manage this ourselves and how do you get a job in publishing? The Yellow Kite team love hearing about other people’s jobs and a lot of the people we speak to have made big, inspirational changes to their lives and careers. Here are some of our top tips for forging a career in the publishing industry and our experiences to date…

Liz Gough, Publisher

What sparked your passion for your work?
My passion is discovering new and brilliant ideas and authors and having a hand in bringing their ideas, passions and philosophies to market. Publishing books that have the potential to change someone’s life in a positive way is an incredible job, and one I love. Getting to work with authors who are brimming with brilliant ideas and helping them make their book the best it can be never gets boring. I’ve worked with some fantastic authors over the years, and every time I publish a new book and get to work hand-in-hand with the author and agent, as well as the publicity, marketing, sales and rights teams, I am reminded why I love what I do – it’s a team effort and everyone plays a pivotal role. Holding the finished copy of a book I’ve acquired in my hands is always a special moment.

What’s the most useful advice you’ve received?
If in doubt, sleep on it. You may feel differently about a challenge or a problem in the morning.

Is there anyone you look up to as a role model?
I don’t have a role model per se, but there are lots of people I admire – both within publishing and outside of publishing. I think the qualities I admire in those people that spring to mind are: being great visionaries (and being able to effectively communicate their vision), determination and mental strength, passion for what they believe in and what they do, and not being afraid of change or of throwing themselves into the unknown.

Louise Swannell, Publicity Manager

What sparked your passion for your work?
Where to start?! Each book presents a different challenge, every day is different and a love of reading is paramount!

What’s the most useful advice you’ve received?
It’s PR not ER – anything is possible.

Is there anyone you look up to as a role model?
Denise Bates, Group Publishing Director, Octopus – She is the ultimate professional – calm and considered, always listened without judging and showed respect for your opinion whatever stage in your career you were at. UBER WOMAN.

Veronique Norton, Publicity Manager

What sparked your passion for your work?
I’ve always loved books and reading as my long-suffering parents know only too well. When I was younger I’d choose the biggest fattest book off the shelf so that ‘story time’ would last as long as possible; my poor mum and dad would be constantly badgered on walks with me pleading for them to ‘tell me a story’. I think they gently encouraged me to work with books over the years largely so they would be let off the hook!

What’s the most useful advice you’ve received?
Working on the Yellow Kite list means an insight into some brilliant minds with a wealth of good advice to offer but one thing that has stuck in my head in recent years is a bit of advice from Graham Norton whose mantra, when things get a bit hectic, is “this too shall pass”.

Is there anyone you look up to as a role model?
I’m pretty impressionable so right now, as I’m reading ANIMAL, I’m going to say Sara Pascoe. She is badass and funny, takes no sh*t from no-one and usually has a unique take on the multitude of feminist debates that seem to be in the press on the daily.

Lizzi Jones, Sales Key Accounts Manager

What sparked your passion for your work?
For me it’s all about the business of publishing. When I read a really good book, I get geekily excited about the best way to publish it so as many people as possible get to read and love it too.

What’s the most useful advice you’ve received?
Go home! It sounds counter-productive but leaving your to-do list undone can sometimes be the best thing you can do. There’s nothing like a good sleep to give you a fresh perspective on your work and the renewed energy you need to carry it out.

Is there anyone you look up to as a role model?
Publishing is full of strong, dynamic women so picking just one is very difficult! Anna Rafferty and Dominique Raccah both stand out to me for their bold ideas and the way that they’re not afraid to challenge convention.