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The Publishing Business: A Guide to Starting Out and Getting On
Are you considering a career in the world of publishing, or simply want to understand more about the industry? If so, The Publishing Business will take you through the essential publishing activities performed in editorial, rights, design, production, sales and marketing departments.
International examples from across the industry, from children's books to academic monographs, demonstrate key responsibilities at each stage of the publishing process and how the industry is adapting to digital culture. This 3rd edition has been updated with more on the role of self-publishing, independent publishers, audio books, the rise of poetry and non-fiction and how the industry is facing up to challenges of sustainability, inclusivity and diversity.
Beautifully designed and full of insight and advice from practitioner interviews, this is an essential introduction to a dynamic industry.
Interviewees
Anne Meadows, Commissioning Editor at Granta and Portobello Books
Zaahida Nabagereka, Head of Social Impact at Penguin Books UK
Ashleigh Gardner, Senior Vice President, Managing Director Global Publishing, Wattpad
Caroline Walsh, Literary Agent, David Higham Associates
Peter Blackstock, VP, Deputy Publisher, Grove Atlantic/Publisher, Grove Press UK
Amy Ellis, Head of Rights and Permissions, Publishers' Licensing Services
Victoria Lawrance, Rights Manager, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Shaun Hodgkinson, COO, Dorling Kindersley
Thomas Truong, Publishing Director, Little Tiger Group
Jenny Blenk, Associate Editor, Dark Horse Comics
Jeanette Morton, Digital Publisher, Oxford University Press
Maria Vassilopoulos, Publishing Sales, Uni of Wales Press and Calon Books
Ian Lamb, Head Of Children's Marketing and Publicity, Simon and Schuster
International examples from across the industry, from children's books to academic monographs, demonstrate key responsibilities at each stage of the publishing process and how the industry is adapting to digital culture. This 3rd edition has been updated with more on the role of self-publishing, independent publishers, audio books, the rise of poetry and non-fiction and how the industry is facing up to challenges of sustainability, inclusivity and diversity.
Beautifully designed and full of insight and advice from practitioner interviews, this is an essential introduction to a dynamic industry.
Interviewees
Anne Meadows, Commissioning Editor at Granta and Portobello Books
Zaahida Nabagereka, Head of Social Impact at Penguin Books UK
Ashleigh Gardner, Senior Vice President, Managing Director Global Publishing, Wattpad
Caroline Walsh, Literary Agent, David Higham Associates
Peter Blackstock, VP, Deputy Publisher, Grove Atlantic/Publisher, Grove Press UK
Amy Ellis, Head of Rights and Permissions, Publishers' Licensing Services
Victoria Lawrance, Rights Manager, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Shaun Hodgkinson, COO, Dorling Kindersley
Thomas Truong, Publishing Director, Little Tiger Group
Jenny Blenk, Associate Editor, Dark Horse Comics
Jeanette Morton, Digital Publisher, Oxford University Press
Maria Vassilopoulos, Publishing Sales, Uni of Wales Press and Calon Books
Ian Lamb, Head Of Children's Marketing and Publicity, Simon and Schuster
256 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2024
28 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 18, 2020
3.5. This is the first book of my summer reading I’ve finished before my Masters program in Publishing starts. I think this was a great introduction into the various aspects of publishing, and I enjoyed all the interviews, case studies, and resources for new professionals.
Some of the pictures were super blurry, which is weird, also I think I found one typo/grammar issue which is kind of ironic in a book about publishing, but hey, things happen.
One thing I noted is the tone when talking about self-publishing. It seemed pretty haughty, which makes sense because this book is from Bloomsbury, a major publisher. Certainly self publishing is a competitor with them, and there’s this largely general consensus that self publishing isn’t as prestigious or good as traditional publishing. Granted it’s different, but it’s not lesser. Some of my favorite authors and books are self published.
One of my favorite interviews is with Ashleigh Gardner, head of writer and publishing partnerships at Wattpad. Everything she said just really rang true with me. Wattpad is free of gatekeepers, so it’s really interesting to see what thrives.
There’s also a quote from the CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, and he says “self-publishing gives writers the chance to be read, but readers also need guidance and orientation to find the next great read,” implying that traditional publishers are that guidance, or gatekeepers, however you look at it.
The authors also write “many self-published authors have limited appreciation of the genre they are trying to write for, and often do not have the language and editing skills to produce marketable texts.” First, this definitely sounds like opinion and not hard facts to me. There was no clarification of what this passage meant, which I definitely think is called for. I’m not sure why I’ve turned into such an advocate for self-publishing, it’s definitely interesting considering my career choice in publishing, but language like that definitely bothers me. Accessibility is a huge part of self publishing. An author whose books I read religiously self publishes, and she has editors, beta readers, and seems to me to have knowledge of the genre she’s writing in. Self published books are also usually pretty cheap, which makes sense, but that makes them very accessible for people with limited budgets.
Some of the pictures were super blurry, which is weird, also I think I found one typo/grammar issue which is kind of ironic in a book about publishing, but hey, things happen.
One thing I noted is the tone when talking about self-publishing. It seemed pretty haughty, which makes sense because this book is from Bloomsbury, a major publisher. Certainly self publishing is a competitor with them, and there’s this largely general consensus that self publishing isn’t as prestigious or good as traditional publishing. Granted it’s different, but it’s not lesser. Some of my favorite authors and books are self published.
One of my favorite interviews is with Ashleigh Gardner, head of writer and publishing partnerships at Wattpad. Everything she said just really rang true with me. Wattpad is free of gatekeepers, so it’s really interesting to see what thrives.
There’s also a quote from the CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, and he says “self-publishing gives writers the chance to be read, but readers also need guidance and orientation to find the next great read,” implying that traditional publishers are that guidance, or gatekeepers, however you look at it.
The authors also write “many self-published authors have limited appreciation of the genre they are trying to write for, and often do not have the language and editing skills to produce marketable texts.” First, this definitely sounds like opinion and not hard facts to me. There was no clarification of what this passage meant, which I definitely think is called for. I’m not sure why I’ve turned into such an advocate for self-publishing, it’s definitely interesting considering my career choice in publishing, but language like that definitely bothers me. Accessibility is a huge part of self publishing. An author whose books I read religiously self publishes, and she has editors, beta readers, and seems to me to have knowledge of the genre she’s writing in. Self published books are also usually pretty cheap, which makes sense, but that makes them very accessible for people with limited budgets.
April 13, 2022
(3.5/5) A solid introduction to publishing, although repetitive at times. Very brief, generic, and easy to get through. And surprisingly, it was decently designed (and color-coded!). If you have not interacted with the publishing industry and want to learn more, I would recommend starting here.
May 8, 2025
wow - amazing. this takes a village
I’m amazing by the effort it takes to publish a book and then sell it while still paying expenses and making a profit. This book lays out the insanity.
I’m amazing by the effort it takes to publish a book and then sell it while still paying expenses and making a profit. This book lays out the insanity.
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December 6, 2019I had to read this textbook for class so I’m counting it toward my reading goal.
October 10, 2023
Bien expliqué mais très pointu et technique, j'ai sauté beaucoup de pages...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews