Once you fall in love with books, there is no turning back, and that is exactly what happened to Jen Knoch. After her English master’s, she knew that this was the world she wanted to be involved in. However, she was looking for something more meaningful. That’s when she turned to publishing.
“It presented a much more practical way to engage with books and kind of like, make them the stuff of my everyday life,” explains Knoch, is the reason she decided to pursue the publishing path.
Right now, Knoch works at ECW Press, one of the largest independent publishers in Canada. They specialize in a wide range of subjects, from fiction to music and even business books. Overall, ECW produces 55 to 60 books yearly, and in the words of Knoch, they are “driven by the passions” of the editors.
People like Knoch have always been there, contributing to the industry as best as they can. Their work is something that has not gone unnoticed, which has attracted more people towards this career path, creating a competitive environment in the job market.
“I’ll just say there are like a lot of hurdles and limitations to it as an industry, and so I think that you have to really badly want to do it,” says Knoch.
However, that is not the only issue. Talking with Knoch, I understood that the public ignores many things about the industry, such as the necessary skills and traits to succeed. Bookish people are most of the times introverts, but you “have to have the personality that allows you to sell your books,” explains Knoch.
Like this, there are many things people don’t associate with an editor’s work, such as having critical thinking or organizational skills. There is more to it than what we get to see on the surface.
Working in the industry
Right now, there are different kinds of publishers in the industry. At the top, we have the Big Five, including Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster. Then, we have independent and self-publishing companies.
Talking to Knoch about the job possibilities in the industry, she said the only difference is that traditional publishing companies usually offer more roles because they are bigger. But, there are several advantages when working at an independent publisher since “you usually end up with a much broader skill set, because you’re exposed to the entire working of the publishing company.”
A position in the industry will always come with challenges apart from the competition and amount of job offers. To succeed, candidates need to cover all the basics and get prepared. In this regard, Knoch explains that the easiest way to accomplish this is through college programs dedicated to publishing. She says following this path even allowed her not to have many surprises when she got her job.
“I think because I went to publishing school, I was reasonably well prepared in terms of what it would be like.”
Unfortunately, this is not a road everyone can take due to the cost of tuition and the time it takes to complete the program. Today, the industry is also taking this into account and realizing who gets to participate and the limitations. That’s why they are creating new paths and diversifying the people they hire.
Getting Started
Even before being part of the industry, Knoch thinks people can become familiar with it, paying attention to all those behind the curtain. “What kinds of roles do they have? What are they doing? Who published this book? Where are they? What kind of books do they publish?” By asking these questions, people can get a “foothold on that landscape.”
The book publishing industry has been around for a long time. From the first publishing house back in 1534, Cambridge University Press, traditional publishing has evolved. Today it is not only about copyrights and print distribution. There are also self-publishing companies and e-books.
In this ever-changing scenario, usually, people want to become editors. However, that is not the only option.
“People have an idea that they want to be book editors, especially if they don’t understand how many roles can go into publishing, and how many different skill sets and ways to contribute there are.”
Extra
Finally, I asked Knoch for a book recommendation. This one she described as one of her little babies.
Here it is, The Environmentalist’s Dilemma: Promise and Peril in an Age of Climate Crisis by Arno Kopecky.
