Hey-o, friends!
Well, that whole monthly blog post goal did not go as planned this year. I needed to follow my own advice on scribing more posts ahead of time. Noted.
Anywho, I’ve received various inquiries as of late and figured I’d do a short(ish) post about job recruitment at book publishers. While this may come in handy for various folx, I think those in the entry-level phase of their careers could find it particularly helpful. Please note: I use the word “may” throughout this post because certain procedures/processes differ. In general, a lot of this may apply mostly to Big 5 publisher recruitment with the understanding that recruiters and hiring managers come to their own decisions based on particular needs and positions.
Over the past several years, one of my big goals for the MiP podcast has been to interview someone from human resources to talk candidly about recruitment and the hiring process. That is still on the agenda(!), especially if folx are open to going on the record. We don’t have to get too saucy, but we can get informative! Until then, I’m offering some points based on experience (as applicant and the person hiring) and conversations (with recruiters and hiring managers).
Preface
If you weren’t already aware, editorial assistant positions at book publishers can receive as few as 150 submissions and as many as 1,000+ in the United States alone. At various publishers, recruiters may weed these down to a dozen or less and forward them to hiring managers. This number will vary based on the publisher or institution (say a university press), but ultimately a recruiter shares these submissions with the hiring manager(s) in batches. For example, if there’s only 10 applicants they may send all 10 or they may filter based on the specifications a hiring manager provided, which could bring that number down to 5.
When it comes to very popular positions where less (specific) experience is required (i.e., entry-level/early career) and more people may be keen on it as a step towards a publishing career, there’s a ton more applicants. This is when further distinctions are made and batches are sent. If the hiring manager wants to review more applications or has a specific number that meets their bandwidth, they’ll request as such. These are decisions made prior to a position being posted.
Things to Remember:
You have to apply! (Sorry for the exclamation point, but this one is important!) This might be one of several items that seem obvious, but isn’t based on recent correspondence I’ve had with prospective applicants. Big companies that have particular processes need you to submit an application. The same goes for colleges/universities. Unless the job posts a specific email address to submit your materials to, make sure to go to the company’s Careers page and apply for the job there. Hiring managers cannot review your application and move it forward if you aren’t in the company’s recruitment system. Even if you have several people recommending you . . . you have to be in the system! For a recent entry-level role I got a lot of recommendations, but not everyone applied, so they cannot be considered.
Apply Early: Especially for entry-level positions (see Preface above). An editorial assistant position may be open for all of a 1 week. (Yup, I said one week, as in 7 days.) Sometimes roles are kept up until filled, which means a role that’s been up for weeks or months may be in interview mode by the time you see it, yet still accepting applications. As soon as people start to apply, recruitment begins to filter through applications to send to the hiring manager(s). For entry-level this filtering could happen within a day or two of the position being open. Reviews may happen for a week or longer, or for some roles reviews are rolling. The hiring manager(s) will decide how many applicants they want to send assessment to and/or set up an interview with based on the amount of batches they agree to review and number of applicants they feel fits their needs for the role. This review can happen fast (as in within a week) for more of the early career positions (meaning 1-3 years of experience) due to demand. In the midst of this, a hiring manager may also receive many recommendations, which may be flagged to recruitment to pluck from the applicants and send in a batch to the hiring manager(s). So, yeah, applying early is great, and make sure to meet a deadline especially if you have someone advocating for you.
I Wouldn’t Use AI: I know AI is proliferating all over, especially in college environments when folx may come to rely on tools like Grammarly—a program that’s often boasted about its AI platform. However, if I see you used AI in your cover letter or resumé then it’s an automatic rejection for me. (Keep in mind that AI is even more identifiable in a cover letter.) You’d be surprised how easy it was to spot and also how glaring it was in the usage, especially when it came to incorrect information, bad grammar/punctuation, and overstuffed sentences. If you’re relying on AI when applying for a job where I need you to establish strong writing and critical reading skills as well as an attention to detail, then I don’t think we’ll be a fit.
Get Help Reviewing Your Resumé/Cover Letter: Typos, bad formatting, not updating the imprint/company name, mentioning literary fiction when the job posts commercial nonfiction, or mentioning books as part of my imprint (when they aren’t) may show that you used AI and/or aren’t detail oriented and/or doing a cut & paste for every job you apply to. A core component of any publishing job is being good at details. This is particularly crucial in roles like editorial, production, design, contracts/legal, etc. Even as you are beginning to build on your experience, this is a first impression on a person who is hiring. Make sure to cross your Ts and dot your Is, friends!
Be Distinct In Your Cover Letter: Believe it or not, recruiters and hiring managers do read cover letters. For entry-level positions, particularly in editorial, we see a lot of the same statements over and over. And as someone whose professional and personal/creative work is about advocating for underrepresented communities, I see the same mission or admiration for said mission noted as a source of intrigue for applicants. (Great!) Outside of that, though, what else draws you to this position? (See #4 about cut & paste.) If you’re applying for every and any job, I get it, but some positions speak more to you than others, right? Make that known in the cover letter why this imprint, what your reading interests are and why they correlate for this position. Also, don’t be afraid to have a voice in your cover letter. A professional tone is great and necessary, and getting a sense of who you are is wonderful, too!
Noting Other Career Goals: Some people may disagree with me, and I welcome disagreement because it’s healthy. I found it interesting when people applied for a particular job and in their cover letter, then said their dream was to do something totally different yet correlated to the job in terms of literature. No matter the level of the position, imagine how it sounds to tell a potential manager that this is a full-time job you want to ultimately take you to another career, not that you want to grow here and see where this role takes you. My own resumé reflects a variety of positions, so believe me when I say I get seeking opportunity elsewhere! On the flip side, whenever I’ve applied for a job, my intention was to stay and grow there. Circumstances usually led me to recognize a job (or the company culture) would not be a fit for the long haul. And I never said to a potential employer in my application or during an interview, “Hey, I want this manager position here, so I can ultimately be a manager over there.” Do what you will with this info, but just flagging for those who may want to review what they’ve sent out for positions.
Alright! That’s all I got. I welcome additional suggestions to share here or on the interwebs. And feel free to let me know how your recruitment processes may differ for others to consider as well. Sending good energy to all, especially if you’re in the midst of a job search.