How to get a job at a publishing company

To get a job at a publishing company, you need to gain relevant experience, develop strong writing and editing skills, research the publishing industry, network, and apply for entry-level positions. Keep in mind that the publishing industry can be competitive, so persistence, continuous learning, and a genuine love for books and writing are key. Stay dedicated to improving your skills, stay informed about industry trends, and remain open to entry-level opportunities that can pave the way for a successful publishing career.

How To Become A Publishing Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a publishing assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Sara Wigal M.A.

This job deals with providing support to senior and executive publishers and editors. The duties of publishing assistants sometimes vary with employers and organizations. But most times, their responsibilities include reviewing documents and compiling files for publication, organizing necessary data for publishing, and checking or proofreading documents before they are printed. As a publishing assistant, you get to arrange and organize data into weekly and monthly reports. You may also work in the reception unit, control communications with writers and editors in the company, and may sometimes be involved in promoting published works. This post is usually available in a magazine or book publishing company.

If you want to consider applying for this post, you need to possess at least a bachelor's degree in journalism, English, Creative writing, or communications. You will need strong writing and reading skills as these are the foundation of effective delivery as a publishing assistant. An average publishing assistant earns $38,789 per year.

What general advice would you give to a publishing assistant?

Sara Wigal M.A.

Director of Publishing, Assistant Professor - Media & Entertainment, Belmont University

Listen up. Sitting in on meetings where you aren't working is a learning experience and way to better understand everyone else's tasks and how the company works. It's great ammunition for asking considerate questions, which help you learn and also help you put a good foot forward in earning respect from more senior colleagues. Also, read widely, and if you're not a non-fiction reader, try to read a little bit of that too! Self-help, business books, even topical reading can help you grow (and makes you a much more interesting person to talk to). Don't stress reading all the "big books" but rather develop your personal taste while keeping general tabs on what is happening in the literary world.

ScorePublishing AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,605

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.83%

Black or African American 9.30%

Hispanic or Latino 16.28%

Unknown 3.87%

White 65.98%

Gender

female 76.11%

male 23.89%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a publishing assistant

Explore publishing assistant education requirements

Most common publishing assistant degrees

Bachelor's

72.6 %

Associate

10.5 %

Master's

7.5 %

Start to develop specific publishing assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Proofreading	13.06%
Fiction	8.73%
Administrative Tasks	8.35%
Market Research	8.17%
Expense Reports	7.79%

Complete relevant publishing assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New publishing assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a publishing assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real publishing assistant resumes.

Research publishing assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage the typesetting, proofreading, and copy editing of several books with minimal supervision.
Manage ISRC codes and YouTube work codes from YouTube's``CMS"database into internal catalogues.
Process daily accounting including reconciliation of payable accounts, tracking and managing inventory through QuickBooks.
Spearhead initiative in converting documents to HTML and PDF for use in online marketing and internet commerce.

Prepare your publishing assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your publishing assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a publishing assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable publishing assistant resume templates

Build a professional publishing assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your publishing assistant resume.