Publishing Job Profiles
Find out more about jobs in publishing with these job profiles covering the different roles the industry has to offer.
These job profile summaries are used with kind permission of Next Step. The links will take you through to the full job profiles on the Next Step site
Job Family: Media, Print and Publishing
Copy Editor
Copy editors make sure that a text is readable, accurate and ready for publication. They work on publications of all kinds, including books, newspapers, journals and magazines.
Magazine Journalist
Newspaper Journalist
Journalists seek out news and report it to the public as quickly as possible. They aim to present stories in a clear, engaging style.
Proofreader
A proofreader performs a 'quality check' on publications, usually immediately before they are issued or go to print. They may work on books, magazines, newspapers and websites, as well as specialist publications such as academic or technical manuals.
Publishing Commissioning Editor
Publishing commissioning editors work for book publishing companies. It can be a senior position in the business. Their main role involves identifying the sort of books that people want to buy and attempting to ensure that their company can publish the right products to meet these demands.
Publishing Editor
Publishing editors work in a number of publishing areas. These include newspaper and magazine publishing, book publishing and online publishing. A publishing editor's main responsibility is for the style and content of the publication.
Art Editor
Art editors work in the design or art teams of magazines, both printed and digital, and are responsible for the way a magazine looks. Their main responsibility is to ensure that a consistent look and feel to the pages is conveyed across the publication.
Technical Author
Technical authors produce technical information in the form of instructions to help users get to grips with all kinds of technology. The material they write is designed to allow their readers to use or operate a particular piece of equipment or understand a subject.
Writer
Writers produce works of fiction and non-fiction. They may work on novels, short stories, poetry, scripts for radio, TV, film or theatre, non-fiction books, newspaper and magazine articles or website content.
Web Content Manager
A web content manager is responsible for the information that appears on a company's website. They work with colleagues to ensure the content is relevant to audience or customer needs.
Job Family: Marketing and Advertising
Event Manager
Event organisers are responsible for planning events and ensuring that they run as smoothly as possible.
Market Research Executive
Market researchers try to find out what people think and how they behave and why.
Market Research Interviewer
Market research interviewers collect information on people's attitudes and experiences. They conduct interviews with people and record their responses to give organisations a better understanding of their target audience's likes, dislikes and future needs.
Marketing Executive
Marketing Manager
People working in marketing, from junior executives to management, are responsible for promoting products and services to increase consumer awareness and ultimately boost sales. Marketing is a multi-disciplined profession that is likely to include aspects of direct marketing, research, public relations, branding, communications and advertising.
Public Relations Officer
People working in public relations (PR) look after an organisation's image and reputation. They help to build and maintain good relationships with the media and with the organisation's public such as their customers, suppliers, investors and employees.
Sales Manager
Sales managers organise a team of sales representatives and devise strategies to maximise sales and customer loyalty. They are employed to sell all sorts of products and services for national retailers or distributors of one or more particular products.
Sales Representative
Sales representatives sell their companies' products or services to customers. They could be selling almost any kind of product or service including cleaning or food products, ICT or electronics components, medicines and pharmaceuticals, vehicles or cosmetics. Their customers may be individuals, businesses, factories or retail outlets.
Advertising Account Executive
Advertising account executives are employed by advertising agencies and act as the main point of contact between the agency and client.
Advertising Account Planner
Account planners set the communication strategy for advertising and marketing campaigns. It's their job to really understand the consumers their clients are trying to reach. They then define the goals and objectives and plan how a campaign might best trigger a response from the target audience.
Advertising Copywriter
Copywriters are responsible for generating the words, slogans and audio scripts that accompany advertising visuals.
Advertising Media Planner
Advertising Media Buyer
Advertising media planners identify the best mix of media channels to deliver an advertising message to a client's target audience. Media channels can include radio, cinema, press, television, outdoor spaces, mail, the web and mobile communications.
Job Family: Design, Arts and Crafts
Illustrator
Illustrators combine art, design and creative skills to develop ideas and produce original visual images for a wide range of products. Most illustrators have a higher national diploma, foundation degree or degree in an art and design subject such as illustration, graphic design, fine art or combined visual arts.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers produce designs that get their clients' messages across with high visual impact. The Diploma in Creative and Media may be relevant to this area of work and design apprenticeships may be available in graphic and multimedia design.
Medical Illustrator
Medical illustrators use illustration, photography and video to create visual records for educational, teaching, patient care, scientific and information purposes.
Job Family: Languages, Information and Culture
Indexer
An indexer compiles the list at the end of a printed or digital document that helps readers search for names or topics included in the text.
Translator
Translators transfer written text from one language to another. This is normally from a foreign language into their own mother tongue.
Job Family: Retail, Sales and Customer Service
Bookseller
Booksellers may work for small independent bookshops, perhaps specialising in a certain area such as children's books, in a second-hand bookshop or in one of the large high street chains.
Customer Service Assistant
Customer Service Manager
Customer services assistants and managers work in most types of organisation. They deal directly with customers, act as a link between customers and other departments in the organisation, and make sure customers have a positive experience.
Content reproduced under the terms of the Click-Use Licence.
Copyright: Next Step