Sophie Mannix
Publishing Assistant, Text Publishing
Creativity, flexibility and a good working memory are among the key skills needed to be a Publishing Assistant according to Sophie Mannix. In this interview, she discusses the challenges and rewards of her role, and why it’s an exciting time to be working in publishing.
Can you describe your current role for us?
I’m the Publishing Assistant at Text Publishing, which has a team of 24 staff members. I primarily provide support to our Editorial and Sales departments, but because we’re a smaller company, I get to do a lot of work with other departments as well.
What does a typical day in your job look like?
My job is a lot of fun because I get to do a huge variety of things – it’s something new every day! My role includes a lot of editorial support, including managing incoming submissions, entering books into awards, and liaising with authors and agents. I have the pleasure of running our three writing prizes: the Text Prize for Young Adult & Children’s Writing, the Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel and the Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship. I also keep our publishing schedule updated and ready for acquisitions!
I run plenty of meetings and get to be involved in discussions about marketing, publicity and sales. Finally, I provide general administrative and sales support, including responding to general enquiries, managing our calendars, organising the mail, sending invoices and coordinating our quarterly sales catalogue.
What was your pathway to working in publishing?
I always knew I wanted to work in book publishing and that it was a competitive industry, so I sought out every opportunity I could. I was studying for a bachelor’s degree in literature, but I put that on hold to do an unpaid communications internship at the ACT Writers Centre. This eventually turned into a job.
I worked there in various roles for five years, in which time I got to work on HARDCOPY, a professional development program, which gave me the chance to learn a lot about the industry and meet lots of people in publishing who were very generous with their time and advice.
While working at ACT Writers, I finished my degree, worked at and managed a bookstore, and took on a role managing communications for a grassroots writer’s festival. All of this prepared me well for my role at Text!
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Getting to know the people! I love getting to work with our wonderful authors, and in a lovely, supportive team. It’s a real privilege to be able to work with so many people I admire.
I also love the variety in my role – I’m the kind of person who wants to get their fingers into everything, so getting to learn about almost every area of publishing is so much fun.
What do you find most challenging?
My role is detail-oriented, fast-paced and full of small interruptions. You have to be flexible as new needs arise, schedule lots of leeway time for things to get done and keep an eye on what is happening. I thrive in that kind of environment, but it’s not for everyone.
What would you say are the three most crucial skills needed to be successful at your job?
Creativity, flexibility and a good working memory!
Sophie Mannix's workspace.
What excites you about working in publishing at the present moment?
With the current state of the world, people need books more than ever. We’ve seen during the lockdowns over the last two years that people are clinging to books to understand the world around them and to find a refuge from it. It’s a real privilege to work in an industry that is so important to people’s wellbeing.
As people are reconnecting with reading, I think there are a number of really exciting opportunities. There are so many people looking to find community in reading through social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and in person. It’s been really wonderful to see so many independent booksellers continue to thrive and be supported by their communities through the pandemic.
Where do you see the industry headed in the future? And do you see your role as needing to change or adapt?
My job is inherently based on adapting to current circumstances, so I’m sure it will keep doing that. I think the events of the last eighteen months have shown that the book as a form is here to stay, even if the ways that people find them are changing. I also think reading is inherently linked with empathy and publishing has a unique position to be able to promote diversity, inclusion, social justice and equity. I hope to see the industry continue to foster these conversations and to see the diversity of publishing staff and published writers continue to increase.
What advice would you offer to someone looking to get started in your area of work?
Find whatever opportunities you can and seize them. Engage with your local and state writing and book scene including bookstores, writers’ centres, festivals, literary magazines, literary collectives. I promise there’s more there than you think!
If there really isn’t anything near you, look for opportunities online. I don’t want to encourage working for free, but I really would recommend ways to connect with people in the industry – I’ve found most people are very friendly and generous with their time.
And read! If you want to work in this industry, you have to love books. So, read widely and support Australian authors, bookstores and publishers.