There’s more than one way to work with books. Find out more about the various roles available – and skills needed – to have a career in publishing.

A career in publishing can be highly stimulating, challenging and rewarding.

While editorial roles are often the first things that come to mind when considering a career in books, there are plenty of other challenging and rewarding positions and workplaces across our diverse industry.

Key roles and divisions within the industry include:

  • Administration and finance
  • Audio
  • Data management and analytics
  • Design
  • Editorial
  • Marketing and publicity
  • Production
  • Publishing
  • Rights management
  • Sales and distribution

The skills and qualifications required to work in publishing are as varied as the books and authors the industry supports. 

Highly valued traits in the industry include:

  • Communication skills – both written and oral
  • Creativity - whether with words, design or ideas
  • Digital native - comfort with everything from design tools to spreadsheets
  • Analytical nature - from understanding sales figures to making projections
  • Research skills – beyond Google!
  • Organisational ability - planning and prioritising multiple concurrent tasks and projects
  • People skills - being able to build relationships with a wide range of colleagues and customers
  • Strong attention to detail - not just necessary in editorial roles
  • Passion - for books and connecting them to readers

Learn more about the different roles available, and skills required for them, through our case studies of those working across Australian publishing.