r/publishing

In my experience as a debut author with a mid-sized publisher, no one on my team seemed particularly interested in guiding or shaping my career. I never had any strategy discussions with my editor or publicist. They never asked me what I planned to write next or offered advice on how to position myself within the industry. I had some of these conversations with my agent, but he never really pushed back on any of my ideas or alerted me when I was making strategic blunders. Are authors typically on their own when it comes to career development? Who do you talk to when you're not sure about your next move?

Am on the final edits of a debut thriller that I started writting in 2017 after visiting Iceland.

Professionaly edited, proofread, beta read and am having the biggest fear over it being published but never reaching or gaining audience. Many of those who read, including me, aren't leaving reviews.

Would you read a debut if its not recommended, has no comments?

Also I am weighing options between pen name and my own. My own is Eastern European, a mouthfull and I worry using that would affect interest.

I also have four work in progress manuscripts for thrillers based in Eastern Europe and Baltics- Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and worry that readers just go with that become the standard USA, Canada, UK, Ireland based novels and that only a handfull would ever pick books with other locations.

I'd love to hear from readers perspective and to understand better that makes you choose your next book.

Hi all, I am a keen podcast listener and have heard most/all of Inside Publishing, Uncovering Publishing, the IPG podcast, and Make Books Travel. Any other industry-focused sources you can recommend?

i’m currently working 2 jobs to save enough money to move out my parent’s house and go to school next year, but is it even worth it? i’ve been seeing linkedin post after post about how a masters isn’t even helpful.

i just graduated summa cum laude two months ago, went to a performing arts school for creative writing, have been published since i was 13, have editor & editor in chief experience from my university and outside publications.

i’ve been applying to publishing internships & jobs literally everywhere with no luck. i kept telling myself it’s fine because in 2027, i’ll go get my masters and that will -this feels so naive to type- secure me a job in the field.

(the program i’m currently accepted in is uclan publishing masters, but i’m willing to apply elsewhere)

I'd love to go ahead and publish, but can I assure my authors that we won't be made ineligible by releasing the book without the number? My friend says since we applied, publishing now will not complicate our eligibility.

You know those listings online or in the yearbook where they have the agency name, address, telephone number? That's just about it for this agency.

It's been around for decades, doesn't have a website, doesn't want any subs by emails either. All by post, including SAE. It's like I fell down a hole into 1997.

It's been very hard finding anything about them, including the authors they represent. The most detail was from an old forum post in 2006.

Having said all that, they cover my genres and no others. So they'd be a definite for my sub list, if I knew anything about them.

What do you think? Is it worth subbing? My worry is that anything I'd find out about them after sub would come from them. I know the Internet isn't always reliable but it makes a huge difference to see general info on an agency, even if it's just knowing they are legit.

Context: I’m (25F) in Texas, have a bachelors in (English & American literature) and (creative writing.) I graduated a while ago and am a teacher.

I’m interested in learned more about publishing and would-in theory- like to be an editorial assistant. I have my own writings; fiction and poetry, ones more complete than the other but want to focus on the industry component.

I don’t have any certifications. And I thought about a masters? Maybe?? Would I even be able to get an internship as someone whose not in college anymore?

Got any tips? I’d really appreciate the help.

How many publishing jobs are actually unlisted? I see people move around all the time on pub lunch but hardly ever see any openings. How does the poaching across publishers process actually work?

Hi everyone!

I'm getting ready to launch my debut novel soon, and I'm trying to build my email list before release.

I'm looking for recommendations for an email landing page/email marketing service that's either free or affordable, but still reliable and easy to use.

I'd love something that lets readers sign up through a clean landing page and can grow with me as my audience expands.

What do you use, and what would you recommend for a first-time author? Any pros, cons, or personal experiences would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I would love to work on contracts for a publishing house, but I'm not sure what the path is to getting that kind of job.

I am planning to apply for a PRH internship next summer. Other than that, I don't know how to get the 3-5 years of contract experience that most job listings require.

Any advice? Thank you so much!

It would be helpful to hear from everyone's experience out there in the wild!

I have landed two job interviews/manuscript test out of the ten positions I have applied for. I feel the biggest hurdle is the manuscript test. I just cannot read, comprehend and draft summaries, editorial recommendations and other responses within an hour/manuscript.

I tried practicing within time constraints, but my responses read as unstructured, scattered thoughts rather than structured summaries.

I would like people in such positions to share their experiences. Were you all always equipped? Did reading and drafting four separate responses come easily? Am I just not made for such roles?

I'm asking from a long-term perspective rather than a short-term business perspective.

If you were starting a new independent publishing house today and wanted to build a respected international publishing brand over the next 20–30 years, what would you focus on first?

For example:

• Building a distinctive editorial identity?

• Developing strong relationships with authors?

• Investing in distribution and rights?

• Creating original content beyond books (interviews, essays, magazines)?

• Focusing on a specific niche or genre?

• Print-on-demand vs traditional printing?

• Something else entirely?

I'd be especially interested in hearing from publishers, authors, editors, and anyone with experience in building long-term cultural or intellectual brands.

Many publishers have access to distribution and marketing, but only a few develop a distinct editorial identity.

In your experience, how important is editorial vision in building a publishing house that people respect over the long term?

I'm interested in understanding what separates publishing houses that build lasting credibility, cultural influence, and intellectual value from those that primarily offer publishing services.

In your experience, what factors matter most over the long term?

• Editorial vision?

• Quality of authors and books?

• Brand identity and reputation?

• International rights and distribution?

• Original content such as interviews, essays, and magazines?

• Something else entirely?

I'd be very interested to hear examples of independent publishing houses that have successfully built enduring intellectual and cultural brands.

I have the audience demographic.
I have the outline completed.
I’m writing the book currently while having immense ideas flooding non stop.
I have the personal connection.
I have the timeline.
I have the marketing roll out.
I have the money to self publish.

I’d love to buy someone coffee and talk out my idea. I

I wrote a book when I was seventeen when my best friends were murdered. It has been in a drawer almost as many as years as they were when they died. Recently, I've been considering publishing it. Considering it is grammatical to have em-dashes, they are strewn throughout my book. Now that AI exists (almost fifteen years later) everyone seems to think the presence of em-dashes means it was written 'by' AI.

I have already edited this book several times throughout my life, more than three and probably less than a full seven, so it doesn't need another run through. Unfortunately, due to the way people are, I feel collapsed by the effort I "wasted" because it is a chonky boy of a book (about 600 pages including all the pages that are "just" illustrations which is half the novel/graphic novel). It's also a very heavy read emotionally, dealing with traumatic experiences that I don't personally want to read through again.

Am I supposed to force myself to sit through the whole mugging book and rewrite every barmy passage with a fine toothed comb to remove every em-dash? If I don't is everyone gonna just throw my book away and assume it's ai generative slop?

I am crushed by the weight of everything I have "wasted" by utilizing proper syntax to begin with. Will these damned em-dashes truly have such a potential to ruin me before I begin unless I re-traumatize myself with the task of sifting through everything? It's not 'just another slice' at this point, the knife is a pendulum that drags over thin skin these days and my eyes burn dry at the thought of it.

I’ve been reading an interview in The Bookseller promoting an upcoming memoir and it made me wonder how much factual checking publishers undertake for autobiographies.

The interview says the author was unable to read and write until the age of 18, but also states that they had already passed GCSEs and progressed to Year 12 study two years earlier. Those claims seem difficult to reconcile given how GCSE assessment worked at the time, with lots of written coursework.

When publishers acquire memoirs, do they attempt to verify factual claims like educational timelines, or do they generally treat autobiographical accounts as the author’s recollection unless there’s an obvious legal issue?

I have been invited to submit a full MS (memoir) to a literary agent, based on a pitch and 10 first pages. I finally have the full ready to go... but it has not been through a professional edit , and I don't have a budget for that. I have been over it myself a number of times but the words are starting to blur and I suspect there are still errors (some clunky sentences, maybe some small repetition, possible grammar or typos). I would say the full is as polished as the first 10 pages were... if that's helpful.

I really want to get it off my plate!! But also don't want to be hasty and shoot myself in the foot.

Questions:

- is it ok to submit without the pro edit?

- should I mention / call attention to this, i.e. as a heads up such "I am unable to hire a professional editor but hope this is polished enough as is for you to consider it"?

- Is there a software that's appropriate to use (doesn't get me into AI territory), beyond MS Word's built-in spell check?

First of all, my story’s genre is superhero with an academy setting. It’s inspired by DC, Marvel, MHA, and *A Certain Magical Index*. I just want to know which publishers would be interested in a story like that.

It’s also a slow burn. The first two books are mainly focused on setup and foreshadowing, so nothing too intense happens during those first two books.