Publishing Work

Publishing work refers to the task of launching books and availing the written material of the author to the readers. It bridges the gap between the authors, who wish to promote their writing skills and reach out to the audiences, and the readers to wish to pursue their hobby of reading books and get acquainted with the thoughts of the author. Publishing function is performed by a publishing agency who takes the entire responsibility of launching a book. There are several stages within publishing work. Publishing work is not a one-man job. It requires contributions from different experts at different stages. Hence, understanding the publication work profile will help you consider your prospects in this domain.

• Applications: A publishing agency receives applications from several authors who wish to get their books published. The publisher scans through these applications and finalizes few authors for an interview. The factors that influence the publisher's decision of choosing the authors are personal interests, publisher's image, target audiences, writing style, etc.

• Selection: Authors are called over to the publishing house and asked to present the final edited copies of their books. They are asked to reason out as to why their book should be published. The written work is analyzed by the publishers. They consider the book's prospects from the financial and popularity perspective. Most publishers prefer to stay away from controversial work that may invite public outcry. Based on these analysis, publishers determine which books to publish.

• Proofreading: The writer, editor and publisher works on the written manuscripts. They check the content for grammar, sense, flow of information and factual content. They make sure the paragraphs and sections are well categorized, organized and titled. Also, the content is checked for plagiarism and copyrights issues. If certain references are taken, the publisher ensures that they take the consent of the original author. If there is any controversial content, then the author must give a disclaimer or issue a note of caution.

• Designing: Once the written content is finalized, the book is ready for designing and production stage. A publisher makes sure they design attractive cover page for the book. Most readers tend to pick up that book which has an eye-catching cover. The design should be such that it gives a background about the storyline and compels the reader to go through the book. Designing includes finalizing background color, writing the title, caption and author's name on the front cover and synopsis, reviews and publisher's name and address on the back page. Illustrations and photographs may be added as per the author's requirements. This stage concludes with a final draft of the written material.

• Production: In this stage, the publisher finalizes the paper quality to be used and the font color and size. The publishers place an order with the printing house and get the books printed and binded. The new books are packaged and delivered to the publisher's warehouse. It is vital to ensure that the book's content does not leak out or the books get stolen during the production process. Publishers must provide acute security to safeguard books before the launch date.

• Marketing: Publishers must promote the book and generate curiosity among the readers prior to the book launch. Promotional activities are carried on via print, on-line and broadcast media. Readers are briefed about the book with a synopsis of the story and a small introduction of the characters.

• Book Launch: The final stage of the publishing work is when the books reach out to the audiences. Publishers are expected to introduce more copies of books in market before the existing stocks finish. A good feedback from the readers adds to the goodwill of the author and the publication house, improving their future prospects.

Publishing work offers several job opportunities to writers, editors, copyright consultants, designers, marketers, financiers, etc. Hence, if your educational background belongs to any of these fields, you stand a bright chance at making a career in publication work. Research for the requirements and responsibilities of each profile and choose the field that suits best to your profile.