Basically what the title says. There's been a lot of discussion about this topic for years, but rarely do I see people actually directly involved behind the scenes chime in. So, I wanted to ask. Along with your personal broad opinions on the subject, I had some specific questions:

• What are common strengths and weaknesses you notice in authors that start out in fanfic?
• From a professional perspective, what are the main differences/similarities in books and fanfics as mediums? What is most difficult about adapted one to the other?
• Do you think 'filing the serial numbers off' is a process that could ever result in a good novel? If not, what would you recommend?
• Is there a specific fanfiction 'style' you can clock immediately?
• How do you feel about practices that originate in fanfic/fandom culture being used in publishing? (i.e the similarity of trope marketing to AO3 tags)
• What is something about this subject that you have encountered/noticed that people outside of publishing wouldn't immediately know about? Or even just something you personally noticed that no one talks about?
• Do you ever think that this could lead to the legality of fanfiction being brought into question again? Or is this an over dramatic concern?

Also if you have any unique, personal observations I didn't mention, please let me know!

I'm posting about my debut novel on tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook and really struggling to find my people. The book comes out this Halloween. Could someone take a look at my accounts and see what I'm doing wrong or if there's any way for me to improve my content? I'm most active on TikTok bc I feel like I kind of know what to do for that platform.

https://www.tiktok.com/@m.e..szabo?_r=1&_t=ZP-98FvwKdry3j

https://www.instagram.com/m.e.szabo?igsh=cWxvd2VmOW5heW1p

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BiyUzaguc/

For the past few years, a really common complaint from readers about new releases, myself included, is that they seem as if they haven't gone through a round of editing. The narratives are half-baked, the prose is weak, there are grammatical errors, and even actual typos in finished products. Mistakes that used to be relegated to self-publishing are now littered throughout expensive, hyped novels from prestigious traditional publishing houses. It's like first drafts are automatically being sent release. What's going on?

hi friends. i’m about 5 years into my publishing career (editorial, small-to-medium publisher, fiction) and i’m feeling extremely burnt out.

more and more marketing, publicity, and sales responsibilities are being dumped on the editors’ plates. i can’t catch a break between admin tasks, chasing coworkers down for answers, and always prepping for the next launch meeting.

i’ve had two “diva” authors in the past year that i didn’t set boundaries with early enough, and their incessant emails with bad faith questions, passive aggressive complaints about my coworkers/company, and challenging every little decision is driving me up the wall.

it’s harder to get anything through acquisitions. we had multiple rounds of layoffs last year. every project is late or rushed because of shifting targets. i’m constantly behind on submissions. and the past two manuscripts i’ve worked on were extremely challenging. like… i had to rewrite 30% - 50% of the book because the line level craft deteriorated with every developmental pass.

the most difficult task for me now is the actual editing. i’m struggling to find any joy in it. i dread it so much that i procrastinate until the very last second, then when i finally sit down to do it, i rush. and i still end up returning edits late. the fact that i’m a slow reader (and i edit at a glacial pace lmao) does not help. my books sell well enough and the most recent few have even won notable awards/gotten starred reviews, but that doesn’t bring me any fulfillment.

i have incredible coworkers, but they are much more productive and on top of things, so i feel like i can’t speak to them about how hard things have been for me lately. i’ve gotten to the point where more of my day is spent daydreaming about a total 180 degree life/career change, but i’m not ready to let go yet.

first, i’d just like to know that i’m not alone. are other publishing professionals struggling right now? what the fuck is going on in publishing rn? what can we do?

and second, i’d love to hear what other editors love about their job. what is the best part of editing? how do you get yourself to actually open the manuscript and feel good about your work? what’s the best part of getting into the nitty gritty of the text? how do you cope if the manuscript is in rough shape, or if the story isn’t as exciting as it was when you read it as a submission?

thank you for reading. any words of advice would be greatly appreciated. ❤️

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/the-booksellers-bullying-survey-staff-welfare-an-issue-for-sector-as-hachette-and-sweet-cherry-are-singled-out-for-criticism

... pervasive use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) ... 69% of respondents to the survey said bullying "has happened to me" ... Of the big groups, Hachette was referenced more than most, with some describing its tough working environment as an “open secret”. ... The Leicestershire children’s publisher Sweet Cherry was not mentioned by name in the survey directly, but five people came forward about their experiences following the survey’s closure, a high number given the independent’s size, believed to be fewer than 30 staff members at the time (it was later confirmed that three survey responses were about Sweet Cherry). ... One former employee alleged "inappropriate jokes about staff members’ mental health" at Sweet Cherry and claimed that "inappropriate jokes and sexual innuendoes were commonplace". The Bookseller has seen screenshots from a member of senior management’s social media supporting this assertion.

Not a pretty picture.

Hi everyone, I am considering moving to NYC for a job opportunity at a big publisher and need a little bit of advice.

I am fresh out of college and not from NYC or the area, I am from Missouri. I have another job offer closer to home that pays around the same but it is less aligned with my career goals. The job in NYC is my dream job. But my family is not supportive of me moving to NYC.

There are a lot of things to consider. I’d like to commute into the city and find a roommate who hopefully doesn’t suck. I know NYC is expensive. I know it’s a big change to move from the Midwest to NYC by myself. If anyone else has experience with sort of transition, or just has any advice at all, I would love to hear it!!!

Edit: If anyone is looking for a roommate in NYC, please message me!!

I have previous publishing experience in scientific journals. So was thinking of exploring that course. Any thoughts or suggestions about the course - please do tell. Also any alumni of that particular course , I would like to have a chat with you :)

Hi everyone,

I was recently laid off from my first publishing job after being there for less than a year. It was really disappointing; however, I still love the industry so much and want to continue my career.

I've applied to a lot of roles, and I've been lucky enough to get a couple of interviews, but unfortunately many of the positions have either been canceled, put on hold, or closed without being filled. I know the job market is tough right now, especially in publishing, and it's definitely been discouraging.

I've also been trying to network with people at different publishing companies. Some have been kind enough to chat with me, but many don't respond, and I haven't had much luck getting referrals.

For those who work in publishing or have gone through something similar, what would you recommend? Are there strategies that helped you break into another role during a difficult job market? Is there anything I should be doing differently?

Would really appreciate any advice or encouragement. Thanks so much!

I got accepted to the publishing program at Centennial college! If anyone has ever taken the program, do you have any insights/tips/tricks to share?

1. Does anyone here have experience in using AI for proofing and/or in any stage of the editing process? I work for a magazine publisher, but open to hearing applicable experiences from any sector.

2. What about to check for AP Style in drafts, or a similar use? (AP has their own checking tool. A colleague tried it out at the boss' urging, and didn't find it beneficial, which prompted the boss' AI suggestion.)

3. Do any of you utilize AI for other processes other than writing or idea generation?

I'm a senior editor for a publisher of regional B2B publications. My boss, the company president, is strongly urging me and my editorial team to look into using AI to help speed up our processes. Specifically, she wants me to consider using AI to a) check for AP style in our drafts and b) help with overall line-editing and proofing process. She says "everyone is using AI now," referring to her friends in publishing, and that she "doesn't want [me] to get left behind."

On the surface, I am not completely opposed to these ideas, but these aren't areas where we were experiencing any problems or bottlenecks. Everyone in our editorial team recognizes AP style, when and how to use it, and also when to ignore or work around it when the situation calls for it. This has never been an issue.

The same with the proofing process. When we are proofing an issue, everyone on the editorial team has a look at the file and offers their comments and suggestions, which I review and finalize before sending to our design team. To be fair, there is a case to be made that this process could be improved. My boss feels that AI can help speed this up, but I am of the mind that we will still have to do our own review while checking to see what AI did, so there really wouldn't any improvements in efficiency.

(It should be noted that my boss has no writing or editing experience; in her own words, she is a numbers person, with a background mostly in sales and business management. Her "solutions" for the department often address nonexistent or negligible problems, and I feel unheard when I share my own thoughts on the actual problems and possible solutions [which is probably worth a post in an HR subreddit, but I digress]).

I'm trying to keep an open mind, so I welcome learning about your experiences in using AI in these capacities.

Hi everyone! I have a stem degree, with some experience of volunteer editing at a univerity student/alumni run maths magazine, and while I was having a chat with a friend on books (she works marketing/sales I believe) she asked me why I haven't tried to apply to publishing jobs, like and editor. I wasn't aware it was even possible without an english or like an essay heavy degree. I looked around a bit and every job wanted experience. I don't know if they were just the ones I came across or it's the time of the year but if there is a possibility of getting into probably editing or another side of publishing, what do I need?

Tldr: I have a STEM degree but want to get into publishing industry, what do I need?

Hi everyone! I recently graduated with a degree in English and desperately want to break into freelance editing. I know that getting an editing certificate can really help further my education and boost my portfolio. What program is best for developmental editing, specifically for YA or NA fiction? I've heard good things about Chicago and University of Washington, but mixed reviews about how helpful they are for fiction and developmental editing. Any advice would be much appreciated!

So I’m very new to the publishing world and am sending out applications wherever I can, and I read some pretty rough things about a few publishing houses and found myself wondering if simply working somewhere would end my career before it even began. I figure I can handle a hostile working environment as long as I’m getting paid and gaining experience, but I want to make sure that I’ll be able to move up if the opportunity presents itself.

Any advice?

Hey folks. I am not a publisher.

I'm considering taking a shot at writing, but I'm concerned about AI and its ability to call into question the provenance* of my work. In other words, I want to be able to say that my work is my work.

I wanted to ask publishers: what, if any, measures is the industry taking to validate human authorship of written works? Are there steps I can and should take in this regard?

I've considered home grown solutions to provide "forensic-ish" evidence of my writing. If i do that, will it be considered? Does anyone care?

Let me know what you guys think and what the industry is doing, if you have a moment. I appreciate it.

I’ve been asked to provide 30-50 simplex one-color illustrations for a book being published by FSG. The book will contain 10 recipes and my illustrations are meant to give them life (not show specific techniques). I’ve done some research and have an estimate but would like input from people who know. (ps, I have 20+ years of experience, just in a diffident industry). Thanks!

Hello! I'm looking to become an editor after I graduate with my English and Environmental Science degree and I'm just looking to see what the industry is like, whether as a editor or other related jobs like publishers and such.

Any information from people currently in the industry and anything they want to share about what their job and life is like would be greatly appreciated!

To be completely honest, I fell into this industry entirely by accident. I studied journalism in college and had no luck finding work upon graduating back in 2012, and spent the next two years sending out job applications nonstop for anything communications related. I ended up at a longtime pub (professional trade and academic journals)- I had applied originally for an admin asst role, but was offered an editorial asst role. I stayed there for three years, through multiple rounds of layoffs, which naturally meant acquiring all the responsibilities of an assistant editor without any promotion or raise. I witnessed my office get halved in size within the first nine months of working there, but the real kicker was seeing my boss demoted and nudged out the door. I have been trying for years to heal the psychological damage of my time there.

After I left, I landed at a Bay Area trade pub as an exec asst, which means I acted as HR for the office, ed asst for the two ed teams, and marketing asst for the parent company, in addition to “supporting” the president/publisher. The company should have folded years ago due to mismanagement. They’ve since been acquired and folded into a different company, but I still hear horror stories of ego and lack of communication and poor management and work habits.

Then I landed in NYC at a medical publisher and at least got to flex my reporting and writing skills a tiny bit more for some websites the pub owned. Naturally, this is in addition to working in journals, and helping out marketing and sales again. This job soured quickly because my boss sexually harassed me- and after I filed my report, HR came back and said there was no proof of harassment in their investigation. Cool. (I know this isn’t a publishing specific issue or complaint, but it doesn’t help the entire working experience!) I didn’t even last a year there, due to my mental health plummeting to new depths, thanks to my creepy asshole boss. (Bonus fact about that creep- he was bragging about owning a Tesla all the way back in 2018.)

I picked up a freelance acq. editor gig at the same time, which was more of a project manager role than anything else because their budget only allowed me to work 20 hours a month for them. This pub was lovely, but they could only offer me a full-time role if I moved back to the Bay Area, and the salary range was not enough for me to be able to move back there.

About two years after my freelance acq/PM role wrapped, I landed back at my first publisher to do freelance dev edit/PM work. The work was fine and I genuinely loved working with that team, but freelance ain’t enough to pay the bills, no matter how you cut it. Especially when you only get paid once a project wraps, and the project drags on longer than expected. I know it’s common enough in the industry, but it doesn’t negate the fact that the freelancers get financially fucked every which way. Anyway, I wrapped my freelance with them for a number of reasons, and shortly after my last project wrapped, a lot of dev edit/PM work disappeared from that team and publisher. I could go back and beg for proofreading and copyediting freelance, but I’ve been burned out for a decade now and I genuinely do not have the energy or desire to push myself or to chase work in order to cover my monthly expenses.

I’m currently in a full-time editorial PM role and the folks I work with are lovely, but also hardened by similar circumstances. I don’t know much about their previous layoffs or company history, and I don’t want to pry because it’s not going to help me one way or another. I also don’t know how long I can or will last here. I have a feeling that their revenue genuinely is not enough to keep me on full-time permanently. My job only opened up because a member of their team took a sabbatical and is due back in a couple months, and I don’t see how they can afford to keep me on when this person returns.

Since my first job in publishing, I have worked and tried so hard to find work in a different industry because of the lack of stability and insultingly low pay. I know I’m preaching to the choir here. I did get a job at a startup while being a freelance PM for my old publisher, and that was its own hellhole, but I was honestly so much happier- I wrote emails, I got operational experience, I learned a lot, and mostly importantly, I was making more than double what I earned in any FT publishing salary. If the layoffs at that startup hadn’t cut me and my team loose, I would still happily be there, making jokes and polishing comms and filling in for Ops as needed.

How do we break out of here? I want so badly to find a job that doesn’t destroy my mental health, my happiness, my finances, and my love of reading. Did I mention that I hate reading now? I used to read all the time before I started working in publishing.

Something has got to give, I just don’t know what. And I don’t know what to look for, or how to look for what I want, in the midst of AI-run applicant tracking systems auto-rejecting my job apps an hour after applying, and in the midst of societal collapse. I don’t want a dream job. I just want stability and enough energy to pursue my hobbies after working hours.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just needed to get this off my chest before I go rewrite my resume for the billionth time.

Hey there,

This is a survey for a school project, and it is about the emerging usage of AI in the book publishing workplace.

It is completely anonymous. It should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.

Anyone who works in the publishing industry in any capacity is welcome to take the survey.

Thank you everyone!

Link to survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIZl58_YAF_P-vWLqCMK0S5OXuu_nKbOrwC4dUggjHMFDIbg/viewform?usp=header

My friend has an interview at Hachette for a Sales Assistant role! Has anyone had an interview there or for the role specifically and can give some advice? It would be appreciated :-)

hey y’all! I’ve been working in development for the film industry for a few years now and have decided to switch to publishing. I have an interview at a lit agency soon and realized that I don’t know the differences between coverage and readers reports. I know that they’re pretty much the same thing, but I’m sure that there must at least be some structural differences that I need to be aware of. Any help would be great!

Every day there is another post in this sub that does not belong here. If mods don't want to actually...mod...there's a really simple fix. Just add an automatic message that clarifies that this sub is for people working in the publishing industry and asks people to delete their post or go to r/pubtips if they are looking to discuss writing.

Publishing seems like an interesting field but one that’s rarely discussed.

I’d love to hear from editors, publishers, literary agents, proofreaders and publishing professionals.

Questions

What does your day involve?
Editing?
Proofreading?
Acquisitions?
Marketing?
Production?
Rights management?

Skills

Writing?
Editing?
Attention to detail?
Communication?
Project management?

Career

Salary progression?
Growth?
Print vs Digital publishing?

AI

How has AI affected publishing?

Advice

Would you recommend publishing as a long-term career today?

I live in North Carolina. A book author who lives in California wishes to employ me as a consultant to pursue a publishing contract for a new edition of his previously co-authored manuscript.

His co-author died while working on a sixth edition, which a UK publisher had contracted but then cancelled (I don't have documentation for the contract status yet). The author is not clear about his copyrights. I'm more than willing to do the research of determining who has rights (the co-author's estate and the UK publisher), but am afraid of stepping into legal jeopardy. If the author and I create an agreement outlining this work, can I legally communicate with the estate and the publisher?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a journal article editing service since my advisor is no longer available to assist me with my work. To provide some context, the article I have drafted is about constitutional and criminal law. I’m currently a graduate student and would be submitting to other journals that accept student work. My article is around 45 pages, double-spaced and including footnotes.

I have done all the research that I felt was necessary and don’t need assistance with substantive writing. At this point, I just need a second pair of eyes to go through it with me and resolve structural issues which I can’t figure out how to fix myself. I’m sure there are improvements that can be made in other areas too.

I really don’t know much at all about editing services so I’d appreciate any recommendations and guidance! The most important thing is that I need the editor to be capable of sentence level edits as well as big picture structural edits.

Thank you!