Sylvia Said:

Does anyone here work in publishing?

We Answered:

I'm not in publishing - but I imagine a degree in English, Communications, Literature, or similiarly related would be a major assett - perhaps even required.

Mattie Said:

Have you had experience with your work being published on line without your permission?

We Answered:

You may want to contact the original magazine publisher. They hold the copyright on your behalf. I'm sure that they have attorney's on staff that can advise you. There may also have been permission granted. Publishers often hold several titles under one large corporation. The magazine publisher may have shares in the website so check that as well. See who is the corporation who holds each one. In both of the above situations you should be getting a percentage of the re-print unless your contract states differently. Check your original agreement and see what it says. I know that journalism is different than book (publishing) as far as payment/royalties. There may be implied permission granted. However if not then you should at least get 'first sale' price from the website as well.

Marilyn Said:

What do you do & what qualities do you need to work in a publishing house?

We Answered:

Hey RGG!

Your best bet would be to contact several publishing houses directly and ask them. You might even find some answers on their websites. If not, you should at least get their contact information.

If they don't get back to within a reasonable time (2 or 3 weeks), perhaps reword your inquiry and then send it to someone else at the same publishing house.

You might even ask them if they are open to interns (you work for free but gain valuable experience).

Make certain that every word you write is spelled correctly and that your grammar and sentence structure, etc., are without fault.

You might check the Net for how to write letters of inquiry before setting out to do so.

Sam Said:

Anyone in publishing. I will work one day a week for free to gain experience whilst completing degree.?

We Answered:

I am not in publishing, but my son is. Try approaching your local newspaper office with the idea of working free, I bet they would take you up on it. Best wishes!
(if not, try a local printing company)

Bobbie Said:

Any ideas on what are the minimum qualifications and experience needed to work for a book publishing company?

We Answered:

It depends what kind of job you want.

If you want to be an editor, get a bachelors degree in English and try to find an internship or assistant position at a publishing house and work your way up. It helps to live in or near NYC, as the majority of the major publishing companies are based there.

But there are other jobs that many people don't think of: bookkeeping, sales, contracts and legal work, design, marketing, publicity, and more. The qualifications will vary based on the kind of position, as will the required experience.

Check out this site to get an idea of the publishing jobs and internships that are out there (many will also list the qualifications applicants should have): http://bookjobs.com/

Overall, though, you should plan on starting at the bottom and working your way up. Try to get an internship, be aware that some are paid, some aren't. Then plan on taking a job as an office assistant or similar and try to increase your responsibilities from there. You will probably want to have at least two years of work experience to try to move up to higher positions. (Even editorial assistant positions ask for 2 years of experience.)