Becoming a literary publicist requires an educational background in language and literature, sales or business experience, and gaining experience in sales, interning at a publishing company or literary agency, and working as an editor or editorial assistant. It is a challenging job that requires persistence and connections.
It might seem like a dream job to become a literary publicist. For the uninitiated, this career seems to involve rubbing elbows with great authors, attending gala receptions, booking television and radio interviews, and attending highly publicized book signings. As with most professions, however, truth differs somewhat from fiction. While a handful of those who become literary publicists enjoy a jet-setting lifestyle, the average publicist spends his hours in the trenches. Even getting such a job, or at least one that pays a decent wage, is no easy feat.
To become a literary publicist, you must first have an educational background that focuses heavily on language, literature, and the nuances of grammatical perfection. You should also have sales or business experience, as a publicist spends a great deal of his time trying to convince bookstores or chains to carry out the work offered by the publishing house or literary agency for which he is employed. More than ever, the sales and advertising sides of a publisher or agency work hand in hand. In smaller operations, the advertising and sales team may be the same.
Your best chance of becoming a literary publicist is to gain experience in three distinct industries. First, you must be well versed in sales. The best salespeople are born with the gift of gab and have the ability to convince the buyer that they offer a must-have product.
Next, and just as important, try to spend some time working as an intern at a reputable publishing company or literary agency. Much of that time, at least initially, will be spent making coffee, typing letters, scheduling appointments, picking up donuts and answering the phone. While not a glamorous position, literary agents tend to work at a hectic pace and will be quick to assign increasing responsibilities to their most capable and reliable employees. With this job, you’ll gain invaluable contacts in the publishing world and may end up working as the agent’s own publicist.
The final critical step, not required but certainly helpful, is to work as an editor or editorial assistant. Your editing edits alone won’t help you become a literary publicist, but this track record is something that particularly impresses human resources people at publishing houses. You must always remember that very few people start their career as a literary publicist. It’s a job that comes most often through promotion from within, good connections, and an almost superhuman ability to take massive amounts of rejection.
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