Contrary to the “starving and underpaid artist” stereotype for people working in the writing industry, there are tons of some of the best paying jobs in publishing which double as some of the highest paying jobs in the world.
Most people do not consider publishing a lucrative path except for a few already making it big in the industry. However, the truth is, there are tons of lucrative positions in the field. You need to know where to look.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the 15 best paying jobs in publishing you should consider as a person interested in the industry. For this article, we define best paying jobs based on data from resources such as Indeed and other verified sources.
Table of Contents
Is a Career in Publishing a Good Choice?
A career in publishing is frequently considered for authors who are passionate about their craft. But what if you don’t naturally lean that way?
What if you don’t work as a writer? There are alternative methods to establish a reputation in the field, even if this may initially limit your publication prospects.
You’ll need to be at the top of your game to land a job because publishing is a challenging field to break into, but it will be well worth it.
The publishing sector is expanding and offers several options. Additionally, it’s a very competitive area, so doing your homework before you start writing is essential.
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What are the Benefits of Going for a Career in Publishing?
The benefits of becoming a publisher are numerous. As a professional route, it may be quite rewarding. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in May 2017, editors and publishers made a median annual compensation of $68,380.
This is a vast increase compared to the median annual wage for all other jobs, which was $54,620. In fact, according to the BLS, “the expected growth rate for editing and publishing occupations is greater than that for all other occupations in the U.S.”
Therefore, being a publisher can be the ideal job for you if you’re looking for a well-paying position with lots of room for advancement.
Being a publisher has a lot of autonomy and independence as a perk, which is another major benefit.
Best Paying Jobs in Publishing
- Technical Publications Manager
- Publishing Manager
- Production Manager
- Contract manager
- Publication Specialist
- Publisher
- Literary Agents
- Editor
- Copy editor
- Editorial Assistant
- Copywriter
- Sales representative
- Publicist
- Editorial Assistant
- Illustrator
1. Technical Publications Manager
A technical publications manager is an expert in the literary area who promotes technical publications and oversees writing initiatives.
In this position, you work with your team to provide editorial support and content for technical publications, in addition to your management responsibilities.
You make sure that your authors are creating the best possible material.
As a technical publication manager, you have a variety of duties.
Also, you oversee authors, manage their work, sort through various projects, and serve as their editor. In this position, you often don’t engage with clients directly.
Instead, you converse with your employees, giving projects your final clearance before submitting them to clients. Even at this, this position ranks as one of the best paying jobs in publishing.
Average Salary Range: $60,000-$90,000 per year
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2. Publishing Manager
A publishing manager is responsible for managing all publications for a business or customer. You frequently serve as the first point of contact between the media and a publication in this position.
Your specific work responsibilities can involve:
- Managing publishing personnel.
- Developing training materials for them.
- Organizing and executing marketing initiatives.
- Keeping up with industry developments.
Additionally, you negotiate contracts or licensing agreements, review and edit printed materials, approve all copies before publication, and participate in reviews or other project-related promotional activities.
You could report to a publishing director in this position. Since this is a senior role, you should have extensive publishing experience. Also, it is one of the best paying jobs in publishing.
Average Salary Range: $45,000-$78,500 per year
3. Production Manager
A production manager, sometimes known as a production editor, supervises and manages a product’s production from beginning to end.
These experts in the publishing sector make sure that manuscripts are edited, developed, and printed following deadlines and predetermined timetables.
They could be in charge of quality assurance checks, negotiating with outside printers and vendors, examining and approving book covers and advertising materials, and keeping an eye on production timelines.
A production manager may also be in charge of hiring and managing a group of employees, including copy editors, proofreaders, and indexers.
Average Salary: $67,963 per year
4. Contract manager
A contract manager is in charge of managing agreements between parties. They could oversee contracts between publishing companies and writers or their literary agents in the publishing industry.
The rights of the writers, their advances and royalties, publishing dates, and the number of books produced are all established by these agreements, among other facets of the book production process.
They are responsible for drafting and negotiating contracts, outlining their terms, reviewing requested amendments, and recording and filing any paperwork associated with such contracts.
Contract managers also provide customers’ or employers’ advice on the advantages and disadvantages of various contract types.
Average Salary: $87,267 per year
5. Publication Specialist
In the United States, most Publication Specialist salaries now fall between $54,000 (25th percentile) and $83,500 (75th percentile) a year. It is a position consistently ranked as one of the best paying jobs in publishing.
Although some progress is conceivable, the moderate range of earnings indicates that the income in this position will be stable regardless of skill level, location, and years of experience.
Average Salary Range: $54,000-$83,500 per year
6. Publisher
In addition to other print and media initiatives, a publisher is in charge of printing, distributing, marketing, and creating books, magazines, and newspapers.
A single newspaper or magazine, several projects, authors, or both may fall under the publisher’s purview.
The self-publishing technology has expanded this spectrum, and tiny publishing firms are a cottage business for independently wealthy and self-published authors and editors.
A publisher traditionally oversees newspaper distribution as well as the purchase of book rights or the growth of profits.
Average Salary Range: $37,000-$77,000 per year
7. Literary Agents
A literary agent is in charge of promoting authors and establishing connections between them and book publishers and editors.
These experts are well-versed in how to recognize and promote the literary talents they come across.
Agents frequently get a cut of the money made through royalties, fees, or book advances when representing writers.
Authors’ work may be pitched to publishing companies; literary agents may assess manuscripts or sample chapters, negotiate contracts, and assist authors with publication.
This position frequently calls for good networking abilities to establish professional networks and keep up with the most recent business news and trends.
Average Salary: $43,563 per year
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8. Editor
Content preparation for publication or production is the responsibility of the editor.
In the publishing industry, manuscripts are acquired and evaluated to see if they satisfy the requirements of the publishing firm or have a big enough market.
They may also work with authors to ensure that content adheres to style or editorial requirements, review and edit text for spelling, punctuation, and real problems, and stick to pertinent project timetables or deadlines to ensure on-time release.
They frequently collaborate with members of the production, creative, and marketing teams to enhance the promotion of the books.
Average Salary Range: $56,136 per year
9. Copy editor
Before publication, the text must be reviewed by a copy editor to ensure it is error-free.
When reviewing an author’s manuscript, copy editors frequently collaborate with book editors in the publishing industry.
They may come across full- or part-time jobs where they might perform “as-needed” labor for publishing businesses.
They are responsible for evaluating content for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation issues, fact-checking data, and, if necessary, revising language to improve clarity.
To ensure that the text adheres to any applicable style or editorial requirements, copy editors often evaluate and modify the content.
Average Salary Range: $38,663 per year
10. Editorial Assistant
An editorial assistant is in charge of assisting senior editorial personnel with all aspects of publishing, from planning to production.
In this capacity, they frequently work with various publishing personnel, including experts from the creative, editorial, production, and marketing departments.
Their many duties include editing and proofreading written material, acting as a writer’s liaison, managing rights and permissions issues, and managing production chores.
Editorial assistants may also perform administrative office duties, including document filing, calendar management, phone answering, and expense report recording.
Average Salary Range: $41,106 per year
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11. Copywriter
This is another one of the best paying jobs in publishing. People in this position are in charge of producing written material, frequently intending to persuade readers to perform a specific action.
In the publishing industry, copywriters may work in the promotional division to promote and sell books.
Depending on their position, they could create and edit content for social media postings, press releases, author profiles, book covers, and website text.
Other duties include:
- Gathering information for content creation.
- Helping with the planning and development of marketing campaigns.
- Finding images.
Average Salary $61,074 per year
12. Sales representative
A sales representative is in charge of promoting a company’s products and services.
These individuals frequently try to market books at publishing firms to retailers like bookshops and wholesalers and other businesses like libraries and schools.
They could also work with bookshops to decide how to market their works to readers.
Contacting current and future customers, negotiating pricing or discounts, attending sales conferences, and setting and achieving sales targets are all duties of sales representatives.
Traveling for this job could be necessary to meet with clients or go to trade shows.
Average Salary: $65,101 per year
13. Publicist
A publicist’s job is to promote their client’s brands or messages to audiences and secure press attention for them.
At publishing houses, publicists might endeavor to advertise writers and their publications. They could work with the marketing team to design marketing campaigns for their customers to get favorable notice.
They could be in charge of distributing promotional materials, writing press releases, and acting as a liaison between publishing houses and media organizations.
Publicists frequently plan authors’ public appearances, such as book signings, interviews, or speaking tours, and provide coaching to prepare them.
Average Salary: $43,217 per year
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14. Editorial Assistant
An editorial assistant is in charge of assisting senior editorial personnel with all aspects of publishing, from planning to production.
In this capacity, they frequently work with various publishing personnel, including experts from the creative, editorial, production, and marketing departments.
Their many duties include editing and proofreading written material, acting as a writer’s liaison, managing rights and permissions issues, and managing production chores.
Editorial assistants may also perform administrative office duties, including document filing, calendar management, phone answering, and expense report recording.
Average Salary: $41,106 per year
15. Illustrator
An illustrator is in charge of sketching and producing art, frequently for print publications or promotional items.
These experts in the publishing sector frequently work with writers to produce the artwork that is shown in their books. Illustrators may work for publishing businesses on a contract basis or internally.
They must collaborate with writers to decide the visual style, offer rough drafts, make revisions to the drawings in response to reader input, and adhere to deadlines and design guidelines.
Illustrators can use physical instruments like pencils, acrylics, watercolors, or software to produce digital drawings and illustrations.
Average Salary: $41,893 per year
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Conclusion
The publishing industry is a great career path to venture into. It may be a satisfying experience, so don’t give in to the “starving artist” stereotypes.
FAQs
They could be in charge of distributing promotional materials, writing press releases, and acting as a liaison between publishing houses and media organizations.
Publicists frequently plan authors’ public appearances, such as book signings, interviews, or speaking tours, and provide coaching to prepare them.
You’ll need to be at the top of your game to land a job because publishing is a notoriously tricky industry, but it will be well worth it.
Technical Publications Manager
Publishing Manager
Production Manager
Contract manager
Publication Specialist
Publisher
Literary Agents
Editor
Copy editor
Editorial Assistant
Copywriter
Sales representative
Publicist
Editorial Assistant
Illustrator
References
- Indeed.com – Jobs To Work in Publishing
- prospects.ac.uk – How to get into publishing
- ici2016.org – What is the highest paying job in Publishing?
- bls.gov – Publishers
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