How to Get a Marketing Position in a Publishing Firm

by Amanda Dickerson

Overview

Publishing companies use marketing departments to promote and sell the books they publish. To get a job in the marketing department of a book publisher takes education, skills and experience. Smaller presses are more likely to hire applicants with less experience, but they also tend to pay a lower salary. Publishing is a small industry with limited job openings. The better you prepare yourself, the more likely you are to beat out the competition for one of the coveted jobs in the marketing department.

Step 1

Obtain a Bachelor's degree. The degrees that best work for job seekers targeting the marketing department of a publishing company include business, marketing, management, public relations and graphic design.
Step 2

Gain experience. The marketing department of publishing companies prefers candidates with at least two years experience in a related field. This could be in bookstores, with book distributors or even other publishing houses. This experience also has the added benefit of giving the job seeker the chance to network with the marketing department, giving them a leg up on other applicants.
Step 3

Build your communication skills. It is vital to have good communication skills when working with a publisher. The marketing department needs to produce everything from press releases to easy to read back cover copy.
Step 4

Be willing to travel. The marketing department travels to book shows, and visits with distributors and regional sales staff frequently.
Step 5

Write a great resume. It should be clean, organized and professional. Most important, list the skills, experience and education that best prepares you for a career in marketing books.