Job Responsibilities
My company publishes books on a wide range of topics, and it is
my job to literally sell them all to Barnes & Noble, so they can
carry our books throughout the US. I spend about 1/3 of my time
actually working with B&N, both in person, on the phone, sending
them materials to provide info on the books, emailing them about
orders or with information. The rest of my time is probably
spent internally, helping to make acquisition decisions by
informing editorial about trends or sales patterns on specific
subjects, doing analysis of my business to figure out where
there are opportunities or weaknesses, writing reports which are
shared with all depts of the company on our accounts' response
to different books. I work closely with editorial, often
suggesting new books/new subjects to explore. I often provide
feedback on covers (art) or cover copy (text) to maximize a
book's potential. I also read many of the books in advance of
selling them (but that takes place on my own time). I work
about 45-50 hours per week.
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Job Requirements
No specific degree is required for this job but it takes a while
to work up the ranks. Most start as an administrative assistant
in the sales dept of a publisher. Few begin as a sales rep.
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Uppers
Great mixture of working with clients and with different functional groups
internally. Most people in publishing put up with low pay because we love the
books and the people.
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Downers
Minimal administrative support, poor pay, some sexism.
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Lifestyle
Dress code is usually casual. Many people work 9-5 although that is hard if you
are conscientious. I travel sometimes for business, maybe 5 times per year,
often to FL for company meetings. Unlike many companies, we are not required to
share rooms.
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Compensation
My base salary is about 85% of my total compensation. Raises in
recent years are about 3%. My bonus is based on a sales goal
that is not always achievable. It is paid out quarterly (if I
make it). One thing I like about my current company is that it
is very upfront about the criterial for the bonus, so you know
where you are. Many competitors wouldn't even give us something
in writing and there was no help from HR.
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Advice to Jobseekers
It is a great field to be in, whether in editorial, sales,
production, marketing, or publicity. However, it is not a high
paying field and does involve long hours. Still, one of the
best things about my experiences is the lifelong friends I have
made. Even if I leave the field, I will continue to be involved
in books in some way, I feel sure.
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