Job Responsibilities
Supervise overall content, circulation strategy, sales,
marketing and production. Responsible for profit & loss.
Some publishers are basically sales managers, with little or no
control over editorial, circulation, art, production, etc. Other
publishers are like general managers and handle every aspect of
the magazine and/or website. Some publishers handle a list of
regular ad accounts in addition to supervising other
salespeople. Some handle multiple magazines and sites (generally
called Group Publishers).
Most publishers report to Group Publishers or VPs. Publishers of
larger magazines and sites are often VPs themselves, reporting
to presidents.
My 20-year path was: Salesman, ad director, associate publisher,
publisher, group publisher, VP/group publisher.
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Job Requirements
I have a bachelors degree in mass communications. Many
publishers have degrees in journalism, marketing, business, etc.
It's more prevelant now for publishers to have advanced degrees,
either MBA or MA in Journalism. Formal sales and management
training while on the job is essential for success.
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Uppers
Interesting work if you like the publication's focus. With most jobs in trade
and special interest magazines and websites, it helps to be a fast study and to
enjoy the specific niche your publication (or site) serves. You get to work with
a lot of different people and it's important to also get to know your advertisers
and their agencies.
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Downers
For me, it's the accounting. Publishers are generally
responsible for creating operating budgets, forecasting sales,
reporting revenue and expenses on a regular basis, taking care
of administrative and HR-related issues, etc.
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Lifestyle
Most publishers focus on sales, so you spend a good bit of time visiting
advertisers, agencies, etc. Trade shows and other special events also take up
time.
It's mostly a 9 to 5 job, with regular business dinners and travel.
Most media companies are business casual. However, it's still customary to "suit
up" for sales calls and out of office meetings. At most larger companies,
publishers and VPs dress more formally than the rank and file.
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Compensation
For publishers with just sales responsibilities, compensation is
generally tied to revenue. If you run a profit center making $2
million in revenue, you can expect a base pay anywhere between
50 and 150K. Since most publishers at small magazines are
recruited from the sales ranks (or senior editorial positions)
this makes the pay compeititive with what they were making as a
top sales person or editor.
For publishers with "P&L responsibility" the base is generally
higher, with back-end compensation tied to profits (as opposed
to revenue).
Because of the wide variety of job descriptions and
responsibilities, commisssion and bonus plans are all over the
place. Typical packages for a publisher on a small (under $2M)
profit center would be $75-$175K. That's a big range, because
the job is different for a start up, a mature publication, etc.
as well as the variables in responsibilities.
Group publishers and Publishers who are also Editor in Chief
make more, with salaries reaching as much as $200K (we're basing
all this on a 2M profit center.)
As you would imagine,working on a $5M or $10M business will
bring in more pay. Many publishers make more than $250K.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Most younger publishers have advanced degrees and sales
experience. A good grasp on all aspects of publishing, including
online media, is essential. People skills, ability to handle big
numbers in spreadsheets and creativity in sales strategy and
promotion are also helpful. If you're coming up through
editorial, art, production or circulation, you're at a
disadvantage. Whatever your educational experience, formal sales
training is essential to be a successful publisher.
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