One Day, One Job » books

Macmillan

Willy Franzen — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:51:45 +0000

Want your job to fit like a pair of the world’s best fitting pants? Bonobos will give you both. They’re one of my favorite companies that I’ve profiled, and they’re hiring an entry level Associate E-Commerce Coordinator. If you apply for the job, be sure to tell them that I sent you (they know me!).

There are some industries where company histories gets really confusing. Mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, name changes, and all kinds of other events make it hard to truly understand what parts of the story are meaningful. I’ve found this especially prevalent with financial institutions, advertising agencies, and publishers. We’re going to talk about the latter today. Macmillan is the New York, NY based face of a “group of publishing companies in the United States held by Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck” (a German company). As I read through their history, I got a bit overwhelmed. It starts in 1843 with two Scottish brothers, and includes the story about a completely different publisher named Macmillan. While understanding Macmillan’s history is important, it’s far more important to understand their future, which might include you.

I’m a Mac

Macmillan’s business is separated into three broad categories: Trade, College & Academic, and Magazines & Journals. That covers a ton of ground, so it’s helpful to dive into the publishers that make up Macmillan and their imprints, which include Farrar Straus and Giroux, Henry Holt & Company, W.H. Freeman and Worth Publishers, Palgrave Macmillan, Bedford/St. Martin’s, Picador, Roaring Brook Press, St. Martin’s Press, Tor Books, and Macmillan Higher Education. You get more info on each of these individual publishers here. A lot of them have their own prints, which just tells you how broad Macmillan’s reach is. You’ll have to dive in and figure out which areas of their business are most interesting to you, then you can check out their job postings. Right now they have a ton of entry level jobs posted including:

Inside Sales Assistant – HPHLP (Hamilton, NJ)
Graphic Designer – Palgrave Macmillan
Marketing Assistant – Palgrave Macmillan
Marketing Assistant – W. H. Freeman & Worth
Administrative Assistant
Associate Media Editor – Bedford, Freeman & Worth
Media Producer – Bedford, Freeman & Worth (Boston, MA)
Marketing Assistant – Bedford St. Martins (Boston, MA)
Associate Media Editor – Statistics and Mathematics – W. H. Freeman & Worth
Digital Production Associate
Human Resources Coordinator
Enforcement Assistant
Email Marketing Specialist
Publicist
Editorial Assistant – W. H. Freeman & Worth
Editorial Assistant – W. H. Freeman & Worth (slightly different from above)
Publisher Specialist
Online Content Specialist – Bedford St. Martins (Boston, MA)
High School Sales Representative -HPHLP (Hamilton, NJ)
Digital Marketing Associate

As you can see there’s quite a range of job opportunities at Macmillan. Be sure to read the job descriptions, as many of the jobs focus on specific publishing niches. Having subject matter expertise in those areas will be a big help in landing the jobs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Macmillan’s imprints is your favorite?

Globe Pequot Press

Willy Franzen — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:33:51 +0000

I’m a big reader, so I usually end up getting quite a few books for Christmas. That’s starting to change because I’ve moved the to the Kindle for most of my reading, but I’m still a book collector. In fact, I have an award winning collection on fly fishing. A good number of those books come from a publisher called Lyons Press, which is now owned by a larger publishing company called Globe Pequot Press. They’re based in Guilford, CT, and they focus on four categories: Outdoor Life, Regional Interest, Special Interests, and Travel. These categories are represented by imprints that include FalconGuides, Knack, Skirt!, Insiders’ Guide, Footprint Travel Guides, and Popout Products. When you put all those together, you get a pretty decent sized publishing company.

Take a Trip Around the Globe

Globe Pequot Press published its first book in 1947, and for it remained quite small for its first quarter century. They focused mainly on local topics and worked with local towns and their historical societies. They eventually expanded to cover areas like “New England history, biography, architecture, antiques, genealogy and travel,” and as they grew they started to attract the attention of bigger players. In the 80s a series of acquisitions and changes in ownership began and continued up until 1999. That’s when Globe Pequot Press settled in Guilford, and since then they’ve continued to grow by buying or adding new imprints. You can learn a lot more about the company by browsing their site and taking a look at the titles that they publish, so I recommend that you do that before heading over to their Jobs page. Right now GPP is hiring a Digital Production Assistant and a Business Development Specialist. Take a look at the jobs and see if Globe Pequot Press is the place for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What books are on your Christmas list?

BookRenter.com

Willy Franzen — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:38:14 +0000

We’ll be wrapping up our survey soon, so speak now and help shape the future of ODOJ.

I’m convinced that textbook publishers are just really expensive money launderers. You spend an outrageous amount of money on some book that you probably won’t even open, and at the end of the semester you sell it back for 15% of what you paid for it. Your money is clean and you’re slightly more educated, yet there’s this sinking feeling that you’ve been had. Academic publishers have built monopolies title by title, and they’ve reaped the rewards for decades. It’s finally coming to an end. There are now open-source publishers like Flat World Knowledge and textbook rental services like Chegg and BookRenter.com that are digging into the publishers’ profits. Today we’re going to focus on San Mateo, CA based BookRenter.com which was founded in 2006 “to make education more affordable for everyone.” From what I can tell, they were the first textbook rental service, and they’ve been growing big time since they launched.

The End of Rent Seeking

You could make a pretty strong argument that textbook publishers are just rent seekers. They use their connections to professors to charge above market prices. Oddly enough, it’s the rental business that might just put an end to their monopoly power; though, I do wonder whether a move to digital publishing will tip the scales back towards the publishers. Anyway, BookRenter.com has built a remarkable business by making a capital investment in tons of textbooks and building out the logistics to get the books quickly to and from students. Now BookRenter.com just needs to get more and more students to try renting. That should be easy considering that they can easily save an average student more than $500 a year. If you’re liking what BookRenter.com is all about, then take a look at their Jobs page. They have a ton of open positions including:

There are all kinds of great options at BookRenter.com, so join their team and help put textbook publishers in their place.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your worst college textbook horror story?

Chicago History Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:20:57 +0000

I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.

Make Your Job Search History

The Chicago History Museum’s collection focuses on eight specific areas: Architecture, Archives and Manuscripts (including Audio), Books and other Published Materials, Costumes and Textiles, Decorative and Industrial Arts, Fine Arts, and Prints and Photographs. The scope of these collections is limited to items related to Living in the Metropolitan Area, Working in the Metropolitan Area, Governing the Metropolitan Area, The Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. Apparently it all adds up to more than 22 million documents and artifacts. If you want to learn more about the specific collections, you should start here. And if you find that Chicago history speaks to you, then you’ll want to take a look at the Chicago History Museum’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Computer Support Technician and a Collection Manager – Costume and Textile (requires M. A. in Costume History, Museum Studies (Costume/Textile), or related field). If neither of those positions interest you, you could also consider volunteering.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you into your city’s history?

Lulu

Willy Franzen — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:56:17 +0000

I realize that a lot of you are looking for something specific. You’re want a certain type of job at a certain type of company in a certain type of industry in a certain geographic location. I know that on most days the company that I write about won’t check all of your boxes. Instead of closing out the e-mail when you see something that doesn’t fit your criteria, use our daily write ups as a jumping off point–something to get you thinking in new directions in your job search. For instance, last week I wrote about Author Solutions. In doing research on them, I came across a few of their competitors. One that stood out was Lulu (not to be confused with lululemon). They’re a Raleigh, NC based company that has built an open publishing platform “that empowers more creators to sell more content to more readers more profitably than ever before.” It’s different from AuthorHouse in that Lulu doesn’t charge any upfront fees–they only get a cut when you make sales.

Are You a Lulu?

What’s a lulu? According to Lulu’s About page the “dictionary defines a lulu as a remarkable person, object or idea.” Lulu chose the name because they aim “to help remarkable people create and share their remarkable ideas with the world.” They’ve been doing it since 2002, and it’s working. Just look at their Success Stories. They best way to get to know Lulu is to play around with their platform. Browse the books that they sell while also walking through their demo. It’ll show you just how easy it is to use Lulu to publish your works–you can even have them put your book on Amazon or create an ebook version. If you like what Lulu is doing, take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they have a few options for new or recent grads including Customer Voice Associate, Product Manager – eCommerce, and UI Designer/Developer. Be a lulu!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever bought a book published by Lulu?

Author Solutions

Willy Franzen — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:55:10 +0000

It amazes me how many people dream of writing a book. I never had that dream, yet when a publisher came to me and pitched a book idea on career development, I jumped at the opportunity. I had no idea how hard it would be, and I ended up backing out because it was sucking up time that I should have been spending on my business. Most people aren’t anywhere near as lucky as I was. Getting a publisher to work with you on a first project is nearly impossible–though I watched a good friend of mine totally hack the process and get a deal for his book. Luckily, you don’t need a book deal to publish a book these days. If you’re willing to take all of the risk, self-publishing can be a great alternative. Author Solutions is the parent to a number of companies that serve this market. They’re located in Bloomington, IN, and they own both the largest and second-largets print on demand companies in the U.S.

A Solution for Your Job Search

When I started doing research on Author Solutions, I came across a lot of negative blog posts and comments. It seems that the self-publishing industry can be extremely controversial, and Author Solutions is a big target because of their size. The term vanity press gets thrown around a lot, as it seems that some people don’t think it’s fair to charge an author to publish his or her book. Others are more direct with their criticism of Author Solutions’ services. It’s hard to say how much of this is accurate and how much is sour grapes from authors who paid a lot of money to publish a book that would never sell no matter who published it. I still think that Author Solutions has built a business that is worth at least taking a look at.

Author Solutions has published more than 140,000 titles, and I’m sure that number will continue to grow. They operate a bunch of businesses, and those include AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, AuthorHive, WordClay, lnkubook, Palibrio, and Author Learning Center. Through these different businesses Author Solutions is able to offer a wide range of author services including Editorial Services, Illustrations, Book & Cover Design, Publicity, Promotion, Distribution, Online Sales, and Bookstore Sales. If working in any of these areas sounds interesting to you, then you should take a look at Jobs at Author Solutions. Right now they have a ton of openings that might interest new or recent grads including:

Lots of options here, so give them all a good look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you ever self-publish a book?

Goodreads

Willy Franzen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:01:48 +0000

Looking for a job in North Carolina? Samaritan’s Purse is a non-profit with some great entry level jobs available.

I’m kind of a wannabe bookworm. I love reading, and I read often, but I find that I spend way too much time reading online articles and blog posts and not enough time reading books. I even bought a Kindle to force myself to read more books. It’s helped, but I think that I can do better. One of my big struggles is finding good books to read (if you have recommendation, e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com). I occasionally get a good recommendation from a friend, and Amazon’s recommendation isn’t bad, but I need something more. Goodreads is a service that aims to solve my problem. They’re based in San Francisco, CA (with an office in Santa Monica, CA), and they are “the largest social network for readers in the world” with “more than 5,300,000 members who have added more than 160,000,000 books to their shelves.”

Read Up on Goodreads

Goodreads is essentially a personal book management system. You can give and receive recommendations, keep track of what you’re reading and what you’ve read, and even form book clubs. It seems like the ultimate book discovery engine, which is why I’m definitely going to give it a try. The wonderful thing about what Goodreads does is that it’s super easy to monetize. If your site is all about recommending new books, then you can use affiliate links to take a cut of the books that people buy from sites like Amazon.com and BN.com. Additionally, Goodreads offers the opportunity for authors, publishers, and others to advertise directly to an audience of highly engaged, avid readers. The best thing about it is that the advertising is actually a service to users–it makes their experience better. Who cares if you find out about a really cool book from a friend or from an ad? If you love books and want to be a part of what Goodreads is doing, check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for Software Engineers, User Interface Designers, and Advertising Account Managers, so take a look at the positions and see what fits.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are you reading?

Simon & Schuster

Willy Franzen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:46:23 +0000

It’s hard to think of an industry that hasn’t been affected by the Internet in some way, but when you think about those that have seen the most change, publishing has to be at the top of the list. Not only has technology changed the way that we read, but it’s also changed what we read. In fact, I bought a Kindle to force myself to read more books, and half of the reading that I do on it is stuff that I sent to it from the web. However, books are still huge business, and the major brands in the book publishing business still seem to be surviving, if not thriving, in a forever changed book selling environment. Simon & Schuster is a great example (and if you’re looking for other entry level jobs in publishing, you may also want to check out Hachette, Sterling, Penguin Group, and Random House). The New York, NY publisher was able to hit their profit targets last year even though they fell short of revenue targets. This article on a letter from Simon & Schuster’s CEO will give you insight into how the company is embracing digital publishing while also expanding its focus on high growth areas like Children’s publishing. The Internet may just be what keeps the big name publishers alive.

Book It

The most recent data that I can find (mid-2008) had Simon & Schuster as the fourth largest trade publisher in the United States. Back then they represented just under 10% of the market share, and there’s a good chance that they’ve grown it since they’ve really started to embrace digital formats and social media marketing. Now, 10% of the trade books in the United States aren’t labeled as being published by Simon & Schuster—they have a wide range of divisions and imprints that specialize in specific interest areas and markets. Each of these acts as “its own publisher with separate editorial and publicity departments,” but they do share “common sales and business departments.” If you’re intrigued by what Simon & Schuster is doing to maintain (or improve) their position in the trade publishing industry, then you should check out their Jobs page—specifically the section on their Associates Program, which is aimed at providing “opportunities for entry-level candidates to gain hands-on experience in different functional areas in order to broaden knowledge of publishing and fast forward careers.” It’s a rotational program that offers focuses in Adult, Children’s Publishing (including but not limited to Editorial, Publicity, Marketing, Subsidiary Rights, and Managing Editorial), Digital, or Corporate Communications. It looks great, and they expect candidates on a rolling basis, so you don’t have to worry about deadlines or being from a target campus. There also some other positions posted on Simon & Schuster’s Jobs site like Human Resources Coordinator, Editorial Assistant (Gallery Books) – Adult Trade, Inventory Analyst (NYC and Riverside, NJ), Logistics Coordinator (Riverside, NJ), and Business Intelligence Analyst, so the Associates Program isn’t the only option.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which books from Simon & Schuster have you read lately?

The Elf on the Shelf

Willy Franzen — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:08:46 +0000

Merry Christmas Eve! I have a company for you today that I’ve been saving for months—since we ran through the Inc. 500 looking for great career opportunities. When I saw their name, I knew they’d be perfect for Christmas Eve, and it helps that they’ve seen 1,335% three-year revenue growth to $7 million in 2009 while also growing to 17 employees. The company is called The Elf on the Shelf, and they’re based in Kennesaw, GA. They’re in the business of pretty much everything elf, but it all started with a book. Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell (mother and daughter) wrote a book called The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition with Blue Eyed North Pole Pixie-Elf, which was based on a family story that was part of their annual holiday tradition. An entire product line grew from the story, and now The Elf on the Shelf is bringing in millions of dollars every year.

It All Starts with a Story

It’s amazing how far a simple story can go. That’s why a big portion of your job search energy should go into refining your story and making it compelling enough that people want to find out what happens next (hopefully by hiring you). It may seem that The Elf on the Shelf has a limited market, but most people would have never guessed that they’d grow this big. Along with the books, the company also produces elf toys, elf-sized clothing, and a variety of other holiday themed gifts and products. Now, they don’t have a Jobs page, but you can reach out to them through their Contact page. If your story is good enough, maybe a letter to Santa at santasworkshop@elfontheshelf.com will make your Christmas wish come true.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read The Elf on the Shelf?

Hachette Book Group

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:57:41 +0000

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have quite a bit of traveling ahead of me. I’m hoping to spend a good portion of the time reading books, but I have to admit that I’ve been terrible about reading lately. Running a business makes it hard enough to find time to read, and when I do have time, it seems that my laptop makes it too easy to read articles and blog posts. I’m also torn about whether I should buy more hard copy books or invest in an e-reading device like an iPad or Kindle (it seems the Kindle is the winner for heavy readers). You’re probably thinking about how you don’t care about my reading habits, but they’re actually really important when looked at through the lens of a company like Hachette Book Group. If a big reader like me is reading fewer books, then they have some big challenges ahead of them. And that’s why the publishing industry is an exciting place to be right now. Hachette, which is headquartered in New York City, has a simple mission: “to publish great books well.” From 1837 when Little, Brown and Company was founded (they’re now part of Hachette), up until just a few years ago, the way they went about pursuing that mission didn’t change much. Lately, it’s been changing a lot.

A Hachette Job

Despite all the changes in the publishing industry, Hachette is able to stand strong because of their vision to be “the #1 destination for authors, agents, customers and employees.” They appear to be putting the content above the medium, and that’s a recipe for success these days. I don’t have the inside details of how Hachette Book Group’s business is doing, but I like what I see when I browse around their site. If you feel the same way, then you should check out jobs at Hachette Book Group. They have a bunch of positions posted, and a few seem suitable for new or recent grads including Order Fulfillment Representative (Boston), Data Coordinator (Boston), Subrights Assistant (NYC), Sales Associate (NYC), In-House Floater (NYC), Web Publicist (NYC), Customer Financial Services Representative (Boston), Special Packaging Coordinator (Boston, MA), and Copy Coordinator (NYC). It looks like they have lots of great opportunities available, so see what suits you best.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you finding enough time to read?