Just starting out in the working world, and trying to figure out where you fit in? Stuck in a job you loathe, and looking to make a switch to the publishing industry? Toiling away as a book editor, and wishing you had more time to work on your own stuff?
It can take awhile to find your perfect fit within the publishing industry. I know. I’ve been there.
I started off writing bad poetry at the age of 5, and slowly grew to become the sort of person who read while walking through the school halls, other students diving out of her way. In sixth grade, my homeroom teacher pulled me aside .
“I need you to stop reading so much,†she told me, “and start socializing with the other students in your class.†My stomach knotted up. What kind of teacher told a student to read less!?
So yes. It was obvious early on that I would eventually work in publishing. But where?
In the past 10 years, I’ve worked in newspapers, writing up features, arts pieces, and op-eds, and even spent a year at one daily as a freelance copy editor. I’ve worked in new media, creating content for personals sites and web magazines. For a short while, I was a volunteer publicist for a start-up magazine. I’ve worked in academic book publishing, with stints in both the editorial and marketing departments. I’ve done freelance writing for online publications, regional magazines, alternative newspapers, and other clients.
Changing jobs so much has proven to be a fabulous means of discovering what I don’t want in a job… and also of discovering what makes me tick.
These days, I’ve settled into a balance of job juggling that works perfectly for me.
I now work part-time as a freelance assistant editor at a web magazine, where I manage a parenting blog, create several original blog posts a week, edit other writers’ content, and am in charge of hiring and managing a team of interns (among other things). I write a sex column for The Frisky every other week. I run this coaching business of mine, which involves teaching e-courses, doing one-on-one coaching, and more. And on top of all that, I take on additional freelance writing and copy editing projects when I can.
Hells yes you want to be a workaholic like me!
Or maybe you don’t. Maybe you want to settle into a full-time staff job at your favorite national magazine or trade book publisher. Maybe you want to be a full-time freelancer. Maybe you want to diversify, and spend half your time writing and the other half teaching.
Maybe you don’t know what you want.
Which is where my e-course comes in. What questions can I answer for you over the course of this 5-week course?
- How do I figure out my ideal publishing niche?
- How do I figure out my ideal publishing niche without spending a year or more languishing in the wrong one?
- What are the job hunting tactics I should then use to land my dream job?
- How can I write the most kick-ass cover letter ever, leading a hiring manager to throw up their fists in victory and shout “Hallelujah! I’ve just found the perfect person for this job opening!”?
- Do I have the power to negotiate a better job offer, and how should I approach the negotiation process?
- How can I build a marketing platform that impresses hiring managers, and makes them more willing to take a chance on me?
- How does one transition to a career in an entirely new industry, without prior industry-specific experience?
- And finally: Is there anything Steph loves more than the publishing industry? (Answer: cats.)
Still not convinced? My e-course platform will put you in close contact with your fellow students, allowing you to brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other, swap feedback, and organically expand your professional network (something I believe is vital to career success). You’ll also receive weekly homework assignments at the end of each lesson and, by the end of the course, will have a concrete plan for building your ideal publishing career. Not only that, but I’ll be providing you with unlimited e-mail support (except when I’m sleeping, obsessively checking Twitter, or playing Spider Solitaire).
Create a career you’re passionate about in the new year!
This course begins on Monday, January 10.