INSIDE: Looking for a career that allows you to work from home and indulge your love of reading? Find out the benefits of this exciting opportunity and how to become a book publisher from home, plus where to find work.
Do you love to read and learn new things? Are you good at organizing complex ideas? Do you like to delve into details? If so, you might find a good career in book publishing.
The goal of a book publisher is to create the best reading experience for the end user. Their specific job involves improving the flow of the writing, as well as fixing mistakes and making sure the writing is as clear as possible.
Within the general term ‘editor’, there are also various types of editors that focus on different aspects of the book. Some of the types of publishers include:
- Development editors: this person focuses on the book as a whole. Is it well structured, does the plot and characters make sense, does it flow?
- Copy editors: this person is responsible for making line-by-line edits. They can check the facts and review the text for grammatical and spelling errors.
- Concealers: proofreading is the last line of editorial defense. It’s your job to make sure every word is spelled correctly and the punctuation is perfect.
Benefits of Becoming a Home Book Publisher
The obvious benefit of being a home book editor is that you can work from home! No long morning commutes, no busy office, and no need to spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning.
The additional benefits you can get as a book publisher will depend on whether or not you work for a company or do independent publishing.
When you work for a company, you are guaranteed a fixed salary, a defined schedule and you can work within a larger team. This means that there are other people you can contact if you want to share ideas or ask questions.
The benefits of working as a freelance publisher include the ability to manage your own hours and control which clients you accept.
As a freelance publisher, you also have more of a say in how much you want to earn per year. If you are someone who is ready to rush, network and really make things happen, then the sky is the limit.
Other factors that will contribute to the amount of money you earn as a publisher include:
- Edition type (development edition vs. revision)
- Years of experience
- Education
- Ability
- The niche or field in which you work
When it comes to how much a book publisher makes on average, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median annual salary for editors was $61,370 in 2019. The lowest 10% of editors earned $32,620 per year, while the top 10% earned more than $122,280.
Skills Needed to Become a Book Publisher From Home
To become a successful home-based book publisher, you’ll obviously need to be excellent at spelling and grammar. You will also need to have the ability to:
- Rearrange documents to create clarity and flow
- Communicate well with others.
- Manage deadlines
- Be self-motivated and work well independently.
- Be patient. Not everything you read is going to be good
The specific skills you need will also depend on the type of book publishing you want to do. if you want to be a copy editor then you may also need to be adept at things like fact checking. If you want a career in General Review then you must have an eye for detail.
If you’re more interested in being self-employed rather than working for a publisher, you’ll also need to have networking experience. Finding clients will probably be one of the most challenging tasks. You will also need to learn how to charge for your editing services.
When you get a new client and you are trying to solve your book publishing costsbe sure to consider the following:
- Book Publishing Needs – development, editing or proofreading. Development editing usually costs more than proofreading.
- Deadline – How fast is the change? Super short terms usually mean you can collect more money.
- Niche – The niche you choose will also depend on how much you charge for your services. Academic writing that requires adherence to particular style guides will generally cost more than editing a simple blog post.
Training or experience is required to become a home book publisher
If you’re interested in a career as a book publisher, most business or freelance clients will want to look at the following:
Education
Most editors have a degree in English, journalism, or communications. These titles help provide the essential skills needed to excel as a publisher. Some publishers will earn different certificates or even graduate degrees related to publishing.
Experience
Before being hired by a publisher or before being hired as independent publisher, employers and clients will want to see that you have experience. If you want a career like professional book publisher then take every opportunity you can so you can start building a portfolio.
Edit your college newspaper, look for assistant editor internships at a publisher, get started blogging and edit your own stuff so you can add it to your portfolio.
While you never want to work for free, if you’re just starting out, it may be worth offering your editing services at a discount to a couple of people in your network. This will help you get some additional clients in your portfolio.
And, who knows, if you do a really stellar job, they may want to hire you for additional work or even recommend you to others.
Interest
A career as a publisher can be intense, especially if you’re juggling multiple clients and deadlines. If you want to have longevity in your career, you must have a true interest and passion for the written word.
Where to find a job as a book editor working from home
Where you look for work will depend on whether or not you want to continue standalone editing clients or work for an established company.
Online job boards
If you want to search for an established company, you can start your search using online job boards. In fact, Monster, Simply Hired, Flexjobs, and ZipRecruiter might be a good place to start. These boards can help you find part-time and full-time editing jobs.
social media
If you’re interested in going into freelance publishing, a social media presence can help you expand your network and let people know about the services you offer. LinkedIn is a great place to set up a professional profile and start growing your connections.
You can also join Facebook groups for publishers, as well as groups related to your specific niche or area of interest.
freelance platforms
Whether you are interested in the development edition or line edit, you can check out some of the big independent platforms like upwork, Freelancer.com and Fiverr. When it comes to these independent platforms, there are some pros and cons.
The advantage is that you may be able to get a few clients to build your portfolio. The disadvantages are that there is a lot of competition and the prices offered are usually quite low.
content marketing platforms
Content marketing platforms like Contently are another great resource for publishers who want to work from home. Contently offers tons of great opportunities and on average they pay much, much better than sites like Upwork.
The perks of freelancing with Contently, great salaries, access to amazing clients and you can build a free portfolio on your site. The downsides of working for Contently, there’s a ton of top-tier competition that makes it hard to get noticed on the platform.
Final Thoughts on Becoming a Book Publisher From Home
After everything you’ve learned about getting a home editing job, are you ready to move on?
Do you like the sound of working as a book editor from home? No long commutes, no crowded offices, and you can do your job in your most comfortable pajamas. Plus, you get paid to read and learn.
Whether you want to look for a job as a publisher for an established company or set up your own freelance business, there are tons of great publishing opportunities out there if you’re willing to pursue them.
–By Jessica Martel
