MAGAZINE & BOOK PUBLISHING

Magazine and book publishing careers are the goals of many English majors, but it's vital that a graduate have a realistic idea of what the fields involve before choosing either.  Just because you have studied literature, do not assume that editorial positions are the only openings suited to your skills. Other departments are not only open to you, but may provide easier entry into the field, and they offer challenging career options. Even though you are not writing or editing, a job in sales or magazine circulation, for instance, still enables you to play a part in the goal of all publishing -- to bring the printed word to the public.  The typical entry-level position in publishing is the Assistant -- Editorial Assistant, Publicity Assistant, Circulation Assistant, etc. You are, in a sense, an apprentice, learning the functions of your department by working with experienced professionals.

Magazine Publishing - A magazine article, feature, or column may originate with in-house editors or free-lancers. Once an idea is approved, editors and their assistants work with a writer to refine and focus it for their readership and review the finished manuscript for content and style. Editors often cultivate an area of expertise, such as food, travel, fashion, or electronics, and may produce monthly sections or columns on that topic. It is possible for an entry-level magazine staffer to progress to writing short articles, but few editors spend much time actually writing. They're more apt to be discussing ideas with writers, polishing copy, turning out blurbs and headlines, and working with the art department on story layout. Senior editors devote their efforts to editing and supervising major stories or whole sections of a publication. Developing article ideas, finding writers to do them, reviewing submissions, and, in general, shaping the issue are the primary editorial responsibilities.

Book Publishing - Book editors have two distinct functions -- acquisition editors and in-house editing. Acquisition editors bring in books for publication. This involves wining and dining literary agents and established authors, and reviewing manuscripts and proposals that come in "over the transom" - unsolicited - from the authors themselves, after the influx has been culled by an editorial assistant. Another important source of books is the editor's own initiative; a good editor comes up with ideas for saleable books by spotting or seeing an event, a news feature, or a magazine story. The editor then must seek out someone to write the book - possibly an expert in the field, or the author or subject of the published story. In-house editorial responsibilities begin after the manuscript has been acquired. Then the editor works closely with the author, helping with problems, suggesting changes in focus or organization, going over the finished manuscript to improve clarity, accuracy, and appeal. The in-house editor must also see the book through the production process, be involved in the sales and publicity effort, and act as the author's liaison with other departments of the house.

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING

Many English majors also consider working for a newspaper, but keep in mind that you must have a strong journalism background if you are to compete for an entry- level job in that industry. The duties of a beginning reporter vary according to the size of the paper. At a large paper, you would begin as a News Assistant, checking information for more experienced reporters while being trained on the job. At a small paper, you'll be given simple reporting assignments immediately. Stories about traffic accidents, local politics, school board meetings, strikes, zoning disputes, the opening of new businesses are more typical of daily fare. However, these stories require the same researching, interviewing, analyzing, and writing skills - under the pressure of a deadline, of course - that you will use when you make your first big scoop. As your skills improve, you may be given a beat to cover -- perhaps the courts, the local police precinct, the school system, or an area in which you've developed some expertise. You will be responsible for story ideas, which means establishing a good network of contacts who will call you when an event occurs, a crisis is brewing, or a human interest story comes along.

ADVERTISING

Advertising agencies hire people from a wide variety of liberal arts backgrounds because jobs requiring different skills exist in the four major departments: Creative, Media, Research, Account Services.

At most agencies, the greatest number of jobs can be found in the Creative Dept. where the ads are written. Writing copy requires a feeling for the language that goes beyond the simple communication of information.

Rhythm, syntax, and meaning influence the choice of words that will create the right mood and reaction. Copywriters are well paid for their talent, since their command of the language can move millions to purchase a product. In fact, television commercial copywriters earn more money per word than any other kind of writer. The best way to break into any agency is to show that you're a good idea person who is able to come up with clever phrases, catchy slogans, and eye-catching copy. As a Junior Copywriter, you will be working as a member of a creative team under the supervision of a more experienced copywriter. You may be expected to write copy for a campaign, or you may have to come up with some original ideas for selling a product or service.

TECHNICAL WRITING

A career in technical writing does not require a scientific or engineering background, but it does require an excellent command of the English language and the ability to write logically, clearly, and accurately. Your research and reporting skills must also be sharp, because you must gather all the facts and concepts for your

writing from the engineers, systems analysts, and programmers who develop and design the technology. Once you have gleaned the information, your job is to present it to the layperson in an accurate and highly readable manner, so the ability to grasp technical concepts and explain them in easy-to- understand terms is essential.

DEPARTMENT STORE RETAILING

Graduates of virtually any discipline may enter department store retailing. Prospective employers are looking for demonstrated capacity to learn and make quick, sound judgments, and are less interested in academic backgrounds. You must be flexible, comfortable with people, self-disciplined, and highly motivated. Most entry-level jobs are in merchandising - an area further divided into: 1) Store Management and 2)Buying.

Store Management - If you're a "people person", consider the store management side of merchandising. You'll be responsible for monitoring and motivating your sales staff, assisting in the selection of merchandise for your department, making decisions and solving problems.

Buying - A buyer decides which goods will be available in a store. Buyers authorize merchandise purchases from wholesalers, and set the retail prices. A sensitivity to changing trends, tastes, and styles, and an ability to under stand and forecast the preference of your own store's customers is crucial. Buyers must also maintain standards of quality while keeping within certain ranges of affordability. During training, you'll work immediately as an assistant to an experienced buyer. The trainee progresses by observing, asking questions, and offering to take on appropriate responsibilities.

PARALEGAL PROFESSION

A Paralegal, also called a Legal Assistant or sometimes a Legal Technician, is someone who can do everything a lawyer can do, short of arguing a case in court, giving legal advice, accepting clients, setting or accepting legal fees or making legal decisions. They can do all the varied research necessary for the preparation of any legal proceeding, including drafting legal documents, researching points of law, and investigating the facts of a case. Some also deal directly with clients and do trial fact analysis; they even assist at the trial itself. Employers include: law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies and public service agencies.

LAW

The research, writing and analytical skills of a liberal arts graduate are particularly well-suited to the study and practice of law. Much of a lawyer's work entails reading documents, and then preparing a written presentation of the findings. (For those with a flair for the dramatic, the law also offers the opportunity to argue a case orally in a court.) In its essence this process is one that an English major will find familiar from

reading and interpreting poems and novels. Everyday lawyers, in our nation's civil and criminal courts, argue to protect the rights of society and of individuals, and address the fundamental questions of what is fair and just. The majority work in one of the following three areas: corporate practice, government service, or private practice.

TEACHING

For the past 3 or 4 years, the Career Services Office has noticed a shortage in Secondary Education teachers, and while it is true that Certification is required to teach in New York State, once a school has exhausted every possible means to find a certified teacher, they are allowed to hire someone who is not certified. As you can see from the jobs which were reported to us by SUNY Oswego English graduates, there were some graduates who accepted teaching positions in the public/parochial schools of New York State.  In addition, private schools often hire non-certified liberal arts graduates for teaching positions. Some of these private schools offer special first-year training programs for inexperienced teacher candidates which will assist them in obtaining certification.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGLISH MAJORS

Account Executive, Editorial Writer, Advertising Copywriter, Legal Assistant, Proofreader, Technical Writer, Free-Lance Writer, Newspaper Reporter, Circulation Assistant, Comedy Writer, Teacher, Advertising Writer, Marketing Assistant, Librarian, Greeting Card Writer, Public Relations Assistant, In-House Editor, Acquisition Editor (Book Publishing), Feature Writer, Paralegal, Assistant Buyer, Management Trainee,  Publicity Assistant, Research Aide, Customer Service Rep, Editorial Assistant, Social Welfare Examiner, Administrative Assistant

AVAILABLE RESOURCES LOCATED IN CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT

• Publisher's, Distributor's & Wholesalers of the U.S. : A directory of more than 57,000 publishers, distributors, associations, wholesalers & software producers and manufacturers in the U.S.

• Literary Market Place: The directory of American book publishing which includes information on advertising agencies,  public relations services, book publishing, etc.

• All-In-One Directory: Addresses and phone numbers for newspapers, magazines and news syndicates throughout the  U.S.

• Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies: Essential facts on approximately 4,400 advertising agencies in the U.S. and overseas.

• Inside Management Training (Career Guide to Training Programs): Detailed information on advertising and retailing in terms of compensation, benefits and  advancements, and specifies what they seek in candidates and expect in job performance.

• Dream Jobs : Features the top ten advertising agencies in America and includes information on  the size and growth of each agency, as well as entry-level job descriptions and advice on job-hunting.

• Marketing Greenbook : International directory of marketing research companies and services.

• O'Dwyer's Directory of Corporate Communications: Lists 3,700 companies and associations of which nearly 1,600 are large industrial firms as ranked by Fortune and Forbes magazines.

• O'Dwyer's Directory of Public Relations Firms: Contains listings on more than 1800 public relations firms and PR departments of advertising agencies and their branches.

• Directory of Department Stores & Mail Order Firms: Detailed information on corporations who operate department stores and have an annual sales  volume in excess of $200,000.

• Dun's Employment Opportunities Directory: A comprehensive resource describing in detail the hiring practices and employment opportunities on more than 5,000 U.S. companies. Entries are listed alphabetically, geographically and by industry.