There are many different roads into publishing: whether through bookselling like Tabitha, going straight in from an English literature degree, or crossing over from an entirely different career path, there is no one set path into your dream publishing job. I was in my final year of undergraduate studies, doing English Literature and Creative Writing in Leeds, when I decided to continue down the academic route and apply to study MA Publishing at University College London, as my first decisive step into industry.

My interest in publishing as a field had been kindled by my course, but not, as initially anticipated, from producing my own work as a writer: I realised what I really loved was having conversations with my peers about plans for their work in the future, how to develop their texts, work out who their audience is, and make the leap from the word document to the world. There were two main factors that pointed me towards the MA – first of all, a lack of understanding about the industry: the specific roles available, how publishers function as businesses, and what the norms and expectations are within the industry. The second factor was COVID – by the time I graduated in the summer of 2021, I had lost about eighteen months of being a student, and I wasn’t yet ready to relinquish the freedom to learn and explore.

Through my Masters, I’ve had the opportunity to explore so many areas and ideas within the field of publishing. Starting with the huge, macro-level lessons about the different sectors within publishing, understanding who the major players are and getting to grips with the history of publishing; then drilling down into different specialist areas and being able to investigate my own interests in incredible depth; the course has opened my eyes to so many possibilities and niches in publishing that I never knew existed.

A Publishing MA gives you a chance to start by looking at the industry from the widest possible view, and through your studies roam between different sectors, roles, historical contexts, geographical markets, external influences on publishing and more, and to pursue your own interests as they emerge to you, no matter how broad or esoteric. We are prepared for working in the industry by being asked constantly, ‘how are you going to change publishing?’ – to use our academic playground to work out how we can apply what we’ve learnt, to shake up the industry and write the next chapter in publishing history.

Though it varies from university to university, it is important to stress that the course isn’t entirely based on long, complex works of theory and long, serious academic essays – I’ve been able to try and develop a great number of practical skills too, like proofreading and book reviewing; I’ve produced marketing materials for made-up books, I’ve designed book covers, I’ve produced profit-loss statements for fictional publishing companies, I’ve even coded an eBook despite having no coding experience whatsoever. I’m now building up to my dissertation, a chance to really get my teeth stuck into an extended piece of original research, interrogating the relationship between authors, illustrators and readers, which I am incredibly excited for.

The main benefit from studying publishing at university is definitely the people – both the people who run the course, a brilliant group of field-leading academics, and the guests from the industry we have the chance to meet, but also – and perhaps more importantly – your fellow students, who are heading out into the publishing world alongside you. I’ve had the privilege to meet some of the most esteemed figures in publishing on the course – from Bloomsbury founder/CEO Nigel Newton to the Managing Director of the Booksellers’ Association Meryl Halls, to authors, editors, book collectors, archivists, salespeople, marketing executives and many more. What has delighted me most of all though in recent months is hearing how my friends and colleagues from the course have found their way into the industry since graduating. I’ve always found making connections, the dreaded ‘networking’, one of the scariest parts of publishing – fearing that if you aren’t the most popular person in the room, you will be left behind. Doing the course has provided me with a ready-made network, extending across many different areas of the industry – some of my brilliantly talented friends now work in editorial, marketing, bookselling, agenting and scouting, in both trade and academic publishing, across London and beyond. It’s really exciting to know that we started our publishing journeys together, and we’re continuing onwards and upwards, through the industry, together.

One factor that held me back, however, was the cost – further study, especially in London, isn’t cheap, and I quickly realised there was no way I would be able to afford it unless I took the course as a part-time student and worked alongside. While it did worry me a lot to start with though, I have found that studying part-time has actually been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Studying fewer modules has afforded me more time to reflect on each one and consider the application of what I have learned to the books I read, the shops I see, what I hear in the news and so much more, which has definitely benefited my studies.

Pursuing work as well as my studies has also been massively rewarding – almost every guest speaker we have ever had on the course has sung the praises of bookselling as an ideal way to understand what is actually happening in publishing: from what books actually sell (yes, English Literature graduates, commercial fiction is important!), to how they’re sold, and even though I was only working at Waterstones for a couple of months in the run-up to Christmas, it was a foundational experience. After that, I worked returned to working in the NHS, supporting people with complex mental health conditions, and soon after I was able to secure my first job in the publishing industry at Blake Friedmann – and the rest is history!