Job Hopping for Word Nerds: An Ebook-in-Progress

Hey there guys — I need your help. Here’s the story: I’m working on an ebook. It’s called Job Hopping for Word Nerds, and I’m writing it with the intention of creating a go-to resource for those interested in finding work within the publishing industry…anywhere in the publishing industry. I plan on including descriptions of the positions available in book publishing, magazines, newspapers, etc. More importantly, I want to create a monster resource manual, filled with links to professional organizations, databases, job sites, blogs, powerful tweeps, and more. In short: I have a vision. 🙂 The resource appendices of self-help books have typically been my favorite part of said books, and that’s what I want to focus on here.

Still, I don’t want to lose sight of the big picture here: You. I want to give you what you most want and need.

So tell me:

  • What do you most want to know about finding work in the midst of an industry in flux?
  • What information has been lacking in the how-to content you’ve read?
  • Which questions have you had trouble finding the answers to?
  • What would be included in your ideal resource manual?

I’m writing this for you. Please help me get it right! 🙂

Comments

  1. How to use social media without being swallowed by it.
    How to protect yourself in a viral media age (like what’s going on with copyright protection etc).
    How to get in (resume? CV? Portfolio? Blog? Clippings? What’s the standard now?)
    That’s just off the top of my head.
    Great idea!!!

  2. I’m not sure about the answers to your questions because the last thing I want right now is a job in publishing, but I can tell you this: people ask me this ALL THE TIME. So this is a great ebook topic and I can’t wait to refer people to it. The main question I get is this: You need experience and contacts in order to get assignments and jobs, but how do you do that when you are right out of school?” Another I get is, “Is a master’s degree important? Should I just stay in school until the recession is over?” And I get a lot of networking questions: how to do it, how to use it.

  3. Thanks for these great suggestions, guys!

  4. I’d include info on informational interviews, how to follow up without being a pest, and (most importantly) hwo to negotiate, even when it’s your first job. And perhaps a section on stretching that entry-level salary in an expensive city? Obviously, freelancing can help, as can taking advantage of perks like movie previews and events with open bars (assuming you don’t over-indulge) and milking that student ID if it doesn’t have a date on it.

    This sounds like a great idea for an ebook, Steph!

  5. If I were young and looking for a job in publishing, I would like to find information on how to enter a literary agency as assistant to a lit agent, which one to choose, how long I would have to stay in one before moving to another, what entry salary might be, what type of work to expect, ie. would the job be as thrilling as one might hope or simply drudgery.

    Also, you might want to include information on the various courses for editors, like the one offered by Radcliffe in the summer.

    Good luck with this! Sounds like a great idea.

  6. Hi Steph!

    I look forward to reading your book. And thanks again for sharing your insight.

    My question is… how do you know when it’s time to move on from a job? It can be tough to know what to do when your job is semi-awesome, but you’re just not being challenge that much anymore. Security vs. risk problem.

  7. Great idea!!! Let me know if you need case studies, I’ve written books, articles, ebooks, newsletters, TV segments and am a job hopping diva.

    I’d love to see more pitch letters crafted around each industry. It really varies and having some kind of an idea on how to pitch yourself is key. Also more networking beyond social media – meetups, conferences, workshops, partnering with like-minded bloggers.

  8. I love all these ideas! You guys are being such a huge help. Especially since I want to make the perfect resource for you! (freelancing itself will be a definite part of the final product…not only staff jobs)

    For those suggestions that end up falling outside the scope of my ebook, I now have more topics to cover right here on the blog! Rock.

  9. Hello, really great website, I’ve book marked your webpage ;D

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