Is Your Publishing Career in need of a Spring Clean?
The days are getting longer, the crocuses are pushing through, and there's that unmistakable feeling of new beginnings in the air. Spring is traditionally the time we throw open the windows, sort through the cupboards and clear out what no longer serves us. But when did you last apply that same refreshing energy to your career?
If you work in publishing — whether in editorial, sales, marketing, rights, production or beyond — the industry has shifted considerably over the past few years. Digital transformation, new business models, consolidation at the top and an explosion of independent publishers at the other end of the market have all changed what a thriving publishing career can look like. So this March, we want to challenge you to take a long, honest look at where you are — and where you want to be.
The Danger of Comfortable Stagnation
One of the most common conversations we have with publishing professionals goes something like this: "I'm not unhappy exactly, but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere." Sound familiar? Stagnation in publishing can be deceptively comfortable. You know your colleagues, you understand the backlist, you can forecast the seasonal rhythm in your sleep. But comfort and growth are not the same thing.
Ask yourself honestly: When did you last learn something genuinely new in your role? When did you last feel stretched, challenged, perhaps even slightly out of your depth? If you're struggling to remember, that's a significant signal worth paying attention to.
Signs Your Career Might Need Attention
It's not always obvious when a career has quietly flatlined. Here are some of the markers we see most often in the professionals who come to us for guidance:
You've stopped being considered for projects outside your comfort zone. Your salary hasn't moved meaningfully in two or more years. You feel overlooked in meetings, or your ideas regularly go nowhere. You've started dreading Monday mornings more than you enjoy Friday afternoons. Your manager has left and been replaced by someone with no interest in your development.
None of these things in isolation necessarily means it's time to leave. But together, they paint a picture worth examining carefully.
The Value of an Annual Career Audit
Just as a business reviews its performance against targets, you should be reviewing your career against your own ambitions. We’d encourage every publishing professional to set aside time each spring — ideally before the industry gears up for the busy summer and autumn publishing seasons — to ask themselves three fundamental questions: What have I achieved in the past twelve months? What do I want to achieve in the next twelve? And is my current position genuinely capable of getting me there?
This isn't about being disloyal to your employer. It's about being responsible to yourself and your long-term career trajectory.
What's Coming in This Series
Over the next four weeks, we’ll be walking through the key questions every publishing professional should be asking this spring. We'll look at how to recognise the difference between temporary frustration and genuine stagnation, how to evaluate an opportunity properly before leaping, and how to handle the very human emotions that accompany any significant career decision.
Whether you're a junior editorial assistant wondering if there's more out there, or a senior commissioning editor quietly questioning whether the grass is greener elsewhere, this series is for you.