Interview question no.1: Why do you want to work in children's publishing?

The following is a snippet from my editorial course. I include it right at the start to help job applicants focus on WHY they want to work in children's books. It sounds super simple but a lot of people haven't thought past number one. A full awareness of your why can help you in an interview setting or as part of job applications.

Here are seven of my top ten reasons to work in publishing...

1. If, like me, your top reason for wanting to work in publishing is because you love books, then becoming involved in publishing is a great way to express a genuine passion. It certainly helps if you are someone who out of choice, would spend hours in bookshops pouring over book pages. It is okay to give this reason in an interview – but can you go deeper?

2. Children’s books matter – and they always will. Reading is such an important part of a child’s development – it sets them on a path to success at school and beyond into adulthood. To very young children that cannot yet read, a book is a genuine joy due to the artwork/design/textures – it's almost a toy – and this enjoyment starts them on a pathway to reading. By contributing to them being made you are actively involved in the advancement of a human being. That has real meaning. It’s interesting to note that during the full lockdown, Amazon continually prioritised the delivery of children's books and educational material, quoting them as key items. Think how much books meant to you as a child. How many times as an adult have you thought back to something you read when you were little or as a teenager? How much comfort/how many lessons?

3. The product being made is likeable. To be able to hold a book in your hand after months of working on it on-screen, knowing that you’ve been able to turn an idea into a tangible object that has the potential to be loved and cherished by a child, is a great thing in this digital age.

4. You feel that on some small level, you are making someone’s day a little brighter – you are giving a parent or carer something to share with their child. Essentially, you are making something you can be proud of, and that your sales team can sell with integrity – and that is incredibly important.

5. Following trends is fun! Keeping an eye out for what is selling well, what artwork style is selling best, and which authors are breaking through is really interesting. An awareness of what is going on in the world and how children (and their parents) are affected is essential for any editor and designer. They need to keep track of and notice topics and subjects that can be integrated into their own publication programme. Publishers that are able to turn books around quickly and be innovative – even revolutionary – right now, will survive and even thrive.

6. You will meet and work with a lot of creative people. Working with other creative people helps to develop your own creativity. The opportunity to discuss artwork styles, design features and other books you have seen allows new ideas to slowly grow to fruition. This forms a positive environment, based on teamwork and collaboration. Personally, this is my favourite reason to work in children's books!

7. Following on from the last point – you'll interact with lots of different external contributors. For example, you'll speak to authors specialising in everything from zoology to space. You'll work with hundreds of artists and illustrators, experts in paper craft, and potentially even animators.??

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