Writers develop characters, setting, plot and dialogue to create manuscripts that are bound into book form. There are no age, cultural, nationality or religious limits on who can be a writer. It is truly an equal opportunity career field. Some writers only create fiction books or novels. There are writers who only write fiction books for children, teens or adults. Genres for fiction books include science fiction, romance and mystery, among many others. Writers of fiction may or may not have a degree in writing; the most popular degree being the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in writing or poetry, generally offered at most colleges and universities. Many book writers begin their career by writing for local newspapers, magazines and websites.
Writers also create non-fiction books such as educational or academic books like English or Math textbooks. Other non-fiction books include "how to" and technological guidebooks which have become popular over the last two decades. Writers of academic and scientific texts may be required to have a post-secondary degree as well as proven experience in the field the text focuses on.
Publishers are often chief executive officers at publishing houses. Publishers oversee all major functions within a publishing house, from acquisitions to printing and re-printing, to marketing and distribution. Publishers meet with editors and financial analysts to determine what to pay for acquired manuscripts, author book signing tours, print ads and many other functions. Publishers may also meet with the publishing house's office of general counsel to negotiate deals for books that are being considered for major motion movie or TV adaptations. In large publishing houses like Random House, Penguin and Simon & Schuster, publishers have oversight for company profits and losses, headcount and compensation.
There are several types of editors in the book publishing business, chief of them being acquisition, line and developmental editors. Acquisition editors review manuscripts writers and agents submit to the publishing house and determine whether they are a fit for purchase. Acquisition editors also determine a manuscript's marketability or sales potential. The more likely a manuscript is to be a bestseller, the greater the chances are of having an acquisition editor sign the manuscript's author to a book contract.
Line editors review manuscripts that the publishing house acquires for tone, grammar, spelling, etc. Line editors may also perform fact checking on the manuscript to ensure that what is stated in the manuscript is true.
Developmental editors examine the overall structure of the purchased manuscript to make sure the story is entertaining or informative. Developmental editors also review the manuscript to ensure the story fits the book's target audience. For example, a book targeted for retired military persons looking for a second home should not be full of chapters noting the requirements to put a child through college. A developmental editor spots manuscript inconsistencies and works with the writer to resolve these conflicts.
Over the last two decades, it has become increasingly more difficult for writers to get a major book publishing book contract without using an agent. Typically agents charge writers that they represent between 10 to 20 percent commissions on the sale of books they negotiate and land a publishing contract for. The more successful a title, the greater the profit received by the agent. Agents have legal and contract knowledge for book and movie deals. In addition, agents often have good relationships with major book publishers and editors, which allows agents to get a manuscript in front of a publisher or editor in ways a writer might not be able to. Reputable agents generally do not charge a fee to read a writer's manuscript. In addition, reputable agents can deliver a listing of book deals they have negotiated and successfully closed over the last 12 to 18 months.
Printers take typeset manuscripts, operate printing press machines, and copy and bind the text into book form. Most printers set the cost of printing and binding books to the number of pages in a book and the number of copies of the book that the publisher or writer asks for. Self-published writers work directly with printers and pay for the total cost of printing, binding and shipping books. There are now many online printers that will also print books on demand; if a certain amount of orders for a book comes in, they will only print that amount.
Marketing employees work with print and other media to get the word out about newly published and re-printed books. Marketing leaders also work with book stores and schools to schedule writer book tours, speaking engagements and to generate interest in books in order to get the books into college, university, gift shop and hospital bookstores to increase sales and profits.
Distributors and wholesalers fill book orders from libraries, bookstores, grocery stores that carry books, etc. Some distributors and wholesalers only service libraries. Other distributors and wholesalers service only schools. Then there are distributors and wholesalers who service all business, community and academic areas. Major distributors and wholesalers include Brodart, Ingram Books and Baker & Taylor. Jobs at distributors and wholesalers include shipping clerks, accounting and billing, and management.
Other jobs in the book publishing industry include attorneys, photographers, graphics designers who design book covers and typists who typeset the manuscript to printer specifications. Graphics designers may also create pictures for children's books. Some graphics designers and photographers in the book publishing industry work as contractors and conduct freelance work for publishing houses. The comic book industry is an area of the publishing career field where graphic artists may be asked to work as freelance contractors. Audio books require voice actors to create the story for listeners to enjoy. Electronic books may require the services of a technology expert to produce.