NOTE: After several revisions, checking what to write and what NOT to write, here I am, publishing this post quite late.

I used to work for one of the biggest publishing houses in the country. Now that I am embarking on a new journey and starting afresh, let me enumerate what I considered as perks of working for a publishing house.

Learning how books are created

Of course. It goes without saying. My love for books has gotten a deeper meaning when I learned the process behind publishing them. I know how writers toil on them for countless of days, a multitude of ideas pouring from their minds to the printed pages, how editors mercilessly cut those ideas that don’t contribute to the ‘voice and brand’ of the book and polish them to perfection, and how readers enjoy the time perusing these finished books, sometimes sniffing that unique scent new books exude. What is behind the behind-the-scenes on the other hand has given me a greater respect for the publishing industry. This includes content creation and version calendars, promotions and marketing, illustrations, printing, binding, and distribution. To think that some years ago, I didn’t know anything about digital and offset printers, now I can tell anybody who is interested to know, I’ve seen how they work. Most importantly, I now know where that distinct smell of freshly opened books comes from.

Promoting learning materials

As a writer who is interested in literacy and literature, I have loved books and learning all my conscious life so when I had the opportunity to promote both, it was a huge deal for me. During events, I got the chance to talk with educators, be they school owners or teachers, about the educational system and materials that may help improve the quality of teaching and learning. Some of these materials included textbooks, mobile applications and even learning management systems.

Read my MIBF experiences here:

Traveling to different places in the country

I was working in an ESL company when I imagined how it would feel like going on several business trips. I experienced that first hand as an Education Services Associate and got to travel to different places in the Philippines from Bauan to Bicol to Butuan (consonance intended). Some of those places I wouldn’t have had the chance to visit given my interest, budget, and time had I not been part of the publishing house’s Marketing team albeit momentarily.

Attending professional and educational seminars sponsored by the company- and hosting some of them

How is this a perk? Rarely can you find a place where your employers will pay you to attend seminars and even pay for them. In my case, I was able to attend some external and internal training and workshops and host a number of professional development seminars. Keeping up-to-date with educational trends keeps an educator slash a writer’s mind sharp.

Contributing to the development of products

In all honesty, I wasn’t able to contribute much as a writer, apart from the occasional meeting minutes that really challenged my skills. As a business analyst, I was able to experiment, test, and hone how I wrote user stories and other technical documents for software solutions. Listening to software engineers, project managers, and quality assurance specialists tear down or improve my designs was fun and frustrating.

It is worth noting that I contributed something else and that was my voice for some infomercials.

Working and learning with field professionals

One can be assured to work with certified professionals in the publishing industry. The MarkeTeam I previously worked with supported me as I managed CPD programs for teachers and conducted product training. They continued to support me until I transitioned to the Operations Department. The Business Analysis team, although a baby unit in the publishing company, became a detrimental part of several processes. I got to work with Software Engineers and learned how software solutions are built. Staying a couple of times in the Press Department shed new light on the life cycle of books and it influenced me to be mindful of my book purchases. I also attribute the couple of inches I gained some months ago to the number of times the team insisted I had snacks in their office.

Contrary to popular belief, I also established a good working relationship with a number of people, my 20-year old individualistic self would be surprised. I would have enumerated all of their names if I were a bit more emotional.

These are but six of the many perks working for a publishing house.

I am closing this chapter of my life and hold my peace. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity Vibal Group has given me.

It’s been fun.