Talking to: Hayley Gray, social media a creator in the book publishing industry

Entitled had the chance earlier to ask social media marketing creator, Hayley Gray, questions about her her role in the book publishing industry, her aspirations and things they want to change in the industry.

Times are changing, there is more to the book publishing industry than just writing and printing. There are more ways to bring a book to life as well as to the consumer. Marketing and social media have become such strong assets to the book publishing industry due to their vital role in showcasing books on a much bigger scale.

This industry is so big and changes so quickly, so I would advise to be open to every opportunity that you are given as your career aspirations and interests will most likely change alongside the industry.

With the likes of booktok and book-influencers, people are able to come across books that they never would have before under normal circumstances. We are able to find books that suit us from appealing book tiktok or reels that highlight books in an exciting, quick and accessible way.

We are being charmed by these social media creators, and Hayley Gray is no different. Gray works Jasami Publishing Ltd in social media and marketing, successfully bringing Jasami Publishing Ltd to new audiences. Entitled had the chance to ask Gray questions to gain more of an insight into the publishing industry from her perspective, social media and marketing.

ENTITLED: What is your day-to-day life like as someone who works in the book industry? Could you give Entitled a rundown?

GRAY: The one thing about working in the book industry is that no day is the same, especially, working remotely as your work hours blend with your personal life. But, as someone who works in social media and marketing, I’ll usually start my day by researching current trends, new releases in the industry, tending to emails, and making notes of any ideas or inspiration that I have for new content. The workload also depends on what kind of campaigns or content I will be making, and how long they will be running for, so some weeks can be pretty hectic and others can be quite relaxed.

ENTITLED: Is working in this industry something you always wanted to do? What made you interested in it?

GRAY: Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career, but I always knew that I loved books, so I got my undergraduate degree in English Literature and it wasn’t until my third year that I heard about a postgraduate degree in publishing and everything sort of clicked into place. Since then, I have realised that I would love to work in social media and marketing for children’s publishing – so, fingers crossed for the future!

ENTITLED: Could you name some positives and negatives about the industry?

GRAY: The main positive is that, if you love reading, your whole career is built within a world full of books! The industry is vibrant, fun, creative, and so unique in many ways which is a great thing for a world of work – you’re never bored!

However, I think that there are a lot of expectations within the industry and one of which is that you can’t really enter a job without fundamental experience and the only way to do that, really, is through unpaid internships. Personally, I don’t think that this is right as it is a lot of work and commitment with no pay, but it’s something that (unfortunately) is expected. Hopefully, this will change in the future and publishing houses will start to offer more paid internships!

ENTITLED: If you think that the industry needs improving, can you tell us what you think needs improving?

GRAY: I think the main thing that the industry needs to improve on is its diversity, accessibility and inclusion. Although there has been a significant change within the industry, there is still a lot of progress needed to become more equal and inclusive, for all! A lot of companies are very vocal, and visual, with campaigns and external initiatives to highlight how diverse and inclusive they are, however, more often than not, their internal structures do not reflect this which is something that needs to change.

ENTITLED: Do you have any advice for someone wanting to break into the industry?

GRAY: Be open! This industry is so big and changes so quickly, so I would advise to be open to every opportunity that you are given as your career aspirations and interests will most likely change alongside the industry. For example, when I first entered the industry, I was determined to go into editorial, until I learned and experienced more first-hand and my whole outlook changed with every opportunity that I participated in which resulted in me trying out social media and marketing and falling in love with it.

I would also recommend to sign up to The Bookseller, The Publishing Post, and the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) to keep updated on the industry, opportunities, and news!