Hey, Unemployed Journalists: Join the Dark Side

Last week's Gannett newspaper layoffs were upsetting in many ways. It was tangible evidence of an evaporating career field, not to mention a blow to the quality and depth of the local news in nearly 100 U.S. cities. I began to wonder what will happen to all the journalists, left free-falling without an abundance of desirable career options. (And always in the back of my mind is the idea that book publishing is not far behind on the continuum.)

But along comes David Meerman Scott, writing for EconentMag.com, with an idea of how to use your journalism skills at private corporations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies (see the article here). Although media relations has always been a good tangential option, that's not what he's talking about. He's talking about using your storytelling skills to create internal and web content that educates and informs various audiences. And he says your skills are badly needed now.

Scott admits that many journalists will see working for a corporation as selling out, but argues that it doesn't have to be like that if you adjust your thinking and align things correctly.

He doesn't go into great detail about how to get these types of jobs, however. But for now, maybe it's enough just to open the door a crack and get people thinking in that direction. Work your extensive networks and try to set up meetings with people in charge of corporate communications and web content at companies you admire in your area. Be open to the idea of working as a contractor for more than one company. Open your mind and explore your options.

Meanwhile, if you're feeling cynical about journalism, enjoy this modest proposal, from Richard Sine in the Huffington Post, who says we need to close the journalism schools and stop cranking out more gullible media hopefuls into a dying industry.

Gannett Delivers on Promise of Layoffs

Last week I tweeted the news that Gannett was planning to lay off up to 1,000 people in its various local newspapers across the nation. Looks like it's all going down right now. Worst hit at this point are the papers in Detroit (132), Cincinnati (up to 100), Nashville (60), and Tucson (about 60), although people are also reporting that four people have been let go from the Indianapolis Star. (When I find out who, I'll let you know.)

For the very latest, check the comments at the unofficial Gannett Blog. Tomorrow that blog shuts down, though, and you'll need to visit the layoff tracker at Gannettoid.

Bad Vibes: Longstanding Hip-Hop Magazine Shut Down

Every day we hear of another print publication shutting down--declining ad revenue cited as the primary cause. So it was not out of the ordinary to hear that Vibe magazine is ceasing publication immediately after 16 years. But what stopped me cold this time is the fact that Vibe is owned by the same private equity fund that owns us. I'm not drawing conclusions here; I'm just sayin'.

Up to 50 people are losing their jobs. The magazine's original founder, Quincy Jones (who was already having a bad week), is making noises about buying it back and putting it exclusively online.

If I hear anything more, I'll update you in the comments section.

Tale of Woe from One of Harcourt's Vendors

Freelance editor Katharine O'Moore-Klopf pointed me in the direction of this really depressing article from the New York Times. To sum it up, Inkwell Publishing Solutions did a lot of editorial work for Harcourt's textbooks. Now that Harcourt is in trouble, it's not paying its vendors. So Inkwell has gone belly-up, leaving approximately 50 freelancers scrambling for their very survival.

Something similar happened here in Indy about six years ago. A packager declared bankruptcy and many freelancers got just a fraction of what they were owed. (Somehow I got lucky and got my money just in time.) The lesson we all learned is to never let a client owe you too much. If they owe you money and it's more than a month overdue, you might have to refuse future assignments until you are paid. You have to go with your gut, of course. You don't want to risk being seen as a troublemaker. But you also have to be able to minimize your losses in case the worst happens, as it did for the Inkwell people.

Apress Moves Offices from California to New York

Berkeley computer book publisher Apress has posted this announcement on its website:

Apress, the leading publisher of books on emerging technologies announced the full implementation of a revolutionary, scalable, technology-based publishing process that will be unveiled at Tech Ed 2009.

The new publishing system is largely based on the collaborative tools, SharePoint and Biztalk, and features document check-in and monitoring, automated scheduling, integrated financial analysis, seamless information creation and delivery, and enhanced billing, invoicing and contract controls.

Apress further announced the relocation of its offices to the Springer office in New York City to unify the Apress workforce and to implement the new workflow system. With the move to New York, Apress will be closing its current office in Berkeley, California.

If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@apress.com.

Uh, yes, we have questions. What of those people in Berkeley? Have they been laid off? And what about the freelance editors who have worked for them for many years (my friend Linda included)? Will someone from Springer be in contact with them? Will they continue to receive assignments?

ANGEL Learning Sold

The Indianapolis Business Journal (and others) reported yesterday on the sale of local web-based teaching and learning tools developer ANGEL Learning for $95M to Blackboard.

On the surface, this looked like good news. Indiana University, a major investor, will walk away with more than $20M. But closer scrutiny of the story and the comments (a perpetual source of the other perspective), yields this information:

• There will be layoffs, despite the fact that it's downplayed in the article.
• The Indianapolis area is losing potential for future growth and high-paying local employment.
• Some feel that Blackboard's products are inferior, which will in the end hurt the customers.

One of the reasons I felt this was important to mention on this blog is that more and more publishers are partnering with firms like ANGEL to get their content into schools. The other reason is that at least two people I used to work closely with at Macmillan are now at ANGEL. I am wondering how this will impact them.

Thoughts?

Navigating an Interrupted Journalism Career

As bad as things are in book publishing now, I think we can all agree that our cousins in the newspaper business are ahead of us on the curve of career misery. But these are people with skills similar to ours, so it pays to look at some of the advice that's being given to them now.

The Neiman Journalism Lab blog features an interview with author Marci Alboher by Joshua Benton on navigating a disrupted journalism career. You can watch the 10-minute video or read the transcript. Marci's a career expert as well as a journalist who's no stranger to the end of a steady gig: The New York Times discontinued her "Shifting Careers" blog/column back in December. Here she gives some great advice on retooling and using your writing skills in other ways.

The best line is one she picked up at Neiman's recent conference: "Severance package is the new book advance." In other words, if you're lucky enough to get a chunk of cash on your way out the door, use it to help create the career or enterprise (maybe even a book) that you've always wanted to try.

Trifecta Friday: Instabook, Day in the Life, and Sick of Recession

Rather than hoard all of this good info and dole it out over the next few days, I'm going to lay it all on ya right here and now. Three very interesting items have come to my attention:

• A New Paradigm for Publishing?: First, JIST author and editor Laurence Shatkin blogs today at FastCompany about his new book on getting a job from the new economic initiatives (Great Jobs in the President's Stimulus Plan). He touches on how quickly the book was conceived and produced (a new record at JIST, and impressive by any standards): from idea to printed book in 24 days.
• BOOKSMARTS: A Day in the Life of a Book Editor: At Girl w/Pen, Laura Mazer serves up a hilarious (but all too true) account of what it's like to be a mom working as an editor. The diversity of her responsibilities might sound far-fetched, but it's pretty close to (my) home.
• F*** Fear: Juliana Aldous Atkinson, an editor for Microsoft Press, says what we've all been thinking. After years of prosperity, a few months of financial contrition is about all we can take. We're all tired of the way the media is blowing the recession out of proportion. We're tired of self-denial, mixed messages, and the stress of constantly feeling our jobs are on the line. She asks for suggestions on dealing with it all, but I haven't come up with any good ones yet. I just know that the media will soon have to obsess about something else, because we are tired of wallowing in this.

Having said that, have an awesome weekend! If my child does not come down with strep today (as I fear), I'm going to go help feed the quadruplets on Sunday!

Publishing Programs' Applications Not Declining

Somehow this article in the January 26 edition of Publisher's Weekly got past me. (You know, the infamous issue in which former editor Sara Nelson said "Call me gullible or impressionable, but I'm actually feeling kind of hopeful this week"--right before she was laid off.)

Reporter Rachel Deahl spoke with the leaders of the well-known summer publishing institutes (Columbia, Denver, and NYU) and other graduate and continuing-education programs and found that students are as eager as ever to get into book publishing. The reasoning from CUNY publishing certificate program assistant director Retha Powers: "People start asking themselves, 'If I don't have the same job security, then what do I really want to be doing?' I think one of the answers is that people are really excited about publishing."

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt "Teetering" in Boston

The Boston Globe published this amazing article yesterday about the fact that the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt office in Boston is on the brink of collapse. It's a comprehensive and plausible summary of how it got to this point (hint: corporate greed and endless mergers, coupled with the horrible economy and the shifting publishing paradigm).

But the true gold is in the comments section. Dozens of articulate publishing veterans, many of whom are former HMH employees, have written in with their thoughts on the situation. It's fascinating. There's even a student commenter who hurls insult at the industry for its stupid adherence to printed texts.

The article's founding premise, that school textbook publishing is in dire trouble, is confirmed in reports I've gotten from and about all the major (and some minor) players in the industry. All seem to agree: Whereas college textbooks are in better shape, the divisions that publish texts for elementary and high schools are in deep, deep doo-doo. States are going bankrupt (in particular, California), which means they don't have money to buy new textbooks.

The world of textbook publishing is twisted, indeed, as some of the article's comments hint.

Sara Nelson One of 70,000 Laid Off Yesterday in the U.S.

I've been restraining myself mightily from continuing to contribute to the employment-related wailing and gnashing of teeth, but this news yesterday really took my breath: Publishers Weekly editor Sara Nelson has been let go. The editor of Library Journal will be taking over both magazines. (See the low-key announcement here).

Edward Nowatka, blogging for the Frankfurt Book Fair at Beyond Hall 8, had this interesting tangent on the news, reflecting on how publishing is not a hospitable place for the middle aged. It has an appetite for the young, who can deal with working for pennies. When they start to want more from life (such as a home and family), they tend to move on. Of course, I have to assume that this is more relevant to those in New York. In the Midwest, a finanically judicious middle-ager can eventually buy his or her McMansion and a 1/2 acre of sod and do just fine.

So, folks, what's next? Reading all the comments and articles about how Sara didn't see the layoff train barrelling down upon her makes me even more circumspect.

Author Solutions Buys Another Competitor

Indiana-based self-publishing company Author Solutions has recently purchased Xlibris, a high-end self-publisher based in Philadelphia (see the IBJ report here). Xlibris has 500 employees and Author Solutions has 400. VP Terry Dwyer, a Macmillan Computer Publishing exec from way back, says he doesn't expect any layoffs as a result.

The report says Dwyer expects this to be a strong year for the company. I can see his point--to a point. If traditional publishers are cutting back acquisitions and reducing advances, many more people who might have gotten a deal before will take a closer look at self-publishing. But how many other people might be putting their self-publishing dreams on hold a little longer because they can't raise the capital it takes to engage a self-publisher's services?

Just a few weeks ago, Author Solutions put out a general call for freelancers of all types. Here are the details on that:

Requirements: This is a flexible, freelance position that is perfect for those looking for regular work or for projects to work on when they have free time.

Author Solutions, including iUniverse and AuthorHouse seeks experienced book editors and manuscript readers. Experience with major traditional book publishers preferred. High-speed Internet and Microsoft Word required.

Applications welcome from candidates with hands-on book experience in manuscript critiquing, proofreading, indexing, copyediting, line editing, content editing, developmental editing, book doctoring, and ghostwriting. Applicants with backgrounds as acquisitions editors, book reviewers or agents also welcome.

About Our Company: Author Solutions is the leading supported self-publishing service provider using POD technology to provide authors with professional, affordable, and fast service. http://www.authorsolutions.com/

Contact: Editorial Freelance Coordinator,
Author Solutions Editorial Department
E-mail: http://us.mc556.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freelancers@authorsolutions.com
Address: 1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, Indiana 47403

Special Instructions: Please send cover letter and resume to http://us.mc556.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freelancers@authorsolutions.com

Gory Details of the Macmillan Layoffs

Can't resist pointing out this article from the New York Observer, which gives you an idea of what it was like inside the Macmillan offices during the layoffs.

The article also goes into great detail about how earlier publishing layoff victims are coping. Some high-profile people are still "floating," and the writer observes that

Most of the book people who have for whatever reason had to leave their jobs in the past year should not expect to find new ones if they only consider positions at the handful of New York trade houses that they’re used to working for. Instead, both Ms. Shanley and Ms. Sayre said, these people will have to make their living by doing freelance work and seeking out new outlets for their skills.

So I have to wonder: Will there be enough freelance work for everyone who seeks it? Certainly the fact that people are being laid off will necessitate that more work be sent out. But publishers are also cutting back their lists, which means less work in general.

The article then goes on to quote people bemoaning the end of the publishing world as they know it, tying it to the end of the Industrial Revolution. Well, folks, I have to agree. We are in the midst of the Information Revolution, and the way we do business and deliver information is changing. Those people who couldn't ever be bothered to learn how to edit on a computer will be the first ones left behind. Those who figure out what the trends are and adapt their skills accordingly are the ones who will lead the new publishing paradigm (whatever it may be!).

Same Old Stuff, Different Day

Yet another publishing layoff announcement, this time at Macmillan.

An interesting thing to note is CEO John Sargent's admission that the company's presence at Book Expo next year will be greatly reduced. "I think it makes more sense to funnel our marketing dollars elsewhere," he said.

I can pretty much guarantee that the majority of the other publishers out there are saying the same thing. They were already saying it last spring before things really got bad. The only thing that might save it this year is the fact that the show will be in New York, so many people will be able to attend without incurring travel costs (although I admit that it was thoroughly amusing to see all those black-wearing Manhattanites in L.A. this year, framed uneasily by palm trees and squinting at the excess of natural light).

Publishing blogger Fran Toolan has some predictions for publishing in 2009. I agree with him: It's going to be an interesting year.

All in all, not an auspicious way to celebrate Jane Austen's 233rd birthday, but there it is.

Oh, the Irony: Layoffs at CareerBuilder

Last week, online job bank CareerBuilder laid off 300 employees (see report here in the Chicago Tribune, a sibling in the same struggling parent company). These people were primarily in the unit that sold job postings to smaller companies.

HR blogger Cheezhead somehow knew about this ahead of time and spoke of the 300 boxes being brought in in advance for people to pack up their stuff. I guess that's another sign to add to the list of "how you know you're about to be laid off."

I was wondering the other day whether the dearth of want-ads right now is because there are no jobs, or because nobody wants to pay to advertise them. I guess this gives us a clue that the latter might be at least partially true. In a case like that, people should be refocusing their efforts on looking for those "hidden" jobs that you can find only through networking. Of course, that was always true, but now it's more true than ever. Also, check the companies' own sites and other free posting places, such as craigslist.

Three High-Profile Publishing Layoffs

Read all about it here, from the AP. "Yes, Virginia, book publishing is NOT recession proof," says Association of American Publishers president and CEO Patricia Schroeder. Seriously, who ever thought it was?

All the more reason to keep buying books for Christmas, I say.

Random House Freezes Pensions

Oh, here's some news that will surely make your morning. One of the best known divisions of one of the world's largest publishers, Random House, announced today that it's stopping contributions to its employees' pension plan.

On the surface, this news made me queasy. But then I stopped and thought: Really, who in this country even expects a pension anymore? Certainly independent publishers don't offer them. We've all been moving toward the 401(k) model and away from the idea of a pension. Hardly anyone stays at a company long enough to build up a pension, anyway. But I suppose that's cold comfort for the people nearing retirement age who were planning on theirs continuing to grow.

The AP article goes on to cite more instances of layoffs in the industry, as well as the latest gloomy wimper from B&N.

On the other hand, I was watching Good Morning America this morning while getting dressed and Mellody Hobson had a short list of companies that are hiring now. Borders was mentioned (seriously, buy books from them if you can--if they go under, we'll have only one major chain left). Also mentioned was FedEx, which has to pick up the slack from DHL's exit from the domestic shipping market (good news for my sister who works there; bad news for the 9,000 people who are being laid off from DHL).

Anyway, more bad news to keep us awake at night. I think I'll go drown my sorrows in our company's snack day festivities. Cheese balls, veggie trays, brownies, and more await!

150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs

Once in a while, the stars align and a publisher puts out a book at just the right time. Finally, that's happened for JIST with the October publication of Laurence Shatkin's 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs. I claim no credit whatsoever for this book, except that when it was proposed, I said "How quickly can you get it out?" Who knew back last year that the book would come out at the precise moment that the U.S. economy appeared to dive into an irreversible downward spiral?

Lo and behold, the media are going gaga over this book's premise. Where can people shift their skills to avoid unemployment in a market that sees new casualties on a daily basis? Laurence is happy to shed light on that question, as he did yesterday on ABC News NOW (find a link to the video here). Education and health care are his top picks, as well as transportation.

In case you're curious, editors made the list, checking in at #96.

Editorial Ass on Publishing's Bloody October

First of all, love the blog title. Second, this blogging editorial assistant has put together the most cogent explanation I've seen yet of why it sucks to be a book publisher right now. Again, lots of blame goes to the inexplicable model of bookstores being able to send back the inventory they don't sell, and essentially using publishing companies as interest-free loan brokers.

Read the whole post and you'll get a better idea of how the sales and returns processes work. And take Moonrat up on his/her suggestion to buy books--now, and as Christmas presents.

On a tangentially related note, I'm getting anecdotal reports from friends and family of several people losing jobs (non-publishing) they've held for decades and their homes are in jeopardy. I feel like we are poised on the brink of an ever-widening sinkhole. Hang on tight.

Job Action Day 2008: Jobs, Baby, Jobs

Popular career advice site Quintessential Careers has declared today Job Action Day. They've devoted their site to articles on all aspects of improving your career situation, bracing for layoffs, and finding jobs.

"To rally those who have lost their jobs or are facing possible job loss in the current devastated economic climate, Job Action Day 2008 aims to empower workers and job-seekers to take proactive steps to shore up their job and career outlook," say Katharine and Randall Hansen of Quintessential Careers. "Our challenge to you, our readers, is to ask you to do at least ONE proactive thing TODAY, Job Action Day 2008, to improve your job and/or career situation. Whether you update your resume, develop a backup plan in case of job loss, or add contacts to your network, take at least one action Today for Job Action Day. As our regular contributor Joe Turner says, 'Don't let all the hype about the economy spook you into a state of panic and inaction.'"


The very timely articles include the following:

• How Secure is Your Job? A Job Jeopardy/Layoff Assessment from Quintessential Careers
• Is Your Job in Jeopardy? Impending Layoff Warning Signs
• Developing Your Job/Career/Life Survival Plan: Preparing for the Possibility of Losing Your Job in Weak Economic Times
• Silver Linings in a Financial Meltdown: How Workers and Job-Seekers Can Make the Best of a Bad Economy
• Job-Search Advice for College Seniors and Recent College Grads: Job-Hunting in Times of Uncertainty
• Attacking the Job Market and Workplace Proactively in Tough Times: A Roundup of Expert Advice

In addition, a whole host of career bloggers is joining the effort with Job Action Day-themed posts:

• Quintessential Careers Blog
• Career Doctor Blog
• Quintessential Resume and Cover Letter Tips Blog
• A Storied Career
• Alexandra Levit: Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom
• Barbara Safani: CareerSolvers
• Career Manangement Alliance Blog
• Curt Rosengren: The M.A.P. Maker [Meaning Abundance & Passion]
• Darrell Gurney: In The Line of Hire
• Dave Rigotti: Career Fire
• Deborah Brown-Volkman: Surpass Your Dreams
• Diane Danielson: THE WOMEN'SDISH with Diane & Friends
• Jacob Share: JobMob
• Jason Alba: Jibber Jobber Blog
• Lindsey Pollak: Lindsey Pollak Blog: Career Advice & Commentary
• Louise Fletcher: blueskyresumesblog
• Maggie Mistal: what if...
• Miriam Salpeter: Keppie Careers
• Rich Milgram: EmploymentMetrix.com
• Steven Davies: JobPerfect Job Search Techniques
• Steven Rothberg: CollegeRecruiter.com Blog
• Wendy Terwelp: Rock Your Career
• Willy Franzen: One Day, One Job

In the spirit of Job Action Day, read all of this great free advice and do something proactive today. Then go vote tomorrow, and as the QC team says, hold your candidate's feet to the fire over job creation.