The occupation of Book Publisher

[How and where I spent today.—Joe]

On May 15th in Ottawa, the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) held a roundtable meeting with representatives from the Book Publishing industry to discuss human resources issues in the industry including the impact of technology. The Keynote speaker was Kris Abel, the technology expert from Canada AM, and he talked about community websites and stores as well as the new e-book reader from Sony.

CHRC launched its competency chart and profile for Book Publishers at the roundtable. The Competency Chart and Profile can be used by individuals to evaluate their own skills and to determine areas where they should pursue additional training. On a corporate level, this material can be applied in defining job profiles, developing competency base professional development programs, negotiating and customizing training programs, developing career planning programs, recruitment profiles and individual position descriptions.

The chart and profile can be viewed online at:
http://www.culturalhrc.ca/competencies/default-e.asp

The occupation of Book Publisher covers a wide range of possibilities—from the independent writer who self-publishes to the head of a large publishing company with undreds of employees. It also includes those who are publishing traditional print editions of books and those who are trying out newways of content distribution such as publishing on the web and converting the content for use in any number of existing or future devices. Publishers, after all, are in the business of distributing content, and books are only one means of doing that. They must know about the complexities of rights, and understand distribution and marketing; and they must know the global environment with its vast opportunities and challenges.