The publishing world is a difficult inner circle to penetrate – for so many, the industry seems impermeable.

As a writer – and someone who works with publishers, authors, and soon-to-be authors – hearing the conversations around the struggle to find an in, I can’t help but ask: What are the barriers that keep talented folks out of the industry, and how can publishers open the doors to fresh new ideas?

Here are four ways that publishers who are looking to think outside the box, bust a few templates, and attract folks with fresh ideas and unique experiences, can feel empowered to do so.

1. Embrace the changing times
Long gone are the days when our degrees did the talking for us. Nowadays, publishers and those hiring for positions within their organizations need to be flexible with their hiring non-negotiables. When putting together your call for candidates, there are often two categories in which the desired and required qualifications and skills can fall: assets and requirements.

Questions publishers can ask themselves:

• Are there qualifications that can move from the requirements to the assets category?
• Does having a degree in the applicable field truly outweigh someone with experience in other areas?
• Is having a degree at all a non-negotiable for us? If so, why? Let’s re-evaluate.

How do we weigh industry experience against degrees? Can we consider opening the candidate call to include those who have built up their knowledge through hybrid education, such as taking various courses and workshops?

I can attest to the rigidity of certain organizations’ hiring non-negotiables that have kept me out of the candidates’ pool because of required qualifications such as a driver’s license or a specific educational designation.

When someone who has years of hands-on, in-the-field experience in a particular area is immediately stopped at the non-negotiables posted in a call, the publisher may be missing out on hiring someone who could possibly be the best person for the job.

2. Transparency about the ins and outs of the role and the industry
Offer up as much industry transparency as possible, and then make sure the right people have access to it. Whether this information comes via an in-depth orientation session, or a super detailed on-boarding process, make sure you encourage folks to ask as many questions as possible. It will also work to your advantage to let new hires know that it’s okay to be unsure of what tools they need to efficiently and effectively do their job this early in the game, and that you are open and willing to re-address this every couple of months once they have more experience with the organization (as this is usually when those ideas/questions start to emerge).

Here are some topics you may want to cover at orientation sessions:

• What are the differences between small presses and larger trade publishers?
• What is involved in each role in the organization, and what are the potential/action steps for moving up? Offer clear access to resources and tools for obtaining these positions.
• How can the new hire self-evaluate?

3. Capabilities: Be honest about where your organization currently stands
Once the right people are in, how do you ensure they can stay in the role or even in the industry, long-term? It’s important to find out what your employees need because this will vary from person to person. Whether or not you are able to offer extra support is one thing, but the more aware you are of the everyday barriers some folks have to face, the better informed you will be about that person’s capabilities.

Here are some questions you may want to find answers to:

• What do your employees’ commutes look like?
• Who is at risk of employee burn-out, and what can we do to prevent it?
• Who are the employees currently doing tasks that are outside of their current skill set? Can we move these tasks to someone else?

Try organizing a “strengths/weaknesses” meeting where everyone talks about what they like/dislike doing and are good at and not so good at. Then match these extra tasks accordingly.

Even though an employee may be right for the job, it’s possible that the previous person in the role took on added responsibilities that no longer fit the role itself. Re-evaluate the role in its entirety every time a new person occupies it.

Are we checking in with employees to make sure they have what they need to thrive in their role? Do we understand that these needs can shift?

4. Expand your communication game
How do you get the word out? Who isn’t getting the message? If you are consistently posting your calls in the same place, consider finding three new markets for spreading the word about your open positions.

Obviously, we all want the best person for the job, but if we aren’t willing to do some extra work to open up that pool of candidates, then we are likely missing out on the opportunity to find people who could possibly play a role in elevating our organization and strengthening the industry.

Chelene Knight is the author of the poetry collection Braided Skin and the memoir Dear Current Occupant, winner of the 2018 Vancouver Book Award, and longlisted for the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. The Toronto Star called Knight, “one of the storytellers we need most right now.” Knight was the previous managing editor at Room (2016–June 2019), and programming director for the Growing Room Festival (2018, 2019), and now CEO of the #LearnWritingEssentials writing studio and Breathing Space Creative. She often gives talks about home, belonging and belief, inclusivity, and community building through authentic storytelling.

Knight is currently working on Junie, a novel set in Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley, forthcoming in 2020. She was selected as a 2019 Writers’ Trust Rising Star by David Chariandy.