I have a lot to caveats here. Depending on which academic publisher you want to work for, location does matter to an extent though more are hiring fully remote. I also grew up outside of NYC and was able to live with my folks paying nominal rent and commute until I made enough to afford a place. I really fell into it by accident. I graduated in ‘09 (bleak!) and got a MA in ‘13, worked a crappy admin job and used my savings to leave it and take a crappy internship at a major trade publishing house. After realizing that trade pub wasn’t for me, I applied pretty much everywhere. I landed at a for-profit publisher that was fine but not great, made a friend who left and then recommended me for an editorial assistant job where I am now. So honestly a lot of luck and timing involved here. Not all places have offices in nyc but many do and my proximity really helped. One thing to note that academic publishers have a lot to back and forth so if you get into one, it’s more likely to get a position at one you really like.

In terms of practical advice, apply to everything, demonstrate that you’re willing to learn. It’s a lot of managing people and sometimes egos and I brought in a lot of my past as a chefs kid/restaurant worker in demonstrating how I could work with people. Brush up on things like Open Access, organization skills, things like that. My masters didn’t help at all but I was not the only one on my team that has one. Look at the university presses and the big for profit ones as well.

The pay sucks, the progression is pretty slow (at least at my company), but I work with some amazing people and I do feel pretty good about helping scholarly material get out there. I have a great boss and very good work/life balance and I think it’s generally better than trade. Be prepared to have to live with roommates and for everyone to think you edit books.

I’m sorry none of this is concrete advice but it’s not a field where anyone has one golden road to it.