Publishing defined broadly means the activity associated with the preparation and dissemination of books, journals and other materials to the public. While pre-historic cave paintings and other countless innovations that took place over the years falls within this broad definition, publishing is generally associated with the production of printed works in the form of books, and e-books in the post-modern era. From clay tablets to papyrus rolls the industry has indeed come a long way. The development of writing systems, invention of paper and the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1400 revolutionized printing and the publishing industry.

The underlying structure of the industry was however laid around mid-1500s when the model of acquiring copyrights, printing, distribution, selling and payment of royalty flourished in Europe and other countries. Today this model continues to be the basic principle for the industry. Publishing as an industry has many aspects to it. Writers, literary agents, illustrators, proof readers, copy editors, type setters, printers, binders, stockists, distributors, and marketers are all part of the industry with each playing a crucial role in the dissemination of printed works and supporting the industry.

The publishing industry offers multiple career options in the various aspects of the industry. Like any other industry, a job in the publishing industry involves a fair amount of competition and grunt work and requires bright go-getters who are not afraid of the grunt. Work in the publishing industry is fast paced and often requires the ability to manage expectations from various stakeholders such as editors, authors, and publicists with ease and efficiency.

There is much more to working in the publishing industry than being an editor. There are different roles in the industry that calls for varying skill sets. Aligning with personal interest and strengths play a critical role in gaining job satisfaction and hence in building a successful career. An editor for instance is in the business of finding budding talents, editing and molding a written work into the final product that is ready for the shelves. Similarly illustrators are responsible for designing accompany graphics and illustrations where required to make the final product informative as well as well designed to attract readers. The role of marketers and distributors is to highlight the salient points of the published work and publicity of the work to gain maximum traction in sales.

While publishing has been traditionally associated with printed books and materials, the advent of the digital era meant that a lot is happening in the digital realm. From e-books to self-publishing over the internet, there has been a continuous onslaught on the publishing industry. While skeptics have been proved wrong regarding the impending demise of the industry, the digital era has presented the industry with new avenues for growth opportunities. Digital marketing, blogs, social media, podcasts and audio books are some examples of the new growth opportunities for the industry courtesy of the digital age.

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