Publishing is an incredibly rewarding, friendly and exciting industry to be a part of, but we’re constantly being told how difficult it is to break into. So how do you best prepare to start your journey, and how do you make your next move? On the 21st November, The Society of Young Publishers (SYP) will be hosting their annual conference, Publishing: A Thoroughly Modern Business, in Oxford.

Here are the top 10 things you can get from the day to help you in your publishing career:

1. Learn from the best

The best way to understand how the publishing industry operates is to listen to those at the centre of it. The SYP conference brings together influential speakers from across the industry to talk about how they got where they are, their biggest achievements and their biggest challenges.

2. Get a new perspective

Whether you are unsure which area of publishing is for you, or you are looking for a change, the diverse mix of topics and speakers on the day will give you a glimpse into what is possible, and give you the opportunity to discover roles you may not have considered.

3. Follow your interests

With five separate streams of talks, the day can be shaped to your own interests. Pick a topic that most attracts you, or shake it up and switch between streams.

4. Get social

You’ll hear it all the time but publishing really is the friendliest world to work in and the conference gives you the perfect opportunity to chat to other booklovers, share advice and make new friends. You can also carry on the conversation online and discuss your thoughts with a vast active community.

5. Network

Publishing is also an incredibly small world and you never know who you may get the chance to work with in future. Whether it be conference speakers or other attendees, get chatting to people about what you’ve learnt or what you’re interested in and you never know where it might lead.

6. Know the industry

This is an ever-changing landscape and it is important to be up to date with the latest trends and know what companies are doing. Knowing about the current state of publishing, and being able to talk about real-life examples, will help you demonstrate your interest and knowledge in applications and interviews.

7. Look to the future

Even more important is being alert to what is to come. The conference will introduce you to what is coming, how things are changing and who the game-changers are.

8. Face-to-face advice

This year’s conference will feature it’s very own green room, giving you the chance to get some one-to-one advice from the experts.

9. Freebies

From lanyards to carry your business cards to tote bags to carry your books, who doesn’t love branded goodies?!

10. After party

Publishers love a good party and once the closing panel have wrapped up the packed day, everyone is invited to the Jam Factory in Oxford to carry on the excitement.

Click here to buy tickets to the SYP Conference 2015.

This is a guest post by Alice Geary. Alice is the speaker events co-ordinator for the Oxford branch of the Society of Young Publishers. She is an English graduate of Southampton University and is currently working as marketing assistant for Boardworks, an educational publisher in Oxford.