I joined BookMachine at the beginning of July as the Marketing and Design Assistant with the aim to gain experience working within the publishing community, apply my skills and hopefully make a few industry contacts. When the opportunity came up I jumped on it because I knew that in so many circumstances it’s who you know, experience and portfolio work that is important and this could be my way in. 

Moving to a different city and finding work in your field is difficult enough, but with massive socio-economic shifts taking place because of COVID it seemed near impossible. The chance to interview and then subsequently a role at BookMachine came as a great surprise and relief to me. 

My interest in design, publishing and research started while at university where I made my own books and zines, showcasing my work in exhibitions, zine fests and online. I continue to work on my own visual design projects on the side and feel that the flexibility and encouraging environment of BookMachine has made that a viable path for me. 

Since being with BookMachine, I’ve created visual graphics, edited videos, carried out market research, written copy, proofread text and presented research. It hasn’t been long since I started but what I have learned about working as a team and collaborating on creative projects has been a great experience and an enormous opportunity to learn – especially from those with first-hand experience of working in the publishing industry.

All the skills I have learned so far haven’t been specific to one role or one organisation but have allowed for me to develop and tackle new challenges. As more and more jobs become increasingly specialised, it’s a good feeling to work for a team that values a variety of skills and experiences as well as the trust to work independently. Whatever happens in the next six months of the Kickstart Scheme I know that I’ve made a strong foundation for my professional development.

Joseph Clark is Marketing & Design Assistant at BookMachine. Joseph is also a Photographer and Designer who has had work showcased in Glasgow, Helsinki, Paris and most recently, virtually. Currently, he is collaborating with the UCL Multimedia Anthropology Lab as well as designing a series of photobooks. @jf_clark