There is a glass ceiling in the publishing industry in Ireland with very few women in positions of ownership, according to a study by Dr Mary E. Mulcahy.
Dr Mulcahy's comments were made following the launch of her report "Women in Publishing", in Cork. The report was commissioned by Cork Women's Poetry Circle New Opportunities for Women Publishing Project.
Dr Mulcahy's research indicated that women in the publishing industry were undervalued and underpaid.
"Publishing is generally thought of as a woman-friendly profession, yet women are generally not represented at the top levels of publishing or in key decision making. I got a clear sense from my study that the work women do in the industry is seen to be less important," Dr Mulcahy said.
A total of 34 people were interviewed for the report, predominantly women who work in the publishing industry both in a permanent or freelance capacity. The women represented company directorship and management, editing, proof-reading, indexing, sales and publicity.
According to several participants, women who work in book publishing tend to be clustered in the editorial side - the detailed work that is rarely publicly acknowledged and which takes place behind the scenes.
They also indicated that work in the Irish book publishing industry was generally not well paid.
A few said that low pay levels in the profession were the relics of an age when publishing was considered to be a "bluestocking profession".
One woman noted: "Editing in England was traditionally a blue-stocking occupation. You were well got and you didn't have to earn a living. Money didn't come into it, a vulgar word."
Another woman in a small company said her salary, after several years, was £12,000 a year. A publisher cited the following annual salary range as being good within the industry - administrator, £15,000; desk editor, £22,000; and publisher, £30,000. Dr Mulcahy said there was a certain "taken-for-granted value on work in book publishing". Many participants suggested that editing work was generally not very highly valued.
A freelance consultant said many publishers think that as an editor "you are sticking in a few commas", while another participant said she has heard people say: "The editor, what is she doing? I suppose she is correcting the spellings, is she?"
Several participants in the study indicated that women were now moving into positions that were traditionally held by men. Overall, participants in the study seemed to have a passion for the industry.
However, one woman expressed frustration with what she perceived as the glamorous image of the publishing industry. She said fiction houses had the attitude that "you are so lucky to have a job with us, you don't really expect to be paid a good salary as well".
Participants said there was a lot of scope within the industry for personal growth and learning, and the director of a small company had some advice for women entering the book publishing industry. "You have to be dedicated. In fact, tough as an old boot. You have to be almost fanatical."