Studying for an MA in publishing gives you an invaluable overview of all the sectors in the industry. This makes the decision to work in one area, rather than another, an informed one and also gives you a clear sense of how all the departments and stages of the supply chain work together. Having studied English literature at University I knew a lot about how fiction works but had never heard of a bottom line or read a marketing plan. After a year I was able to bring together my interest in books with a more practical understanding of how publishing actually works. The one year MA is an excellent way of distinguishing yourself, in interview, from the hoards of other book-lovers who are trying to break into the industry.