From Skyhorse Publishing Assistant to the Publisher(Current Employee)‐ Rating 5 out of 5— 1 of 1 found this helpful — Tue, 6 Jun 2017
Pros
I've spent the last year working closely with the Publisher, Tony Lyons and other senior leadership at Skyhorse. I've found my time at Skyhorse to be immensely enriching in both personal and professional development. Upon demonstrating the value one can bring to the company, senior leadership is remarkably open in allowing junior/entry-level employees great autonomy in seeking out, pursuing and acquiring titles that fit with our list. Moreover, the very nature of the organizational structure allows for even entry-level editorial assistants to take on some titles of their own - of course with the oversight of experienced editorial directors/editors.
I think these opportunities granted to employees new to the industry/workforce go a long way in professional development - and it's evident that senior leadership at Skyhorse recognizes and acknowledges the hard work of its employees. For example, one of the earliest assistants at Skyhorse (who had no prior industry experience) is now the associate publisher of the company a few years later. Other former assistants at various levels have also attained the following positions: operations director, the head of our production department, senior editors in various departments, and other senior ranking positions. Without question, Skyhorse is committed to its employees, and is active in their career/personal advancement as well.
Strong sense of community: many employees regularly spend their time out of office with coworkers. For example, several employees interested in/working on comic-book related titles will make weekly trips to a nearby comic book store. Additionally it's quite frequent that various groups of people go out for drinks/meals after hours. Employees of all ages have attended these informal gatherings, and has been a great way to meet/interact with coworkers whose day to day responsibilities differ from your own.
Cons
Workload - as an overwhelming majority of other reviews also state, workload is a serious consideration with respect to whether Skyhorse is the right fit for someone. It takes a certain type of person who feels excited/energized by a multitude of responsibilities to succeed at Skyhorse; and it takes a large degree of understanding one's own assets and limitations in order to realize success here. Of the people that don't feel excited/energized by the workload, from my perspective all too often that can be explained by that employee's misguided assumptions about their abilities to meet a demanding schedule/workload. Those who understand their own strengths and limitations tend to fare far better at Skyhorse, and are able to rise the corporate ladder far faster than our industry competitors.
Advice to Senior Management
Try to find ways to improve transparency in the company; more direct communication from the top down.
Additionally, continue to find ways to encourage a culture of support/community.