I'm very interested in this as well…

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Will food for type.

I started a small book publishing company, publishing modest local-interest books that I knew I could sell without much trouble (and wouldn't cost me a lot to have printed). I hired myself to do the design and typesetting. As time went by, self-publishing authors in my locale who saw my books and liked the way they looked, began hiring me to produce their books, and with a track record and portfolio now, I began bidding on book production projects for historical societies and corporations. Eventually I began landing contracts with book publishing houses, though these are a result of connections I've developed over the years with people in the industry.

Gary

wow, thanks for sharing gary!

well it's as simple as this: you have to know people (connections, friends...), or you have to make yourself known to these people (self-published work, buzz, press articles, awards). it's a tough job to get contracts in the much sought-after business of book design, for it is (for most of the graphic design gurus wannabes) the pinnacle of artistic freedom and "look what i can do with my indesign and my avant-garde / gotham / helvetica".

dr

What do you like to collect, Simon ?

@ david r - right now i don't really have connections. i've done 4 text-heavy books for the salvation army (where i work) which has been great experience, but of course of limited interest.

@alessandro - i collect fonts, tattoos, sci-fi books... this is hard as i'm in the middle of down-sizing my life, so i don't really 'collect' much stuff...

Two years ago, my brother published a poetrybook with a local publishing house. He asked me to design and typeset it. The publisher in question liked the design, and asked me to design more books for him.
I'm bascially one of his permanent designers now. It's a small publisher (a two man business), but they put out quite alot of books.
Who knows the work I do for him now, can provide me with more book design work for other publishers. I think this is a good way to get into it.