Editor

Editors deal with the business side of producing a publication. They select, review, arrange and prepare material before it is printed or published. Editors work in book publishing or for newspapers, magazines and journals, including online versions.

Also known as:

• Commissioning Editor
• Newspaper Editor
• Periodicals Editor
• Publishing Editor

Work activities

Editors deal with the business side of producing a publication such as a book, newspaper, magazine or website. They select, review, arrange and prepare material for it. They are also responsible for style and content, as well as identifying gaps in the market.

Editors who work in book publishing spend a lot of their time reviewing and reading manuscripts. They select those that are suitable and then commission the authors to write them. They monitor the progress of the author’s work to agreed milestones and deadlines.

Editors who work for newspapers or magazines might be responsible for the whole publication or a particular section, such as the sports pages. They decide which articles will be included and how they will be laid out. Depending on the publication, they might also review and select submissions or new article ideas from freelance writers. Editors of some newspapers and magazines also write some items themselves, for example, for the opening or editorial comment article. On large publications, there might be specialist editors, for example, picture editors, commissioning editors and production editors.

Editors who deal with authors and freelance writers are responsible for negotiating contracts and creating clear briefs. This will include how much they will get paid, when they should have the work completed and how long it should be. Editors also manage budgets and hire staff. They normally oversee the work of sub or copy editors who are responsible for checking the written work for accuracy, spelling and grammar mistakes (although this may be delegated to an in-house proofreader), adherence to house style and potential legal issues. They might supervise one or more editorial assistants, and work with people such as in-house or freelance designers. They might also need to communicate with other departments, for example, production and marketing, as well as organise meetings.

Personal qualities and skills

As an editor, you’ll need:

• Good planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent English language skills.
• Leadership and business skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills.
• Creative skills to think up new ideas for the publication.
• Financial skills to manage budgets.
• Computer skills.
• To be able to work to deadlines and remain calm under pressure.

If you work for a specialist publication, such as a travel magazine or scientific journal, you need to keep up to date with any trends or developments in the area. Editors working for online publications are likely to need web editing skills and knowledge of technologies and trends in social media.

Pay and opportunities 

Salaries for editors vary with the company and range of responsibilities. The pay rates given below are approximate. Editors earn in the range of £25,000, rising to £50,000 a year. Editors at big publications can earn more. Profit-related bonuses are common. Freelance editors negotiate fees with individual publishers. You can find a useful guide to freelance rates on the website of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Editors work office hours from Monday to Friday. However, they might need to work some evenings or weekends, especially as deadlines approach.

Publishing companies employ editors, either on an employed or freelance basis. These are either large organisations that cover a wide range of publications, or small, specialist firms that deal with just one or two publishing areas, for example, children’s books or educational publishing. Opportunities for editors occur in towns and cities throughout the UK. However, publishing companies are concentrated in London, the South East, Oxford and Cambridge.

Editors can work as self-employed freelance editors. There are also opportunities to work from home.

What’s happening in this work area?

Those with specialist knowledge, for example, in medical or legal subjects, have an advantage. Job competition is very high, and there has recently been an over-supply of potential new recruits leaving education and looking for work.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local, regional and national newspapers. There are also specialist job boards and recruitment agencies for the publishing industry.

Also, many general job boards have an editorial or publishing jobs section. Vacancies also appear on the Hold the Front Page and Press Gazette websites. It’s a good idea to build up a network of relevant contacts, as not all editing jobs are advertised. Making speculative job applications can be useful in this industry.

Entry routes and training

Most entrants are graduates who have worked their way up from other jobs in publishing and journalism. It might be possible to gain experience of a variety of editorial or publishing functions within a small company, where there are few editors to carry out all the editorial tasks. The degree subject you choose is not usually important, although you may wish to study towards a journalism qualification. If you want to work for a specialist publication, for example, a technical, medical or scientific journal, you are likely to need a related degree. The Professional Publishers Association (PPA) and the Publishing Training Centre offer relevant courses.

Training will mainly be on-the-job. Large publishing organisations often have structured on-the-job training schemes.

Progression is often to a larger publication or organisation. Some editors become self-employed. Editors also can teach or train in aspects of publishing.

Qualifications

Entrants are usually graduates. Entry can be possible with a degree in any subject, although editors of scientific, technical and medical publications usually need a degree in a subject relevant to the area.

For entry to a degree course in any subject, the usual minimum requirement is:

• Two to three A-levels.
• Five GCSEs at grades 9-4.

However, entry requirements vary considerably among courses. Equivalent qualifications, such as Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 Nationals and the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, might be acceptable for entry.

Adult opportunities

Most entrants are graduates who have worked their way up from other jobs in publishing and journalism. Relevant experience could be in a role as an editorial assistant, copyeditor or reporter, for example.

If you don’t have the qualifications you need to enter a degree, you might be able to start one after completing a college or university Access course. You don’t usually need any qualifications to start an Access course, although you should check this with the course provider.

Unwin Charitable Trust supports projects and training connected to the book trade.

Related careers

• Editorial Assistant
• Proofreader
• Sub-editor