Editorial assistant
Editorial assistants provide assistance in all stages of the publication of books, journals, magazines and a broad range of publicity materials. They support senior editorial staff with the administration of the commissioning, planning and production.
The level of responsibility and the range of tasks depend on the size of the organisation and the type of publication. This is the starting point for careers in editorial work. Progress may be possible, but in small organisations it may be necessary to move to another employer once basic skills and experience have been acquired.
Editorial assistants perform a range of administrative and editorial tasks necessary to get publications published. They act as the liaison for the many people involved in a publication, from the receipt of texts from authors through to the handover to production staff.
Typical work activities include:
In some areas of editorial work (e.g. for an in-house company publication) the work may also involve:
As expertise develops, the role may involve:
Although this occupation is open to all graduates and diplomates, the following degree or HND subjects may increase your chances:
Personal qualities and relevant experience are often more important than the subject of study. However, specialist knowledge gained through a degree may be an advantage for specialist publications (e.g. science or engineering).
Entry without a degree or HND is sometimes possible. However, most entrants at editorial level are graduates.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not essential. Postgraduate courses that include placements and contact with people in publishing provide a useful introduction to professional skills and networking. A pre-entry certificate or postgraduate qualification in journalism may be very useful for entry positions in magazines and trade publications. A short publishing course, not necessarily at postgraduate level, may give an edge over other applicants.
Pre-entry experience is desirable. Writing or editing experience is usually expected by employers to show commitment. To arrange work experience, seek advice from people already in publishing. Work experience includes work in a bookshop, a library, at a magazine or newspaper or with a publishing house. Competition is fierce and smaller publishers are less likely to employ staff without previous experience.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
A second language is useful as some publications, particularly magazines, are printed internationally. You should also have an understanding of the publishing area you wish to enter. Read issues of trade publications such as The Bookseller to increase your knowledge.
Many publishing jobs are never formally advertised. There are a few graduate training schemes with large companies including Macmillan Publishers , Penguin and Hachette Livre UK which attract a large number of applications for five or six places annually. For most publishers, recruitment is seldom planned far ahead. Publishing is popular with graduates so jobs often appear in the specialist press or recruitment agencies, rather than national newspapers, in the hope that the advertisements attract only a small number of suitable applicants.
Speculative applications have a greater chance of success if you have already made personal contact with someone in the organisation. Do extensive research to make your application as strong as possible and ensure your applications are word perfect. Once you have graduated, consider part-time or temporary jobs. A surprising number of publishing careers start in this way and lead to permanent jobs.
Posts such as editorial secretaries, copy-editors and other related jobs are often a good stepping stone into publishing. People are often recruited to trainee positions through contacts (developed through visiting book fairs, work-shadowing and talking to people working in publishing), specialist training courses or because they have made direct contact at the right time.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Training takes place mainly on the job. Short courses are available, which in smaller organisations may have to be taken in the employee’s own time. Larger publishers may have structured training programmes for new entrants or may commission customised training.
The Publishing Training Centre offers courses throughout the year, many of which may be studied online. Topics include copy-editing, proofreading, electronic and digital publishing, IT, rights and contracts, marketing, production and other basic publishing skills, including grammar. The London School of Publishing runs evening courses for publishing employees and intending entrants.
The Publishing Skills Group works in place of a sector skills council for the publishing industry and sets well-recognised occupational standards. They run training courses and put on events, as do Publishing Scotland and The Irish Book Publishers' Association (CLE) . The Periodicals Training Council (PTC) website provides training and advice for careers in the magazine and periodical industry.
Promotion depends on proving your abilities and developing a reputation within the industry for consistently high-quality work.
It may be advantageous to work as an editorial assistant on several publications to gain specialist experience, for example, in children's or academic titles. It should then be possible to progress from editorial assistant to a features editor role in magazines, or to editor, project editor and ultimately on to senior commissioning editor and other managerial positions in publishing.
Competition for promotion from one level to another can be intense. Larger firms may have scope for you to progress within the organisation, but in smaller firms promotion may mean applying elsewhere once basic skills and experience have been acquired.
Editors often become freelance, especially if working from home suits family or other commitments. If you are working for more than one publisher, this means setting up as a self-employed person. Freelance work has many benefits, such as reducing the need for travel, working to your own timetable and having a varied working life. However, freelance rates vary and many benefits are forfeited, including holiday pay, sick pay, pensions and maternity cover. See self-employment for further details.
Publishing is growing in the Middle and Far East and experienced publishers might consider working overseas.
Publishing is a diverse industry encompassing both large, multinational groups with a wide and varied range of publications and small, independent, specialist companies with a much narrower focus. Publishing can be divided into five main sectors:
Advances in technology have created new areas of business for publishers. Electronic forms of publishing are growing in importance. Many publishers complement their traditional print publishing with websites, CD-ROMs and other multimedia products. There are many new companies specialising solely in electronic publishing. This is likely to be a future growth area.
Opportunities also exist in organisations that have a publications or publicity department. These organisations range from commercial companies that produce in-house newsletters to smaller charities or not-for-profit organisations that need to communicate with their employees or donors. Working as an editorial assistant in one of these organisations gives you an insight into the publishing process, from initial ideas through to the final product.
There are several, well-recognised publishing recruitment agencies that might be useful if you already have some work experience. Find a full list of recruitment agencies at The Bookseller website.
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