How to become a publishing editor

As a publishing editor, you'll lead the end-to-end publishing process with significant creative responsibility for content, style and layout.

There are no set qualifications to become a publishing editor, but various degrees in related subjects will be of use as an entry point into this career path.

Undergraduate degrees - a BA (Hons) in English and creative writing, journalism or media communications cultures will set you up for a role within the publishing industry.

Postgraduate studies - a postgraduate MA in media and culture or an MSc in journalism can be a useful route for those wanting to move from an existing career in a related industry. If you have an established career in publishing and you're looking at options for career development, an MSc in management and leadership, or management and marketing, would both be good options and can be studied part-time.

What does a publishing editor do?

Depending on the scale of the publication, your role might be primarily one of management and leadership, or you might be involved in writing and editing content.

Writers, editorial assistants, editors, designers and technical production staff will form your core team, and you might commission content from external sources.

Publishing is a multimedia industry, with new digital technologies taking a greater prominence.. The business models for online publications are often more driven by advertising revenue rather than traditional subscription or sales models, requiring publishing editors to have a broader understanding of the marketplace and emerging technologies.

Publishing daily newspapers, monthly or weekly journals and books all require a publishing editor to take on a slightly different role:

• On a newspaper, there's likely to be an established format, with section editors having significant responsibility for individual areas, with the publishing editor determining priorities and having final sign-off
• With a regular journal, such as a magazine or industry journal, there is more potential for creative input, keeping content, style and vision fresh to maintain readership and attract new readers
• A book is produced over a longer period and may have limited input from the author during writing, with initial activity to set guidelines, budget and deadlines and a period later for review, proofreading, editing and production. You'll also need to consider content in the context of possible translation into movies or audiobooks

As a publishing editor, your responsibilities expand beyond the creative elements of a publication. . You'll look for opportunities to commission new editions and products to expand portfolios and work with agents to identify exciting new authors.

You'll need a broad set of skills and an ability to manage multiple different tasks:

• Managing people, budgets and deadlines
• Displaying creative flair to set a vision and style for others to follow
• Demonstrating language skills to ensure proofreading and editing are properly executed
• Liaising with agents, authors and other external content providers
• Researching and confirming the integrity of content
• Carrying out sales, marketing and promotional activities
• Working with technical teams on print production or digital publishing requirements

What are the typical working hours for a publishing editor?

Core hours will probably be 9-5, Monday-Friday, although this may be different for newspapers and magazines with overnight deadlines for printing and publishing. 
Impending publishing deadlines will likely mean long hours, as editing occurs alongside production and marketing activities.