Editorial assistant

As an editorial assistant, you'll need an impeccable eye for detail and the ability to spot mistakes. It's also important to possess commercial awareness of trends in the publishing industry and have excellent time management skills so you always hit strict deadlines.

The tasks you undertake and your level of responsibility will vary depending on the size of the organisation and the type of publication you’re working on.

The role is typically entry-level for careers in the editorial industry. Progression to more senior roles, such as features editor or commissioning editor, may be possible once you've gained the necessary skills and experience.

With the growth of digital publishing there are increasing opportunities to work for online publications, which can involve editing and writing website content and using social media.

Responsibilities

As an editorial assistant, you'll need to:

• support editorial staff in all activities leading to publication, including acting as a personal assistant to commissioning editors and overseeing tasks, such as issuing contracts, processing invoices, and dealing with royalties
• liaise with writers, photographers, printers, designers, production staff, and other in-house teams to negotiate and monitor timescales
• deal with the administration of work commissioned to freelance writers, researchers, photographers, stylists, and illustrators
• organise and research projects to tight deadlines
• summarise written material
• correct manuscripts
• obtain rights to use materials from other publications
• use computers for word processing, desktop publishing, and email
• deal with phone and email queries, e.g. from writers and the public
• create social media content
• carry out filing, photocopying and other routine administrative tasks.

In some areas of editorial work, you may also need to:

• write articles and reports
• amend drafts for clarity and to ensure they're free of errors
• collate the work of several authors
• use specialist electronic publishing packages, such as QuarkXPress or InDesign.

In online publishing, you may need to:

• proof, edit, and write online content, including for social media channels
• engage in search engine optimisation tactics to ensure a wider reach
• upload text and images to a website using a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress
• compile and distribute newsletters using specific software.

As your expertise develops, you might:

• assess manuscripts and make recommendations on their publication to senior editorial staff
• respond to copyright queries from writers and publishers
• update and rewrite material
• use your own specialist knowledge to contribute ideas
• source freelancers or other authors to produce new materials
• assist with the art direction and design of publications
• write your own material.

Salary

• The average starting salary for editorial assistants in the UK is around £23,000 but varies according to the size and type of employer.
• After several years of experience, senior editor salaries average £43,000, but can be as high as £54,000.
• For an editor-in-chief, essentially the top end of the editorial team, salaries can be in excess of £72,000, depending on the publication and location.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with extra hours for overtime, though often without payment. Work may require additional commitment from the team, such as when deadlines are approaching.

Career breaks and part-time or freelance work are possible, with the latter often being a viable means of getting started in an editorial career.

What to expect

• Work is largely a hybrid mixture of office- and home-based work.When in the office, the environment and dress code are typically informal, though this depends on the employer.
• The most likely areas for freelance work are proofreading, translation, copy-editing, copywriting, and styling. For industry-specific support and advice, see the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP).
• According to the Publishers Association, women make up over two thirds of the publishing workforce. Around 17% in the London area are from an ethnic minority group. Schemes, such as Publishers Association and Creative Access aim to encourage and support underrepresented groups into the profession.
• Most publishing opportunities in the UK are based in and around London, with some positions available in other regions. Oxford also has a strong publishing centre and there are opportunities in other major cities, such as Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, and Cambridge. With the increase in hybrid and remote working, it’s possible to be based anywhere in the UK and find editorial work, but it's likely you'll need to be prepared to travel into the office at an agreed frequency with your employer.
• Travel within the working day is uncommon. Overnight absences from home and overseas work may occasionally be required, such as attending conferences or book events. However, these are often attended by more senior staff.

Qualifications

Although this occupation doesn't necessarily require a degree or HND, most entrants at editorial level are graduates. The following degrees or HND subjects may increase your chances:

• arts and humanities, especially English or creative writing
• journalism, media, or communication studies
• social, economic, or business studies.

Specialist knowledge gained through a degree may be an advantage for some publications.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not essential but can be useful. Postgraduate courses that include placements and contact with people in publishing provide a good introduction to professional skills and networking.

Additionally, a certificate or postgraduate qualification in journalism may also be very useful for entry positions in magazines and trade publications. A short publishing course, not necessarily at postgraduate level, may give you an edge over other applicants.

Skills gained with UK publishers or on UK postgraduate courses in publishing may also be used overseas.

Search postgraduate courses in publishing.

A second language can also be 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.

Skills

You'll need to show:

• enthusiasm, interpersonal skills, teamwork, self-motivation and flexibility
• IT, organisational, administrative, and secretarial skills, including word processing and research skills
• a high standard of written and spoken English
• exceptional attention to detail, together with the ability to proofread, in order to check for errors
• the ability to stay calm under pressure, work well with others, and show initiative
• creativity and, in some cases, digital-editing skills
• knowledge and experience of social media platforms, such as TikTok, and an understanding of the ways generative-AI is changing the industry
• time management skills, especially as deadlines are common
• commercial awareness of current trends in the publishing industry.

Work experience

Although not essential, work experience is desirable, as competition from other editorial assistants is strong.

A writing or editing background is usually expected by employers, as it shows your commitment to the industry. To arrange work experience placements, seek advice from people already in publishing and send speculative applications to companies.

Work experience can help build up your skills, knowledge, and contacts, as well as give you an understanding of how publishing works. You can gain experience by:

• job shadowing at a magazine or local newspaper
• working in a library or bookshop
• doing temporary administrative work at a publishing house.

Create your own website or blog to showcase samples of your work and develop an online social media presence to promote yourself and your skills. You can also use platforms like YouTube, or LinkedIn to follow companies that interest you.

Work experience opportunities, jobs, relevant news, and articles are often posted on a company's social media pages, so make sure you research these regularly and keep-up-to date.

Make the most of any experience you can gain while you're at university, as well; for example, writing for the student magazine or joining a relevant club or society. This is a great way to improve your skills, experience, and demonstrate your interest, while building a network of contacts.

Many large, and even some smaller, publishing houses offer work experience placements, which usually last around two weeks. Some are unpaid, although expenses may be reimbursed. Others are paid at National Minimum Wage or London Living Wage.

The Publishers Association runs an annual Work in Publishing week in the Autumn to give young people and early career professionals an insight into the sector. It includes events, activity on social media, and information on their website.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Publishing is a diverse industry encompassing both large, multinational groups with a varied range of publications and small, independent, specialist companies with a much narrower focus.

Publishing can broadly be divided into six main sectors:

• books
• magazines and newspapers
• academic and professional journals
• public and not-for-profit publishing
• directories and databases
• digital publishing.

Opportunities also exist in organisations that have a publications or publicity department. These range from commercial companies that produce in-house newsletters to smaller charities or not-for-profit groups 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.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Bookcareers
• The Bookseller Jobs
• The Guardian Jobs
• Bookbrunch
• Independent Publishers Guild (IPG)

The Publishers Association has a helpful list of recruitment agencies that focus on publishing.

Publishing is popular with graduates, so jobs often appear in specialist publications or through recruitment agencies rather than in national newspapers. This is likely so advertisements will attract only a small number of suitable applicants.

Many editorial assistant jobs are not formally advertised, and you may be able to get employment through networking or word of mouth. Attending literary festivals, book fairs, and other relevant events is an excellent way to meet publishers and make industry contracts, as well as find out about opportunities.

Very few graduate training schemes exist, though some large companies offer such opportunities, which attract a sizable number of applications each year.

Speculative applications have a greater chance of success if you're targeting small to medium sized publishing companies, especially if you’ve already made contact with someone in the organisation. Do extensive research to make your application as strong as possible.

When sending speculative applications, make sure you outline the skills you feel you can offer and how you can contribute. One example could be your ability to research and collate information, social media skills, as well as writing and editing in general, which can be useful to a potential employer.

Once you've graduated, consider finding a part-time or temporary job; a surprising number of publishing careers start out this way and lead to permanent positions. Posts such as administrative assistants, editorial secretaries, copy editors, and other related roles are often a good stepping stone into publishing.

People are often recruited to trainee positions through contacts - developed through visiting book fairs, work shadowing, talking to industry people - specialist training courses, or because they've made direct contact at the right time.

Professional development

Training takes place mainly on the job. Short courses are available which, in smaller organisations, may have to be taken in your own time. Larger publishers might have structured training programmes for new entrants or can commission customised training.

For courses which can be studied online throughout the year, take a look at The Publishing Training Centre, Publishing Scotland, and Publishing Ireland. Topics include:

• copy-editing
• electronic and digital publishing
• IT
• marketing
• production and other basic publishing skills, including grammar
• proofreading
• rights and contracts.

Training and advice for careers in publishing is available from the Professional Publishers Association (PPA).

Mentoring is available for those looking for their first role in publishing and for those seeking to develop their career through the Society of Young Publishers (SYP).

Training for professional development is also offered by the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP).

Career prospects

Promotion depends on proving your abilities and developing a reputation within the industry. 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 features editor, or to development editor, assistant editor, editor, project editor, and, ultimately, onto senior commissioning editor and other managerial positions.

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 companies, promotion may mean applying elsewhere once you've acquired the necessary skills and experience.

Editors often become - or even start out as - freelancers, especially if working from home suits family or other commitments. Freelance work has many benefits, such as:

• reducing the need for travel
• working to your own timetable
• having a varied working life.

However, freelance rates vary and many benefits are forfeited, including holiday and sick pay, pensions, maternity cover, and more. Some freelance work, such as proofreading roles, is also under threat from increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence tools.

Freelance editorial work attracts high competition, and you'll need previous experience, as well as contacts in the publishing industry, to be successful.

Publishing is also growing in the Middle and Far East. If you're an experienced editor, you can consider working overseas.