Editing Careers in the Publishing Industry

A couple Google searches about the trade publishing industry reveal that this career track consistently calls for an undergraduate degree in English. Other degrees may apply, and certainly a publishing house has a need for such varied credentials as legal, art and economics degrees. My particular interest lies in editing. Apparently editors play many roles at a publishing house, with various titles and responsibilities. Publishing houses employ editors to work with authors and develop texts, to check for grammatical, spelling and factual errors and for consistency, to commission manuscripts and review unsolicited submissions, and to manage the process of bringing a text to fruition, including planning and budget. Editorial departments have to work closely with the design, marketing, production and sales departments.

Publishing is an apprenticeship industry, where most of the experience that earns you a career comes from an entry-level assistant position rather than an advanced degree. Workplace experience trumps educational experience in this industry. Although a higher degree might not be a necessary asset when entering the publishing industry, unpaid experience like internships and time writing at a school newspaper is valuable. Personal and business connections made during internships and assistant positions provide resources that formal education can’t match. One common entry-level position for a college graduate is as editorial assistant.


Editorial assistants work for an individual editor or the editing department of a publishing house. They screen manuscripts, prepare acquired manuscripts to share with the production department, secure rights, research, and aid communication between various elements of the publishing team. Other entry-level editorial jobs focus on specific elements of the publishing process and some have non-literary administrative duties. Editorial coordinators obtain copyright permission and keep a budget and a schedule for titles under their management. Copyeditors comb manuscripts for errors and consistency and may fact-check or cross-reference. Many publishing houses subcontract for copyeditors and other kinds of editorial services like layout and design, but some have those positions on staff. Production editors copyedit and supervise indexes, cover design, proofs, tables and figures.

More advanced jobs in the industry include managing editor, substantive editor, and developmental editor. Managing editors oversee the department and choose and commission new manuscripts. Substantive editors do heavy revisions on texts, and developmental editors work with authors through several revisions to develop the story and style.

An English degree opens many doors in the publishing industry beyond the various editorial positions and even beyond trade publishing. The editing careers listed here call for organization and interactional skills as well as fluent verbal and written communication, and the apprenticeship custom allows an entry-level assistant to rise as far as her skills allow.

-- Eleanor R. Brown

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Job and internship listings; descriptions of various careers within the publishing industry
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A blog with information about the publishing industry, including career profiles and interviews