What does it take to be an Editor? Browse our latest jobs for Editors from top media and creative employers. Learn more about the requirements and responsibilities of an Editorial job.
What does an Editor do?
Depending on the industry or the type of Editor, this role can vary. However, an Editor’s role is to critically read or edit—whether that’s articles, stories, books, or any form of written text. The Editor also works with writers by directly editing their work and collaborating with them to ensure their work is set for publication. There are a variety of types of Editors—from newspaper editors, book editors, copyeditors, developmental editors, video editors, and more.
What are the responsibilities of an Editor?
Editors read and edit content for grammatical errors, spelling, and punctuation. Typically, depending on the type of editorial job, they are working with words in some way. They are responsible for making sure that an article corresponds with an in-house style guide. They have to pay attention to not only the grammatical soundness of the piece of work, but also the tone. This ensures that the work—after they view and edit it—is in its final form. Magazine Editors work with an editorial team of writers and edit their work which later becomes final editions of articles that make up an issue. Many freelance writers also work with editors by pitching to them for a range of digital media outlets. Different types of editors have different sets of responsibilities. For example, a book editor works on a longer manuscript with the author of the book while also being the main contact between the author and the publishing house. With all of this being said, there’s a specific hierarchy within the editorial world. There are Editor in Chiefs, Managing Editors, Engagement Editors, Copy Editors and more.
What are the requirements to become an Editor?
Typically, the requirements to work in Editorial include at least a bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, or Communications. This candidate should also have a decent amount of writing experience under their belt, starting at a minimum of two years for most entry-level jobs. This person:
- needs to have strong writing and proofreading skills
- experience with content management systems
- must be flexible, creative, and must pay a great amount of attention to detail, as they’ll be the final person to review content before it is published
