How to Become a Editor

About Editor

If you love to read, have a way with words, a creative bent of mind, are curious and a critical thinker, then a career as an editor may be for you. An editor is responsible for preparing language, images and approving the final text that appears in a newspaper, magazine or a website. An editor can work in various capacities such as copy editor, editor-in-chief, or associate editor. He/she will review the work of the writers and suggest changes regarding their style of writing, punctuation, and grammar.

The role of an editor is to ensure that the written material has a consistent style and tone. They take decisions regarding the topics that will appeal to the readers and oversee the work right from the ideation of stories until the final output. Find out the answer to 'How to Become an Editor?' in the page below.

Before the content is published and released to the masses, any media platform that uses sound, visual, or written pieces requires some refinement and furnishing. This is where an editor comes in; editors are the backbone of any media team or production house, from writing to video creation to filmmaking. Editors are essential in figuring out and structuring how a business communicates with its target audience. Brands hire editors to assist them in creating innovative content such as blogs, articles, and social media posts that increase customer participation and expand their audience. Learning about the various careers in editing can help you decide if it is the right career for you. 

Roles and Responsibilities of an Editor 

The following are regarded as being the best editor's roles and responsibilities. An editor's job and responsibility are to carry out the following duties:

• Read the text and fix any grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes
• The text should be rewritten to make it more comprehensible for readers
• Verify any information used in a publication's material
• Review writer submissions and select what to publish
• assist writers in making their concepts and stories successful
• Create content and story ideas in accordance with the publication's ethos and editorial principles
• Give a story's text, images, and illustrations their own space
• Accept the staff's final submissions and promote them on the various social media networks

Editors organise, revise, and plan content for books, newspapers, magazines, or websites. Editors consider potential story ideas and choose the content that will appeal to readers the most. Editors offer suggestions for titles and headlines as well as comments on how to make the product better during the review process. In smaller organisations, a single editor might handle all editorial responsibilities alone or with just a few other people.

Eligibility to become Editor

• If you have a flair for writing and an interest in this field, it’s not that difficult to get in this line.
• You must have command in a language. For that, most of the editors are required to hold a Bachelor's degree in the language of preference.
• For instance, if you want to become a Hindi content editor, you may be required to hold a UG degree in the language or at least great command in it. To become an English content editor, a degree in the English language will be required. 
•  However, it is not necessary for a number of digital content editors as the employer cares more about skills and language proficiency rather that the educational qualifications of a candidate. So, holding any bachelor degree would also work.  
• You can apply for a PG degree or diploma in journalism/mass communication after graduating. This will help you in learning different aspects of digital content. 
• Those who are interested in working for a publishing house, a PG certificate or diploma course can be an answer. There are many such courses in editing and book designing.

How to Start a Career as an Editor?

The following are the steps you can take to pursue a career in editing:

Step 1: Complete your undergraduate education

You can begin your career in editing by earning a bachelor's degree in a related field. Many employers prefer candidates with degrees in marketing, advertising, mass communication, journalism, or creative writing, which can aid in your understanding of editing, web design, writing, fact-checking, proofreading, researching, and publishing. While these degrees provide candidates with ancillary skills required for editing jobs, they are not always required by employers.

Step 2: Acquire work experience

If you are still a student, you could try working for your school newspaper or magazine. It can help you become more acquainted with the working world and improve your editing abilities. If that is not possible, you can look for part-time jobs near your home or within a reasonable commute. You can also help a non-profit or a local news organisation by volunteering. Working in such places can provide valuable experience to include on your resume and portfolio.

Step 3: Undertake short courses

There are numerous short courses and certifications available to help you hone your qualifications for online editor jobs. Online certifications and self-paced training modules can be a good starting point. Weekend courses can help you improve your skills in preparation for a career in editing.

Step 4: Develop a reading habit

It's worth noting in this field that many renowned editors are active readers because it helps them be good writers and editors. Extensive reading of any genre can help you become more acquainted with the flow of writing and a more highly experienced editor. If you want to work in editing, developing a reading habit could be a good place to start.

Types of Job Roles Editor

Editors are expected to be skilled in multimedia and should be social-media savvy in order to keep up with the latest trends and promote their websites or publication. Once you start working in this line, there are various job profiles that you can explore.  

Commissioning Editors

They are involved in managing external contributors and also in the production of quality material on time and on budget.

Section Editors

Section editors take care of newspapers, magazines, and websites. This includes features editors and news editors.

Web Editors

They are also called online editors or social media editors. They are responsible for the overall content and the images that go on the website.

Film or Video Editor

Film or Video editors play an important role in the post-production of a movie. They select the footage accordingly to form a sequence, in order to make the story crisp and relevant.

Skills Required to be an Editor 

The following abilities are necessary to become an editor:

• Creativity: Editors need to be imaginative, inquisitive, and knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. The creation of intriguing story concepts and attention-getting headlines is a regular requirement for some editors
• Attention to Detail: Making sure that writing is free of errors and adheres to the publication's style is one of an editor's primary responsibilities
• Decent Judgement: Editors must determine whether a story is morally acceptable or whether there is sufficient support for reporting it
• Interpersonal Capabilities: Editors who work with writers need to be diplomatic and able to mentor and inspire them in their endeavours
• Writing Capabilities: All written material must have proper grammar, punctuation, and syntax, according to editors. Editors need to write logically and with clarity

Employment Sector/Industry for Editor

There are a plethora of employment opportunities for editors. They can work with the following

• Newspaper houses
• News agencies
• Magazines
• Websites
• Publishing houses
• Freelancers
• Advertising companies
• Radio and TV stations
• NGOs
• The government sector in Indian information service or state government information service

Top Recruiting Companies for Editors

Some of the top newspapers, magazines and publishing houses where an editor can find employment opportunities are:

Newspapers

• Times of India
• Hindustan Times
• The Indian Express
• The Hindu
• The Tribune

Magazines

• India Today
• Femina
• Outlook
• Vogue
• Reader’s Digest
• Business Today
• Forbes

Publishing Houses

• Penguin Random House India
• Rupa Publications
• Roli Books
• Harper Collins
• Hachette India
• Pan Macmillan India
• Scholastic India

Pay Scale/Salary of Editor

Here's how much an editor earns in her/ his career:

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Editor’s Career Path

There are editors everywhere. They are employed in a variety of fields, including publishing, marketing and sales, production, law, government, and education. Editors can be experts who, for instance, only edit documents in the sciences or the medical field, or they can be generalists who handle all forms of content. People enter the field of editing from a variety of backgrounds. Some students major in professional writing, communications, or journalism in college and then go on to work as full-time editors. Others work in totally unrelated fields before combining that experience with an education in editing to advance in their careers. The decision between freelance (self-employed) and in-house (part- or full-time) editing work is based on two key considerations: How important is a consistent paycheck? and How crucial is timeline management to you? 

The flexible schedule of a freelance editor can be suitable for night owls and parents with toddlers. To some extent, freelance editors can choose their clients and colleagues. They can also concentrate their efforts on marketing their services to industries that benefit them.

Books & Study Material to Become Editor

Apart from getting a journalism/mass communication degree, there are certain books that can help hone your editing skills. These books can enhance your knowledge and are focused on style, grammar, spelling, style, and punctuation. Some of these books are:

• Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
• The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English by Roy Peter Clark
• Editing Made Easy: Simple Rules for Effective Writing by Bruce Kaplan
• The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Press
• Copyediting and Proofreading for Dummies by Suzanne Gilad
• Getting the Words Right by Theodore A. Rees Cheney

Pros of becoming a Editor

Career as an editor can be exciting and rewarding, it can be challenging too. Let’s take a look at some of the pros:

Creative freedom

Editors can exercise their creative freedom by coming up with new ideas and planning the content. They are also involved in writing captions, articles and editing stories. There is a variety of work that they are involved in. If you choose to work as an editor in a publishing field, then you may even get the liberty to freelance or work from home at times.

Meeting new people

One of the perks of this profession is that you get to meet a lot of people and can forge connections with them. Those people can be some of the top celebrities/politicians and other people who are newsmakers. You get to hobnob with the powerful and the influential.

Full of surprises

This holds true if you work for a newspaper especially. You never know how your day will begin and end, and you won’t know what a day will bring in.

Cons of becoming a Editor

There are a few drawbacks as well of a career as an editor. Listed below are some of the cons:

Work-life balance

You can expect long hours at work as the industry is very competitive and that can put a strain on your personal relationships. If you are working for a newspaper, then you may have to work on weekends and even on public holidays.

Focus

Being an editor means that you have to be very detail oriented and extremely focused. You cannot afford to make mistakes while proofreading articles and stories.

Stress

This is one job which involves a huge amount of stress. Editors are usually under deadline. This holds true, particularly for newspapers and magazines. If it’s a breaking news story, it has to be vetted by the editor as soon as possible.