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A career as a commissioning editor

A commissioning editor will work for either a newspaper, magazine or book publisher and is responsible for building up a contacts list of reliable and good writers.
It is their responsibility to oversee book proposals and article submissions and decide which ideas to follow up and commission for their publication or publishing house.
They will then need to oversee the development of the project, ensuring that the copy is delivered on time and meets the brief outlined when originally commissioned.
In the book publishing environment, the role will be purely to oversee copy flow, whereas those working for a newspaper or magazine may also get the chance to write and contribute their own ideas to the publication.
The typical duties of a commissioning editor include attending book fairs, conducting research on the internet, analysing the market to identify areas of demand that are underserved, attending conferences, building up a contacts book, researching market trends, networking with other commissioning editors, negotiating contract terms and payment fees and reading and assessing manuscripts.
Most candidates applying for an online job as a commissioning editor will have a degree, although occasionally candidates with outstanding on-the-job experience will be considered.
While a postgraduate qualification is not necessary, often candidates will have some an MA or Msc in publishing or journalism to improve their prospects of employment.
The role of commissioning editor tends not to be a graduate position and is often a job that junior writers progress into after experience in the industry and therefore employers are likely to favour candidates who have already been working for several years.
However, commissioning editors often have assistants to perform more administrative work and this is a good route into the position.
Candidates will also need to demonstrate that they have a strong contacts book not only of writers but also of publishers and reviewers, so they are able to promote good writing to the relevant industry figures and generate a buzz around a new book or article.
The average salary of an editorial assistant entering the profession is £18,442, while a commissioning editor starting out should expect to earn £26,459. A senior publisher tends to earn about £42,188 and the more senior commissioning editors become the more room there is for the negotiation of salaries within a company.
Working hours will vary - at a publishing house they will largely be nine to five, with weekend and evening book launches and conferences, whereas at a newspaper the hours can be far more irregular with more night work involved.
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