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0-5 years of experience
- Composed independent articles every week on pertinent issues facing SMEs investing in Asia
- Managed India Regulatory Brief, a weekly periodical on regulatory developments in India
- Managed content for regional flyer, a monthly report sent to clients on the month’s content
- Monitored news cycle to remain informed on the regulatory and business environment in Asia
- Wrote mini thought leadership report on using India for the China +1 investing strategy
- Found, contacted and acquired syndication partners for content
- Participated in major events and industry conferences
0-5 years of experience
Medical textbook publisher
- Researched and obtained permissions from academic sources for use in upcoming texts
- Formatted, organized, and compiled author affiliations to be published in front matter
- Regularly corresponded with authors to receive forms and keep them up to date
0-5 years of experience
- Edited and organized content for biomedical textbooks
- Coordinated research activities for product development
- Developed teaching modules for medical and graduate school professors
6-10 years of experience
- Coordinated the acquisition of books from publishers, the entry of books into our Microsoft Access database (editing the entries as needed), and the nomination (using The Historian’s database and the Internet) and invitation of professional historians in the appropriate discipline for the review of books, communicating with the reviewers via telephone, fax, email, and mail, following up and responding to inquiries in a timely fashion to ensure all deadlines and requirements were met for the quarterly publication of seventy-five meticulously edited reviews. Coordinated upon publication of journal the processing of offprints and tear sheets to reviewers and to publishers, respectively.
- Edited in all stages of the editing process resulting in sharp editorial skills, fluent writing ability, thorough and efficient reading and proofreading abilities, a strong understanding of the English language and its grammar, and a mastery of the Chicago Manual of Style.
- Prepared, rewrote, and edited reviews to improve readability, and supervised others who did this work. Verified facts, dates, and statistics using standard reference sources in Chicago Manual of Style, Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, and on the Internet. Read copies or proofs to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax (working with frequent interruptions to answer questions from subordinates, reviewers, or the Book Review Editor) and conferred with reviewers and the Book Review Editor regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication. Reviewed and approved proofs submitted by editorial staff prior to review being sent back to reviewer and/or Book Review Editor for final check. Supervised and coordinated work and training of editorial staff. Edited the contents of reviews according to the journal’s style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.
- Oversaw the day-to-day operations of the office, developed innovative task procedures by solving problems myself, resulting in experience with Microsoft Office programs (Access, Excel, and Word), Outlook, and Windows and the further development of technical skills.
- Managed and trained a staff of around 20 employees working together with the rest of the Senior Editorial staff, developing management, communication, and leadership abilities in addition to learning to cooperate within a group in order to accomplish tasks and to build strong work relationships.
- Organized materials, performed data management, and determined the status of the office, presenting office information each Monday morning in Senior Staff meetings to the Book Review Editor, also coordinating project management with the staff for the direction of the Book Review Section, scheduling staff hours and task priorities to ensure they were finished in the quickest and most efficient manner possible.
- Interviewed applicants to determine suitability for employment with the editorial staff of the Book Review Section.
0-5 years of experience
Assistant to two Senior Editors (American & Latin American History; Mathematical Sciences)
- Manage manuscript peer review process, prepare and process contracts, solicit endorsements, oversee illustration and permissions programs, draft marketing copy, process all payments, complete all other pre-production tasks on time and within budget
- Attend academic conferences with editors and as sole editorial representative
- Experience in working on a variety of types of titles: trade titles, monographs, reference works, coursebooks and recommended reading, textbooks, books for academic and professional purchase
- Assist in preparation of annual budgets by managing author delivery dates
- Fluent in Microsoft Office Suite, experience in handling LaTeX manuscripts
0-5 years of experience
Communicate with readers to create letters to the editor, Your News, announcements
- Assist the editorial staff by managing content for two publications the Windsor Now and [company name]
- Budget photo assignments for reporters, photographers and organize records of birth announcements, marriages and oil and gas spill reports
- Facilitate and organize lunches and dinner every other month for the office to communicate and reflect on stories
- Thorough coverage of weekend events and breaking news
0-5 years of experience
Manage book projects for the illustrated list at Little, Brown and Mulholland Books.
- Edit manuscripts from acquisition to publication.
- Liaise with literary agents and authors on prospective projects.
- Write flap and promotional copy for over forty titles each year.
6-10 years of experience
Field phone calls/emails/submitted content on the Virtual Newsroom on the web.
- Process Letters to the Editor
- Compile content for in each day’s paper: weather, deaths, births, courts
- Complete allotted pages for the next day’s paper: Events, Lifestyles, and church pages
- Update and maintain the calendar of events
- Use TextEdit Plus, NeoOffice, Quark, and Photoshop
0-5 years of experience
Assisted with editorial functions
- Developed contacts with PR firms
- Proofed and rewrite copy; weekly calendar of events
- Answered correspondance regarding publications
10+ years of experience
Edit clinical study reports, protocols, charts and tables
- Edit e-Learning modules for clarity, correct grammar and proper working condition
- Design, illustrate and write departmental training guides and schematic designs per protocol
- Prepare PDF tables, listings and figures for electronic publishing
- Reconcile procurement purchases; Follow through with Finance
- Provide Individual training to co-workers as needed
- Assist Events Manager in organizing and preparing meeting materials
- Maintain/update clinical site demographics on database for final study reports
0-5 years of experience
- Provide quality research, writing, and editorial services to support company owner’s written publications and oral presentations.
- Draft, format, and edit written content, charts, and graphs for book manuscripts, magazine articles, blog posts, social media websites, etc.
- Manage large-scale research project for international business etiquette book series—including recently published Access to Asia (Wiley 2015).
0-5 years of experience
- Write daily briefs for page B2 of the [company name].
- Write local news stories and coordinate community coverage with Metro reporters.
- Aggregate user-submitted and staff photos from the Statesman-owned community papers for use in the Statesman’s Metro section.
6-10 years of experience
Answering phone calls from members for the Public Employee Press
- Answering phone calls from press and other outside figures for Public Relations
- Handling mail in large volumes for the entire department
- Proofreading and helping the process of creating each issue
- Typing memos and other documents dictated by the Editor
- Scheduling meetings for staff
- Filing and organizing
- Writing articles on a volunteer basis for the newspaper
0-5 years of experience
Initial quality control of manuscripts, case reports, and letters to the editor
- Soliciting peer-reviewers for manuscripts
- Soliciting statistical reviewers for manuscripts
- Drafting decision letters
- Overdue reviewer & editor follow-up and maintenance
- Maintaining e-mail correspondence with authors, editors, and reviewers
- Editorial website maintenance
- Formatting manuscripts and posting online to publish ahead of print
- Readying and sending issues of [company name]: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes to production
0-5 years of experience
- Assist Web Producer with building articles, blog posts, and slideshows using CQ5
- Write headlines and deks with an eye for SEO-friendliness
- Pitch content for the website with a focus on the latest in architecture and design, as well as travel stories and celebrity news
- Crop and silo images using Photoshop
- Conduct photo research for web exclusive stories
- Help Digital Editor plan editorial calendar and weekly newsletter lineups
- Write Facebook posts and tweets to promote in-book stories
- Write metadata for digital editions of the magazine, specifically for tablet devices
0-5 years of experience
- Research and data collection
- Correspondence with co-authors, contributors
- Organization of contributor contact information and biographies
- Publishing preparation
Editorial Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
The duties editorial assistants carry out on a daily basis will vary from employer to employer and depend on a myriad of factors. However, most editorial assistants will be responsible for doing the following:
Administrative Assistance Editorial assistants are responsible for providing direct assistance to editors. They often provide administrative assistance to editors by answering phones, taking messages, running errands, and performing other tasks as needed. They may also accompany editors on business trips and to various conferences.
Verify Facts Fact-checking can consume a significant amount of an editor’s time, and often, editorial assistants will check facts on their behalf. The Internet is the primary tool used to verify the facts in articles and other publications, and editorial assistants notify editors and writers if there is a problem with plagiarism or false information.
Check Grammar and Punctuation Most editors do not have time to perform basic editing tasks, so they rely on editorial assistants to check the grammar and punctuation of articles prior to their publication. Editorial assistants often use specialized software to achieve this goal, but they will still need to read each article individually.
Contact Writers Writers are an important part of the publishing world, and often, publications hire numerous writers to produce content for them. When there is a problem or an issue needs to be addressed, editorial assistants may reach out to writers in an attempt to resolve them. They may also act as liaisons between writers and senior or executive editors.
Select Content Senior and executive editors usually have the last say in regards to content, but they often consult editorial assistants when the time to select writers and stories arrives. Editorial assistants may help by reading various samples or pitches and selecting the ones most likely to receive the approval of the senior editor.
Editorial Assistant Skills and Qualifications
Editorial assistants need to have a strong understanding of the publishing process as well as excellent writing skills. The skills and qualifications needed to become an editorial assistant will vary from place to place, and most individuals need at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the field. Despite this variation in job requirements, most editorial assistants need to possess the following traits and abilities:
- Writing skills – editorial assistants often edit and check the punctuation and grammar of a publication to ensure it is readable. They need to have a strong knowledge of writing mechanics and a diverse vocabulary as well
- Administrative experience – editorial assistants often perform administrative tasks for senior editors. These tasks can range from getting coffee to choosing stories, so assistants should be prepared to provide support in a variety of ways. They may be responsible for providing support to an entire department or multiple individuals
- Publishing knowledge – the publishing industry is extremely complex and diverse, but editorial assistants will need to know the ins and outs of the industry. They should understand the process of selecting content and have a strong understanding of reader expectations. Some companies may require editorial assistants to have prior experience in the publishing field
- Multitasking – editorial assistants are expected to juggle several tasks at once, so they should be comfortable doing so. They also provide editorial support to multiple individuals in a timely and efficient manner
- Communication skills – strong written and verbal communication skills are needed to become an editorial assistant. Individuals in this role are responsible for communicating with writers, other departments, and senior editors, so they should feel comfortable conveying their ideas to others
Editorial Assistant Education and Training
The educational requirements needed to become an editorial assistant may vary from employer to employer, but in general, those attempting to work in this field will need at least a bachelor’s degree. Degrees in journalism, English, creative writing, or communications are the most highly desired, but some individuals may be able to enter the field if they have a degree in a research-heavy field (ex: psychology, political science). To earn a degree, individuals will need to enroll in a university for three to four years and take courses in expository writing, reporting, and research. Most editorial assistants receive some on-the-job training before they are allowed to work alone.
Editorial Assistant Salary and Outlook
According to Glassdoor, the annual median salary for an editorial assistant is $38,675. In terms of earnings, those in the top ten percent earned more than $48,000 yearly, while those in the bottom ten percent earned less than $31,000. Editorial assistants, especially those employed full-time, may receive benefits such as health insurance, vacation days, and paid time-off. The employment rate for editorial assistants is projected to decline by one percent between 2016 and 2026. This rate is significantly lower than the national average of seven percent for all jobs. This lack of growth is attributed to the rise in online publications and the fact that the editorial field, in general, is exhibiting slow growth.
Helpful Resources
Ready to become an editorial assistant? Let the following career resources guide you towards your goal.
Editorial Freelancers Association – geared primarily towards freelance editors and editorial assistants, the Editorial Freelancers Association provides professionals with a variety of career resources. The organization’s website features an updated job board, as well as links to educational resources and community chapters. Common Mistakes Writers Make: Editing and Proofreading – part of the Writing with Excellence series of books, Common Mistakes Writers Make by Eva Marie Everson is a must-have for anyone considering becoming an editorial assistant. It covers the basic rules of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics, as well as more complex rules that even the most experienced writers often forget.
An Insider’s Guide to Publishing – a straightforward yet highly informative read, An Insider’s Guide to Publishing aims to educate writers and editors about the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Written by David Comfort, the book provides practical tips for surviving the competitive publishing industry.