4 answers
Ray
Student
Manalapan Township, NJ
19
Questions
Asked
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How much do editors and publishers have to travel?
And do you ever get to work from home?
#editing #publishing
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4 answers
Nadina P
Editor
9
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Nadina’s Answer
I have been an editor for about 10 years now, and I've worked in a lot of different roles, all as editors. In my experience, it really depends on which publisher the editor is with and what specific roles s/he is fulfilling.
First, think about the various roles in editorial: when I was an acquisitions editor, I traveled quite a bit because a part of my role was to find authors for my books. In many publishers (like mine), the acquisitions editors wear many hats; they manage budgets, assist with marketing and promotion, develop the market, serve as the main point of contact across the entire process, coordinate with the various members of the publishing team, and even serve as emotional support for the authors. These tend to travel a great deal. Some acquisitions editors barely travel at all because their niche allows them to do this remotely, or their roles are more focused. This range of travel is true of fiction and non-fiction editors as well. When I worked with business non-fiction authors, there was a lot of travel. Not so much with self-help. Titles also matter. At some publishers, higher level editors (senior editors, executive editors, etc.) travel more.
A copyeditor is frequently a freelancer and does what most people *think* editors do--correct grammar and syntax, look for typos, etc. Typically, they don't travel, and many do not even work on site. Production editors don't travel, as their roles are heavily focused on scheduling and coordination (and are usually considered production, not editorial). Assistants very rarely travel.
Another important aspect is the financial management and business objective of the publisher. Some publishers have very small travel budgets for editors, especially if they are smaller or independent. Self-publishers almost certainly do not have the funds for traveling. Other publishers have very large travel budgets. Often, they are bigger and more established, though there are exceptions here too.
Travel varies widely across media and topics as well. Editors in magazines, books, newspapers, and all sorts of media have very different roles and responsibility, and therefore very different travel expectations. My friends in politics travel quite a bit, for example; my friends at entertainment news sources tend not to travel. Editors in academic book publishing typically travel quite a bit, while those working in smaller markets seldom do.
A better way to think about this is to ask these questions:
1. What kind of publisher would interest you? Books? Academic? News? Magazine?
2. What business purpose would travel serve? Travel is expensive; if you're in a role where travel can be avoided, then most businesses will avoid it
3. Most importantly: ask yourself what is driving you to ask this question. If it's because you know you don't want to travel much, then this matters a lot. I would go back to the previous two questions and answer those to figure out where you belong. If the answer is because you do want to travel, then I would worry about this less. If you land in a role that has you staying local a lot, focus on what career path will get you to a place where you can travel on your own. I've been on both sides of that coin, and I can tell you that personal travel is a lot more fun.
Once you've done this, you can start figuring out what type of editors travel by looking at job posts. Often, an editorial job that requires that will say something about that in the job post. If travel is not mentioned at all in the post, this often means the role does not require travel. Bookjobs.com or Publishers Lunch are good places to spot this for book publishing. For other media, LinkedIn, Glass Door, Media Bistro, and other such sites will have plenty of posts for you to comb through. You'll also start learning what types of editors do, which will help you figure which roles appeal to you. Mostly, remember that "editor" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people; what is true of one editor may not be true of another. So make sure you ask editors, and make sure you remember that there are a lot of answers.
I hope this helps!
Ask yourself what is motivating you to think about how much editors travel, then use that to find your place
Ask yourself if you put the travel aside, what is it that you want out of your career and your life
Remember: if you chase your dreams, the other things will follow...even if it takes a while
Look at job posts for various editor positions to learn what they do and how much they travel
First, think about the various roles in editorial: when I was an acquisitions editor, I traveled quite a bit because a part of my role was to find authors for my books. In many publishers (like mine), the acquisitions editors wear many hats; they manage budgets, assist with marketing and promotion, develop the market, serve as the main point of contact across the entire process, coordinate with the various members of the publishing team, and even serve as emotional support for the authors. These tend to travel a great deal. Some acquisitions editors barely travel at all because their niche allows them to do this remotely, or their roles are more focused. This range of travel is true of fiction and non-fiction editors as well. When I worked with business non-fiction authors, there was a lot of travel. Not so much with self-help. Titles also matter. At some publishers, higher level editors (senior editors, executive editors, etc.) travel more.
A copyeditor is frequently a freelancer and does what most people *think* editors do--correct grammar and syntax, look for typos, etc. Typically, they don't travel, and many do not even work on site. Production editors don't travel, as their roles are heavily focused on scheduling and coordination (and are usually considered production, not editorial). Assistants very rarely travel.
Another important aspect is the financial management and business objective of the publisher. Some publishers have very small travel budgets for editors, especially if they are smaller or independent. Self-publishers almost certainly do not have the funds for traveling. Other publishers have very large travel budgets. Often, they are bigger and more established, though there are exceptions here too.
Travel varies widely across media and topics as well. Editors in magazines, books, newspapers, and all sorts of media have very different roles and responsibility, and therefore very different travel expectations. My friends in politics travel quite a bit, for example; my friends at entertainment news sources tend not to travel. Editors in academic book publishing typically travel quite a bit, while those working in smaller markets seldom do.
A better way to think about this is to ask these questions:
1. What kind of publisher would interest you? Books? Academic? News? Magazine?
2. What business purpose would travel serve? Travel is expensive; if you're in a role where travel can be avoided, then most businesses will avoid it
3. Most importantly: ask yourself what is driving you to ask this question. If it's because you know you don't want to travel much, then this matters a lot. I would go back to the previous two questions and answer those to figure out where you belong. If the answer is because you do want to travel, then I would worry about this less. If you land in a role that has you staying local a lot, focus on what career path will get you to a place where you can travel on your own. I've been on both sides of that coin, and I can tell you that personal travel is a lot more fun.
Once you've done this, you can start figuring out what type of editors travel by looking at job posts. Often, an editorial job that requires that will say something about that in the job post. If travel is not mentioned at all in the post, this often means the role does not require travel. Bookjobs.com or Publishers Lunch are good places to spot this for book publishing. For other media, LinkedIn, Glass Door, Media Bistro, and other such sites will have plenty of posts for you to comb through. You'll also start learning what types of editors do, which will help you figure which roles appeal to you. Mostly, remember that "editor" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people; what is true of one editor may not be true of another. So make sure you ask editors, and make sure you remember that there are a lot of answers.
I hope this helps!
Nadina recommends the following next steps:
Daniel Moore
Creative Services Director
7
Answers
Devine, Texas
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
I've rarely get to travel, unless on site editing is needed during a shoot.
And most of the work I do is from my home-office.
But having your own editing bays is a requirement.
And most of the work I do is from my home-office.
But having your own editing bays is a requirement.
Lynda Seminara, CMPP
Writing, Editing, Voice Services
1
Answer
Wilmington, Delaware
Updated
Lynda’s Answer
I agree with Nadina's response with respect to travel.
In my 30+ years in medical communications (including senior roles), I have traveled just a handful of times.
On the topic of working from home....
For most of my career, I've been home based, even before email was commonplace. Not everyone enjoys working from home, but this option is available for many editing and writing roles in my industry, if you desire such an arrangement. It's a great way to continue working while raising a family. Even as a freelancer, there are many ways to grow in your career. (My freelance business evolved into an LLC.)
Wishing you well!
Think about the industry/industries in which you'd like to work; try to obtain internships in those areas so that you can explore them first-hand
If you wish to pursue this type of work, consider appropriate major fields of study (such as English or Journalism)
In my 30+ years in medical communications (including senior roles), I have traveled just a handful of times.
On the topic of working from home....
For most of my career, I've been home based, even before email was commonplace. Not everyone enjoys working from home, but this option is available for many editing and writing roles in my industry, if you desire such an arrangement. It's a great way to continue working while raising a family. Even as a freelancer, there are many ways to grow in your career. (My freelance business evolved into an LLC.)
Wishing you well!
Lynda recommends the following next steps:
Bruce Overby
Business Operations Manager
11
Answers
Los Altos, California
Updated
Bruce’s Answer
It's first important to understand that publisher and editor are very different roles. A publisher is a business-focused leadership role--often *the* leader--in a publishing enterprise, while an editor either manages a specific project or puts pen to paper either to correct errors in grammar, style, or accuracy, or to improve the writing. Publishers can do quite a bit of business travel for two reasons: 1. Because a publishing enterprise often has partnerships with other companies, some of which might be international, or has business relationships that require face-to-face interactions. 2. Because the publisher's leadership role puts him/her in a position to speak at industry conferences, seminars, etc., or to represent the company at these types of gatherings. An editor, by contrast, will typically travel very little, and yes, editors in the publishing industry are increasingly working from home. The only exceptions to this would be an editor attending one of the aforementioned industry gatherings, or traveling to make additional money and contacts by teaching seminars, running workshops, or appearing on industry panels. These activities are, however, outside the editor's day-to-day work, which can typically be done in the office or in a home office.
See my answer to this question for an overview of the different types of editor: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/203020/what-is-your-favorite-type-of-writing-to-edit
Attend a publishing conference if you can and talk to some publishers and editors about their work. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference is happening soon in San Antonio: https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/overview
Bruce recommends the following next steps: