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Hiring an editor? Need to know how and where to find the best candidates? Here is a comprehensive guide to finding the best editors. Read on!

How to hire an editor?

An editor is a critical reader who helps to fine-tune and refine a story and article and ensure the article style meets the publisher’s style and policies. Editors perform fact checks, check for grammatical and punctuation errors. Hiring a professional editor does more than correct grammatical errors, they can help give a finishing touch to your work.

They can look at your work with a fresh pair of eyes and evaluate your work objectively. The editor can save you the time and frustration you feel when you peruse your article repeatedly. Writer editors can help you articulate your ideas clearly.

They can help bring shape to your project efficiently. Freelance writers editors are versatile and can edit a range of content for a firm. In this blog, we give readers tips on hiring an editor. We let our readers know to find an editor and let you know what to look for during the hiring process.

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Hiring market for an editor

The overall editor jobs outlook has been unchanged since 2004. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, vacancies for editors have decreased by 7%. Over the next ten years, the US will probably need 4500 editors. The publishing industry has shrunk in the US, and the competition for writing editors will be stiff.

Presently the best editing jobs are centered around New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Frisco. But with media shifting to the digital medium, this may change. Editors may need to supplement their income with training in electronic publishing, graphics, and web designing. Editors have had to adapt to the online medium and need to be adept at using digital tools.

Presently freelance editors can work in publishing companies, academic centers, marketing, and advertising firms, non-government organization, political parties, governmental department, etc. The way people consume media has changed, editors will continue to add value by editing drafts and ensuring the content published remains consistent as required by the publication.

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Top 15 recent job titles for editors

A freelance editor can work in a variety of settings. Most editors work full-time and are adept at handling multiple projects and dealing with production deadlines. Part of their job description is offering comments to improve the content. The different job titles for editors are,

1. Book Editor

Book editors work on large manuscripts usually 50000 words or more. It calls for extensive editing. Book editors can work on the genre like story editors, nonfiction editors, etc. Book editors can wield considerable influence in the literary world and engage in varied projects. The average salary of a book editor in the US is $61370 annually.

2. New and Magazine Editors

News and magazine work on news, features, and opinions published in newspapers and magazines. The articles are typically between 1000-2000 words. A newspaper editor work on several articles simultaneously. These articles may need to be edited several times. The average salary of a newspaper editor is $43,746 per year.

3. Academic Editors

Academic editors edit research papers, thesis, and dissertations. The length of research papers can vary widely from 20 to 200 papers. An academic editor for hire generally a postgraduate or doctorate. The average salary of an academic editor is $57,756.

4. Web Editors

The web editors help to edit and create online content. They can be online story editor. Web editors are expected to know the basics of SEO and use online tools such as WordPress and other content management systems. The average web editor in the US salary is $50339.

5. Editor-in-Chief

The editor in chief ensures the content published maintains the philosophy and tone of the publishing house or magazine. The editor-in-chief supervises freelance editors for hire and in-house editors. They usually have autonomy. The average salary of editor-in-chief can range from $50,000- $100,000/year.

6. Commissioning Editors

They manage external contributors and also in the production of quality work on time and budget. The average salary of a commissioning editor is $71,129/year.

7. Managing Editors

The managing editors work for magazines, newspaper publishers, and television news studios. The managing editor is responsible for the daily content or operations newsrooms. The average salary of managing editors is $102210 per year.

8. Executive Editors

Executive editors typically oversee the work of assistant editors. They decide which stories are published and how news items will be covered. The executive editors are involved in various hiring reporters, writers, etc.

They are involved in planning the budget and negotiate a contract with freelance editors and writers. Executive editors work in newspapers, magazines, television broadcasters, and or advertising and public relationship firms. The average annual salary of executive editors is $97072.

9. Section Editors

Section editors work in newspapers, magazines, and websites. This includes feature editors and news editors. The average salary of section editors is $52,107/year.

10. Assistant Editors

Assistant editors are responsible for some select stories, news features, or sports. Assistant editors generally work for newspapers, television broadcasters, advertisers, or magazines. The average annual salary of an assistant editor is $48204/year.

11. Copy Editors

Copy editors proofread content for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. They check the content for readability, style, and ensure the article is in agreement with the editorial policy of the organization. The copy editor suggests revisions to the content to improve clarity or accuracy. They also verify facts, dates, and statistics. The average salary of copy editors is $44575/year.

12. Publication assistant

Publication assistance work in the publication houses. They read manuscripts, proofread books, and answer queries on published material. The publication assistant in smaller newspapers and media firms may gather articles and news items available on wire services and the internet.

They may perform administrative jobs including answering calls. The average salaries of publication assistant are $42,029/year.

13. Film or Video Editor

Film editors work in post-production. They select the footage to make the story crisp, engaging, and relevant. The average annual salary of film or video editors is $37,840.

14. Developmental Editor

Developmental editors coach writers to get them a story for publication. They help writers work on the tone, structure of the book and provide encouragement when required. The salary of the development editor $61169/year.

15. Content Editor

Content Editors look at a literal piece as a whole. They look at the story and make changes to the plot, character, setting, etc. The content editor in journalism cross-checks the authenticity of every article.

If you think your book/article requires extensive editing you may want to hire a content editor. They are familiar with different writing styles. The average salary of a content editor is $48,184/year.

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Qualifications to look for in an editor

Most editors have a graduate degree in English, communications, or journalism. Some freelance editors opt to do their postgraduate in journalism or publishing if their graduate degree is not related to the industry.  The best graduate schools for English in the US are,

• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Chicago
• Columbia University
• Stanford University
• University of Pennsylvania

The best graduate schools with communication programs are,

• MIT School of Humanities, Art, and Social Studies
• Stanford School Department of Humanities and Science
• Brown Universities of Graduate Studies
• Annenberg School of Communication
• Northwestern University School of Communication

The best universities for a postgraduate degree in journalism are,

• Arizona State University
• University of California- Berkeley
• Columbia University
• The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
• University of Florida
• University of Missouri

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Skills to look for in an editor

Before you hire an editor you must evaluate their technical and soft skills to ensure they are a good fit for your organization. Here are the skills you need when you are hiring an editor,

1. Attention to detail – A good professional editor needs to be meticulous.
2. They need to be a perfectionist. They need to read through the content and notice typos.
3. Interpersonal skill- One of the key skills editors for hire needs to have a good working relationship with the staff and authors. They need to be skillfully guiding the author through the writing process.
4. Knowledge of the English language – the editor needs to have a firm grasp of the English language should be able to communicate effortlessly in English.
5. Flexible – The editor needs to be flexible and open to change.
6. Editing skills – an editor needs to read content and correct spelling errors, punctuation, and grammatical errors. Rewrite the text to make it easier to read and understand.
7. Quality control- evaluate articles given for submission from writers and filter what to publish.
8. Time Management – the editor needs to ensure the content is published on time.
9. Develop content – Develop content and story according to the publisher and editorial policy.
10. Mentor staff -Guide the staff during the writing process and approve the final version submitted by them.
11. Teamwork – An editor needs to work well with others

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Certifications to look for in an editor

Several industries require candidates to have accreditations or certifications. These may be legal requirements or to ensure the candidate is up-to-date with all the latest industry standards. Certification is not required to become an editor but several authors or freelance work for freelance editor websites prefer certified editors.

In editing, you have the choice to get university certificates and professional association certificates. The university certifications are for editors looking to start their careers. These have a rigid and require aspiring editors to complete the workload in the stipulated period. The top university certifications are,

• UC San Diego
• Ryerson University
• University of Chicago
• Queen University
• Emerson University

The professional association certifications are flexible. Allow users to opt for single courses or opt for multiple courses.

• Publishing Training Centre (UK)
• Society of Editing and Proofreaders (UK)
• Editorial Freelance Association (US)
• Writer Digest Copyediting Certification Course (US)
• ACES: The Society of Editing (Canada)

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Rate per hour of editor

When freelance editors are needed by your firm, you should know how much it cost your firm. The salary of an editor depends on their education, experience, the content they are editing, and their location. The salary of an editor in the US ranges from $29 to $59.64 per hour. The median salary of an editor working in the US is typical $34/hour.

Editors working advertising and public relation related services earn $89480 annually or $43.02/hour. Editors working in newspapers and magazines typically earn $67880 annually or $32.64/hour. A freelance editor in the US earns $54070 annually or $26/hour.

The annual salary of editors in the UK ranges from £ 20,000 to £ 47,000. The average salary of an editor in the UK is £ 27973/year. The salary of a freelance editor in the UK is £ 9.73/hour. The salary of an editor in India can range from Rs. 333,000 to Rs 650,000/year. The average salary of a freelance editor in India is Rs. 148/hour.

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Top 10 job boards to find the best editor

If you want to find an editor online as a personal editor for a specific project or an editor for your firm, you have the option of hiring editor agencies or visit job boards. The top job boards to hire editors are,

1. Flexjobs – Flexijobs is an excellent resource to find freelance writer and editor.
2. unremot.com – Unremot is a virtual space allowing for team collaboration. You can hire an editor, meet and evaluate freelance editors and collaborate.
3. Jobsforeditors – Jobsforeditors is a portal dedicated to freelance editors. Jobsforeditors reviews have been positive for most freelancers.
4. Indeed – Indeed is one of the largest online platforms to hire editors online.
5. Upwork – Upwork is a freelance platform. You can find editors for hire online.
6. Remote – Remote. co is a platform for freelancers. You can post requirement I need an editor.
7. LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a social media website for professionals.
8. Freelancer – Freelancer is a marketplace for remote professionals. You can freelance editor for hire.
9. Glassdoor – Glassdoor is a website that posts reviews and salary requirements of various firms. It also allows you to post vacancies.
10. Ziprecruiter – Ziprecruiters is an employment marketplace helping you to find the best editor.

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Top 10 companies hiring editor and salaries offered

Today jobs for an editor can be in several places such as publishing houses, websites, newspapers, magazines, and firms offering freelance editorial services. The top companies hiring editors are,

1. American Journal Expert: American Journal Expert provides academic author services and proofreading services. AJE also offers translation, formatting, editing, and peer-review services. The salary is $25/hour.
2. Bustle:- Bustle is an online news media platform. It writes articles on a range of topics. They are hiring editors for their online platform. The salary of Bustle is $68202/year.
3. Cactus Communication – Cactus communication is a communications solutions provider. They specialize in scientific and academic editing. The salary of Cactus Communication ranges from $2947 to $4000 per month.
4. Penguin Random House – Penguin Random House is a publishing house. It is one of the largest paperback companies in the world. The average salary of an editor is $52141/annually.
5. Cambridge Proofreading Worldwide – Cambridge Proofreading Worldwide providing editing and proofreading services to medical, social, life, and engineering. The hourly rate for academic freelance editing services is $20/hour.
6. Dotdash – Dotdash is one of the fastest growing online publishers of content. It hires freelance writer-editor. The typical salary of a Dotdash editor is $71932/annually.
7. EBSCO Industries – EBSCO Industries manage the portfolio of information service companies, publishing, and digital media. The annual salary of an EBSCO editor is $42840/year.
8. International Business Times – International Business Times is a global technology, political, economic, and business news. The freelance writing editing service provider in International Business Times earns $36000/year.
9. Time Inc- Time Inc is one of the largest mass media organizations. The Time Inc editor’s salary is $67175/year.
10. Robert Half International – Robert Half International is a global professional staffing firm. The firm hires a profiles editor or creative writing editor as per requirement.

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Top 10 interview questions for the editor

When you need an editor, you must ascertain their skills and find out if they suitable for your organization. We have listed some interview questions you can ask them.

Q1: How do you prioritize your work?

Rationale: Demonstrate if the candidate is organized and will be able to meet deadlines.

Sample Answer: I start the day reviewing my post urgent work. Once done, I use the first-in-first-out philosophy. I tackle the articles that came in first.

Q2: How do you ensure to meet the deadlines in your editing work?

Rationale: In the publishing world sticking to deadlines is vital.

Sample Answer: I am good at preauthorizing my work. I allocate my resources to edit it on time. I do not mind working overtime when there is a deadline looming.

Q3: How do you deal with criticism?

Rationale: These are situational questions to know how to deal with feedback.

Sample Answer: I embrace criticism and take it as an opportunity to understand what the audience needs and improve the quality of my work. I like to push myself to perform better and take every feedback to improve my performance.

Q4: What would you do if an author of an article/book does not like your edits and argues with you?

Rationale: This behavioral question will let them know how you would deal with conflict.

Sample Answer: I stick to my style of editing. We edit articles to improve the readability. I try to accommodate the author’s point of view while ensuring the article or book meets publication house publishing standard and style.

Q5: When you receive a document to edit, how do you approach your process?

Rationale: When editors are needed for your organization you need to evaluate the editing process.

Sample Answer: When I first receive a document, I first try to understand the content. I should understand the goal of the article. I make sure the content helps to meet the objective of the article. During the second read, I focus on the main errors. Before finishing, I ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors in the content.

Q6: What do expect from the chief editors and other people in your organization?

Rationale: you need to be able to work well in a team.

Sample Answer: I expect professionalism and clear communication from the chief editor. The atmosphere in the editing department should be cordial. I usually focus on completing the task at hand to the best of my ability.

Q7: Tell us something about your editor experience?

Rationale: an experienced editor should be able to show a sample of their work.

Sample Answer: I specialize in academic content. Here are some samples of my work and the review of happy clients.

Q8: What are your strengths and weaknesses as an editor?

Rationale: An editor should be able to answer this question easily.

Sample Answer: I believe that I am good at identifying goals in a particular campaign. I ensure the material adheres to the campaign. I can be blunt when I tell a writer about their mistakes. I am working on telling the writer their mistake while the focus on their positive material.

Q9: What do you do if you found conflicting information while fact-checking. How did you determine which source to trust?

Rationale: This helps to test the critical thinking of the candidate.

Sample Answer: I first go to the source of the article. I try to cross-check the source and try to make sure the source is legitimate. If there are conflicting sources I see which source looks more authentic. If I cannot find a legitimate source, I prefer deleting the information rather than unsubstantiated information.

Q10:What attracted you to work as an assistant editor in our firm?

Rationale: An editor should do some research when they go interview.

Sample Answer: I was impressed when I read about <<firm>>. The company has been consistently working towards its vision statement. I have heard great things about the work culture.