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Do you love books? Do you have a keen eye for current trends? Do you like the sound of working in publishing? If the answer to all of this is yes, then you might want to consider being a commissioning editor as a future career.

What is a commissioning editor?

Commissioning editors are the buyers of authors, book titles, or book ideas/ proposals, and they are typically associated with book publishing (instead of magazine publishing). They are responsible with stacking up the publisher’s list, and to obtain material that has a chance of being profitable or popular amongst the masses. The commissioning part of the job is to find authors to write books based on ideas, or to respond to book proposals by writers or agents. They oversee a book at its every stage, from its conception until it is published. Key here is to carefully observe trends, foresee the future, and to be able to seek out new books that have potential and undiscovered markets.

TikTok has recently led to the resurging popularity of BookTok, with certain books in specific genres gaining popularity amongst the public, ranging from romance, fiction, fantasy, poetry, and so on. Let’s say with historical fiction, you have the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, or Lessons in Chemistry. With fantasy romance, you might have Six of Crows or A Court of Thorns and Roses. With Greek retellings, you have the Song of Achilles or Circe.

Have you noticed that when these books go viral, or when a niche genre becomes popular, there are suddenly many other similar books being published and sold? As a commissioning editor, your job is to seek out these trends and find out what the public are currently interested in, or discover hidden or undiscovered markets, before tracking down and/or commissioning authors to publish books that readers will hopefully love. Commissioning editors are on a constant lookout for the diamond in the rough. Kind of like the Indiana Joneses of the publishing world. Or maybe Jafar. You pick.

Now is the prospect of being a commissioning editor interesting to you? Read on to find out how you can get the role.

How do I become a commissioning editor?

To become a commissioning editor, you would usually come from degrees such as publishing, creative writing, journalism, or similar degrees.

If you are looking to work in a more specialist publication, such as a technical, medical, or scientific journal, you would most likely need a degree in that subject. You do not need a postgraduate degree in publishing or digital publishing, but it can help your chances.

However, individuals with unrelated university degrees can become commissioning editors as well, be it through applying directly to the company, through professionally-run specialist courses, volunteering, or working towards the role yourself.

What skills do I need to work in this position?

Coming into the industry, you will need to have knowledge of the working language (being able to read, write, and speak), and of media production and communication.

Essential skills that you will need are attention to detail, verbal and written communication skills, teamworking skills, interpersonal skills, flexibility and adaptability, as well as technological and computer skills.

What are the key responsibilities?

As a commissioning editor, you will be observing and making note of current trends in publishing from attending book fairs, conducting research and/or surveys, or participating in conferences. You will have to meet with other editors to create ideas for book proposals and find suitable authors to turn your vision into a reality. You will be in close contact with other editors, writers, agents, and other contacts to publish a book, organize book signings, negotiating contracts, etc. You will be the one to decide whether an author’s book gets published or not. You will be determining whether a book needs to be revised, reprinted, or have a new edition produced. You will be working with administration, finance, budgets, strategy, and scheduling.

What will the job look like?

A commissioning editor usually starts out as an editorial assistant, where they are tasked with copy-editing, proofreading, writing cover texts, administration, organizing correspondence, and liaising with authors.

They typically work in an office for 37 – 39 hours a week, and they have a starting salary of £25,000 per year. This amount can increase to about £50,000 as you advance in the field. 

Want to learn more?

Here are some useful links to get you started!

-       https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/commissioning-editor

-       https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/commissioning-editor

-       https://www.publishers.org.uk/about-publishing/careers/commissioning-editor/