Publishing Commissioning Editor

Publishing commissioning editors work for book publishing companies. Their main role involves identifying the sort of books that people want to buy and attempting to ensure their company can publish the right products to meet these demands.

The commissioning editor may have a broad overview or, especially in larger companies, specialise in a particular type of book (eg children’s literature, cookery books, academic or specialist).

Knowing the trends in the book market is an important part of the job of commissioning editors. They follow these trends by looking at market research and surveys, attending book fairs, finding out which books other publishers are intending to produce, and talking to marketing and sales staff in their own company. It is the commissioning editor who has to decide what is likely to be profitable this year, and what could be difficult to sell the next. They use this information to decide on the sort of book titles they will publish and draw up an annual publishing plan to guide them when commissioning authors. They usually have to discuss their plans with other senior staff and prove that their ideas are likely to sell and be profitable.

The commissioning editor may be involved in reading submitted manuscripts, and deciding whether they are the sort of product their company would like to publish. In the larger companies, the commissioning editor may also oversee a team of readers who will make recommendations on the potential of a piece of work. Alternatively, using their knowledge of the market trends, the commissioning editor may be involved in developing the idea for a book and will commission an author to write it, either directly or through an agent.

As well as the above work, the commissioning editor may also be involved in:

• negotiating fees, advance payments and royalties with the author and/or their agent
• drawing up contracts
• commissioning artists or photographers to provide illustrations for the book
• setting deadlines for various stages of the work to be completed
• copy editing the book (in larger companies this may be done by a specialist copy editor)
• monitoring the progress of the book until it is published
• understanding the skills, strengths and weaknesses of a number of authors and identifying the best author to produce a particular title.

Hours and environment

Commissioning editors usually work Monday to Friday, and normal office hours. However, they may have to work additional hours at busy times or close to a deadline. Some part-time work may be available.

Commissioning editors are office based. They may also spend some time travelling, visiting authors and attending meetings. They may travel to attend conferences and book fairs, some of which could be held overseas.

Salary and other benefits

These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.

• Starting salaries for publishing commissioning editors may be around €23,000 a year.
• With more experience, commissioning editors may earn €30,000 a year.
• Senior or very experienced editors may earn between €35,000 to €51,000 or more.

Skills and personal qualities

A publishing commissioning editor should:

• have a good understanding of the market for books
• be creative and able to come up with ideas for books that will sell
• have excellent communication skills
• have an excellent command of English
• be good at working in a team
• have negotiating skills
• be persuasive and able to convince others to approve their ideas
• be able to liaise with authors, editorial colleagues and production teams to help ensure they meet deadlines
• have planning and organisational skills
• have an understanding of finance
• be able to work on their own initiative
• have an awareness of the different and emerging formats eg e-books, mobile content, websites, printed books and magazines.

Interests

It is important to:

• have an interest in books and reading
• have relevant knowledge, if working in a specialist publishing field
• understand the business case – projects have to make money.7

Entry routes

There are no set entry qualifications for commissioning editors. The majority are graduates. Most degrees are acceptable, but in some specialist areas it may be easier to find work with a relevant degree (eg law and science).

Useful Contacts:

Publishing Ireland

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders

The Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers of Ireland