Virtual Writer Careers.

In this section we focus on a particular writing related career. We provide an overview, entry requirements, academic qualifications and other information. We also interview those working in the profession getting them to offer their advice and explaining what their work entails and how they got their start in their chosen career.

Commissioning Editor
Virtual Writer


Job description:

Commissioning editors identify and assess the publishing market, develop and support projects and authors, maintain a publishing programme and contribute to marketing and sales activities. In essence, their role is to develop a publisher's book list.
The role is most associated with book publishing. In magazine publishing, they commission writers to produce articles and features. In academic journal publishing, contributions are obtained through an external editor.
This is a middle to senior level post requiring suitable experience and ability. An initial entrant is likely to be recruited to a more junior position, which may then lead on to a career as a commissioning editor.
Commissioning editors are involved with a book at every stage of its production. They are the key link between the manuscript and the published work. To develop their publisher's book list, commissioning editors research their field to learn about trends and gaps in the market. For this purpose, they: 

  • attend book fairs;
  • study catalogues and book lists; 
  • draw up surveys to be able to identify demand.
  • Typical work activities involve:
    •  building up a publisher's book list (eg, consumer books, fiction, non-fiction, by genre); 
    • managing the list in the current market and identifying future markets and new products;
    • researching market trends; 
    • identifying authors; 
    • assessing proposals for new books; 
    • developing and supporting projects and authors; 
    • reading and evaluating manuscripts offered by authors and agents; 
    • issuing contracts to authors and agents; 
    • maintaining a book publishing programme;
    • dealing with administration, finance, budgets and strategy; 
    • liaising with other publishing functions and roles (in-house and external readers and referees); 
    • contributing to marketing and sales activities.

Three Commissioning Editors talk about their work:

Krista

I began my career in publishing as an editorial assistant, which is the most common entry point for prospective commissioning editors. I was promoted after two years, and began commissioning my own titles. Initially, I chose publishing as a career because it offered the opportunity to use the writing and research skills I gained from my degree course in English studies. As I work for an academic publisher (on the literature list), my subject knowledge in English literature has been useful in my working life, although I have worked on a variety of lists from film and media studies to law. Your subject of study will be less important if you work in trade publishing (fiction, for example), but you'll always need good written communication skills.
I spent a year as a bookseller after graduation before moving into publishing. Bookselling experience is traditionally well-regarded by publishers (though notoriously badly-paid), and many people enter publishing via this route. There are also a number of MA courses in publishing, which do help you to get that first job, although they are not yet a mandatory entry qualification. If you choose this route, make sure that you gain some practical work experience as well, and be aware that the Masters course can be an expensive commitment. My role has developed over the years so that I am now responsible for commissioning new books for the literature list. This involves researching the relevant field, identifying gaps in the available literature, carrying out competition analysis, and assessing proposals for new books. A commissioning editor is also responsible for shaping the overall direction of their list, and deciding which subject areas/kinds of books they will develop in the future, so you have a certain degree of creative freedom. A substantial amount of my time is taken up with administrative tasks, such as obtaining reports on proposals, drawing up contracts and preparing manuscripts for production. I'm usually the first point of contact for my authors, and guide them through the production process. I also liaise with colleagues in the design, production and marketing departments regarding deadlines, costs, and strategies for marketing a book. Because of this, it's very useful to be able to deal with people and defuse difficult situations. The role of commissioning editor means that you are involved with a book at every stage of its development, and nothing beats the moment when a newly-published title finally hits your desk.
The job can involve a lot of mundane and repetitive tasks, especially if you start out as an editorial assistant. Starting salaries are also low, compared to many graduate jobs. The vast majority of UK book publishers are based in London and the South-East, so you may need to be prepared to relocate if you live elsewhere. Editorial is the most competitive area to get into, so it can sometimes be a good idea to work in another role (such as production) in order to gain publishing experience.

Sarah

Blackwell Publishers is a leading international academic publishing company. Sarah Bird is commissioning editor for their psychology books list.
Describe your job:
'My role is to develop the psychology books list for the company. That involves signing up authors to write new books and managing existing books through new editions.'
How do you decide on which new titles to publish?
'It's a question of research and keeping in touch with market trends. I look at the competition – what other publishers are producing - and I consult surveys to keep abreast of growth areas. However, the most important part of research is talking to academics. I visit universities in this country and in America, where I talk to academic staff to assess the opportunities for new textbooks and find out about their teaching needs.'
Where does the commissioning process start?
'First I have to find an author to write the book and that can be a real challenge. Academics are very busy people and writing an academic textbook is a huge commitment. I do lots of networking; speaking to people in publishing and academia, and keeping in touch with as many potential authors as possible. Once I've found an author I'll write to them, follow that up with a phone call and then meet for lunch to discuss the project.'
How does the commissioning process progress?
'The author provides a draft outline, which is sent out for peer review. Later, I negotiate a contract with the author and then pass responsibility to a development editor, who works with the author to advise on pedagogical issues and review early drafts. The final draft is read by other experts in the field and is returned to the author for final amendments. It then goes through several production stages. It takes around nine months from receipt of the final manuscript for the book to finally hit the bookshelves.'
What's the scale of work?
'I commission up to 30 books a year and I also deal with revising a large backlist. I present an annual publishing plan to the editorial board, here in Oxford and in Boston, USA by videoconference. My plan must justify every new book and demonstrate its profitability.' 'I travel extensively so I need to do a lot of forward planning – arranging travel and accommodation and making appointments to see people. A more enjoyable side of the job is attending conferences and book launches and meeting authors. On a daily basis I deal with administration, send out manuscripts and proposals for books and meet with colleagues in our production and marketing departments. Somewhere in the mix I put aside time to think through ideas and proposals for new books and discuss them with colleagues. All in all it's a busy life and definitely not boring!'
What skills and qualities are needed for your job?

  • 'excellent networking, presentation and interpersonal skills; 
  • diplomacy – for dealing with authors; 
  • ability to persuade and to negotiate fees and timescales; 
  • patience – it can take up to four years to produce a book; 
  • well organised – to keep track of progress on each book; 
  • ability to think laterally to find a new 'take' on a subject; 
  • ability to analyse sales data and survey information;
  • ability to perform to targets.'

How did you get into this work?
'I did a degree in Italian and French at Cambridge University and then spent six years as a sales representative for an academic publisher. I was looking for a change from selling and joined Blackwell Publishing as a commissioning editor. My background in sales and knowledge of the market helped me to get the job.'
What do you like most, and least, about your job?
'I like the autonomy and responsibility of the role; meeting fascinating people, and working with ideas and travelling. There can be some real highs and lows to this job. For example, it's great when I successfully commission a new book, and conversely, really frustrating when I've worked hard to sign a particular author and in the end they decline the offer.'
Any tips for new entrants?
'There are several routes into the industry. Some, like me, come from a sales role. Others get a first job as an editorial assistant and work their way up to commissioning editor. Another way is to come into the role from an academic background.'
What's for the future?
'I'm very happy with the challenge of developing a first-class psychology booklist.'

Caroline

'Whilst completing a degree in English I decided that I was interested in the area of publishing and book publishing in particular. I then tried unsuccessfully to obtain some unpaid work experience with several large publishing companies in London during the summer of my penultimate year. Having completed my degree, I spent six months working in a bookshop before completing a ten-week publishing course at the London School of Publishing. I would recommend a short course of training for graduates who have no publishing experience as it will give them an added advantage. In publishing, experience is everything and if you can do voluntary work, it is another way of getting some experience.
I managed to get my first job in publishing through an advertisement in one of the national newspapers, as an editorial assistant in an educational publishing house. I now commission new titles for the education list, monitoring the books' progress through from commissioning to publication.
Financial management skills are essential, as I have to negotiate fees with authors, illustrators and agents for new titles to add to my list. In addition, I need to establish close working relationships with authors, agents and journalists and liaise with sales, marketing, rights, design, picture research, production and publicity to ensure each book is published to maximum commercial success.
The role of a commissioning editor is a complex one. Commissioning editors need to know the market they are commissioning for and to be able to predict trends so that they build a profitable list. You need to be flexible and to be able to manage a number of different projects at the same time, which involves a number of skills such as planning and organising and time management. Hours are long so an enthusiasm for the business is vital. That said, the rewards are tremendous. There is nothing like seeing your first book in print.'

Content compiled by Virtual Writer.