Writers and editors communicate through the written word. Writers develop original fiction and nonfiction for books, magazines and trade journals, newspapers, technical reports, company newsletters, radio and television broadcasts, movies, and advertisements. Editors select and prepare material for publication or broadcasting and supervise writers.
Writers first select a topic or are assigned one by an editor. They then gather information through personal observation, library research, and interviews. Writers select and organize the material and put it into words that effectively convey it to the reader, and often revise or rewrite sections, searching for the best organization of the material or just the right phrasing.
News writers prepare news items for newspapers or news broadcasts, based on information supplied by reporters or wire services. Columnists analyze news and write commentaries, based on personal knowledge and experience. Editorial writers write comments to stimulate or mold public opinion, in accordance with their publication's viewpoint.
Technical writers make scientific and technical information easily understandable to a nontechnical audience. They prepare operating and maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions, sales promotion materials, and project proposals. They also plan and edit technical reports and oversee preparation of illustrations, photographs, diagrams, and charts.
Copy writers write advertising copy for use by publication or broadcast media to promote the sale of goods and services.
Established writers may work on a freelance basis; they sell their work to publishers or publication units, manufacturing firms, and public relations and advertising departments or agencies. They sometimes contract to complete specific assignments such as writing about a new product or technique.
Editors frequently write and almost always review, rewrite, and edit the work of writers. However, their primary duties are to plan the contents of books, magazines, or newspapers and to supervise their preparation. They decide what will appeal to readers, assign topics to reporters and writers, and oversee the production of the publications. In small organizations, a single editor may do everything. In larger ones, an executive editor oversees associate or assistant editors who have responsibility for particular subjects, such as fiction, local news, international news, or sports, or who edit one or a few publications. Editors hire writers, reporters, or other employees, plan budgets, and negotiate contracts with freelance writers. In broadcasting companies, program directors have similar responsibilities.
Editors and program directors often have assistants, with the title of assistant editor, editorial assistant, copy editor, or production assistant. Many assistants hold entry-level jobs. They review copy for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. They check manuscripts for readability, style, and agreement with editorial policy. They add and rearrange sentences to improve clarity or delete incorrect and unnecessary material. Editorial assistants do research for writers and verify facts, dates, and statistics. Assistants also may arrange page layouts of articles, photographs, and advertising. They also may compose headlines; prepare copy for printing, and proofread printer's galleys. Some editorial assistants read and evaluate manuscripts submitted by freelance writers or answer letters about published or broadcast material. Production assistants on small papers or in radio stations clip stories that come over the wire services' printers, answer phones, and make photocopies. Most writers and editors use personal computers or word processors; many use desktop or electronic publishing systems.
Working Conditions
Some writers and editors work in comfortable, private offices; others work in noisy rooms filled with the sound of keyboards and computer printers as well as the voices of other writers tracking down information over the telephone. The search for information sometimes requires travel and visits to diverse workplaces, such as factories, offices, laboratories, the ballpark, or the theater, but many have to be content with telephone interviews and the library.
The workweek usually runs 35 to 40 hours. Those, who prepare morning or weekend publications and broadcasts, work nights or weekends. Writers may work overtime to meet deadlines or to cover late-developing stories. They often face deadlines and the pressure to meet them. On some jobs, deadlines are daily.
Employment
Nearly a third of salaried writers and editors works for newspapers, magazines, and book publishers. Substantial numbers also work advertising agencies, in radio and television broadcasting, in public relations firms, and on journals and newsletters published by business and nonprofit organizations, such as professional associations, labor unions, and religious organizations. Others develop publications for government agencies or write for motion picture companies.
Many technical writers work for computer software firms or manufacturers of aircraft, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computers and other electronic equipment.
Jobs with major book publishers, magazines, broadcast companies, advertising agencies and public relations firms, the federal government are concentrated in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. More widely dispersed throughout the country are jobs with newspapers and professional, religious, business, technical and trade union magazines or journals. Technical writers are employed throughout the country but the largest concentrations are in the Northeast, Texas, and California.
Thousands of other persons work as freelancers-earn some income from their articles, books, and television and movie scripts. Most support themselves primarily w income from other sources.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
A college degree generally is required. Although some employers look for a broad liberal arts background, most prefer to hire people with degrees in communications, journalism, English.
Technical writing requires a degree in or some knowledge about a specialized field-engineering, business, or one of sciences. In many cases, people with good writing skills can pick up specialized knowledge on the job. Some working technicians, scientists, or engineers are trained for the job. Some research assistants, editorial assistants, or trainees in a technical information department, develop technical communication skills, and then assume writing duties.
Writers and editors must be able to express ideas clearly and logically and should love to write. Creativity, curiosity, a broad range of knowledge, self-motivation, and perseverance are all valuable. For some jobs, the ability to concentrate amid confusion and to produce under pressure is essential. Familiarity with electronic publishing, graphics, and video production equipment is increasingly needed. Editors must have good judgment in deciding what material to accept and what to reject. They need knowledge and the ability to guide and encourage others in their work.
High school and college newspapers, literary magazines and community newspapers and radio and television stations provide valuable-but sometimes unpaid-practical writing experience. Many magazines, newspapers, and broadcast stations have internships for students. Interns write short pieces, conduct research and interviews, and learn about the publishing or broadcasting business.
In small firms, beginning writers and editors may not work as editorial or production assistants but also write or edit material right away. They often advance by moving to other firms. In larger firms, jobs usually are structured more formally. Beginners generally do research, fact checking, or copy editing. Those on full-scale writing or editing duties learn rapidly than the employees of small companies. Advancement comes as they assigned more important articles.
Job Outlook
The outlook for most writing and editing jobs is expected to continue to be keenly competitive primarily because so many people are attracted to the field. However, opportunities will be good for technical writers because writers who can handle technical material are limited in number. Opportunities should be better on small dailies and weekly newspapers and in small radio and television stations, where the pay is low. Persons preparing to be writers and editors should also have academic preparation in another field as well so that that experience qualify them as writers specializing in that field or they may stick to that field if they are unable to get a writing job.
Employment of writers and editors is expected to increase greater than the average for all occupations. Employment of salaried writers and editors by newspapers, periodicals, book publishers, and nonprofit organizations is expected to increase with growing demand for their publications. Growth of advertising and public relations agencies should also be a source for new jobs. Demand for technical writers is expected to increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the continued need to communicate it. Many job openings will also occur as experienced workers transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. Turnover is relatively high in this occupation-many freelancers leave because they cannot earn enough.
Earnings
Beginning salaries for writers and editorial assistants average $18,000 annually, according to the Dow Jones newspaper Fund. Those who had at least five years experience average more than $30,000 and senior editors at the largest newspapers earn over $60,000 a year.
According to a Technical Communicator's Salary survey, the median annual salary for technical writers was $ 42,469 a year.
The average annual salary for technical writers and editors of the federal government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions is about $45,000; other writers and editors average about $44,000.
Related Occupations
Writers and editors communicate ideas and information. Other communications occupations include newspaper reporters and correspondents, radio and television announcers, advertising and public relations workers, and teachers.
Related Jobs
These job titles are related to or more specific than the more general description given above. They will help you identify job options you may not otherwise discover. These descriptions are in the current edition of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and classified by numerical order.
There are too many D. O. T. titles to list here. Most are variations related to a specific industry, and we have included a small number of representative D. O. T. titles as examples. Complete lists are available in various career software published by JIST or directly from the U.S. Department of Labor.
052.067-010 BIOGRAPHER; 131.067-010 COLUMNIST/COMMENTATOR; 131.067-014 COPY WRITER; 131.067-018 CRITIC; 131.067-022 EDITORIAL WRITER; 131.067-038 PLAYWRIGHT; 131.067-042 POET; 131.067-046 WRITER, PROSE, FICTION AND NONFICTION; 131.067-050 SCREEN WRITER; 131.087-014 READER; 131.262-014 NEWSWRITER; 131.267-026 WRITER, TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS; 132.017-010 EDITOR, MANAGING, NEWSPAPER; 132.017-014 EDITOR, NEWSPAPER; 132.037-014 EDITOR, CITY; 132.037-018 EDITOR, DEPARTMENT; 132.037-022 EDITOR, PUBLICATIONS; 132.037-026 STORY EDITOR; 132.067-010 BUREAU CHIEF, 132.067-014 EDITOR, BOOK; 132.067-026 EDITOR, NEWS; 132.067-030 PROGRAM PROPOSALS COORDINATOR; 132.132-010 ASSIGNMENT EDITOR; 203.362-026 CAPTION WRITER
Sources of Additional Information
For a guide to journalism careers and scholarships, contact:
?The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Princeton, NJ 08540
For information on college internships in magazine editing, contact:
?American Society of Magazine Editors, New York, NY 10022
For information on careers in technical writing, contact:
Q Society for Technical Communication, Inc., Arlington, VA 22203
