Editor in Publishing

Editor in publishing is a senior role in the media industry. They decide what content is published in a print or digital publication, so they have the final say over what the audience actually reads or sees. The publication might be a printed programme for a community arts festival or a digital guide to a town's skate parks, and the editor makes sure everything in it is accurate, suitable and ready to release.

Shaping the copy

Copy is the written text in a publication. An editor may rewrite copy so its tone and structure suit the publication and its readers. Suppose a copy writer sends in a jokey, chatty draft about a summer fun run. If that article is going into an official club newsletter that sponsors will read, the editor rewrites it in a calmer, more professional tone, breaks up the long paragraphs and moves the date and entry fee to the top where readers will spot them straight away.

Choosing images, titles and layout

The editor also chooses images, writes or approves titles and headlines, and decides the layout — where each item sits on the page or screen. Working on a digital guide to local skate parks, an editor might pick three of the twelve photos sent in, shorten a headline to a few punchy words and move the opening times above the long description. They then give feedback to the writers, photographers and designers so that everyone is working to the same plan and the finished publication feels consistent.

Not a video editor or sound editor

An editor in publishing works right across the publication process, from planning what goes in to approving the final version before release. A video editor or a sound editor shares part of the job title, but those roles work in screen or audio post-production rather than on publications.