Editorial Assistants

The environments in which editorial assistants work can vary widely. For the most part, publishers of all kinds realize that a quiet atmosphere is conducive to work that requires tremendous concentration. Most editorial assistants work in cubicles. Editorial assistants in publishing often work in quieter surroundings than do assistants working for a newspaper or in advertising agencies, who sometimes work in rather loud and hectic situations.

Even in relatively quiet surroundings, however, editorial assistants often have many distractions. While working on assignment, an assistant may also have to deal with phone calls from authors, meetings with members of the editorial and production staff, and questions from freelancers, among many other details.

Deadlines are an important issue for all editorial workers. Newspaper and magazine editorial assistants face daily or weekly deadlines, whereas those who are employed by book publishers usually have deadlines that are months in length. In almost all cases, though, editorial assistants must work long hours during certain phases of the editing process to meet deadlines.

Many editorial assistants enjoy their work. Sixty-four percent of editorial assistants who were surveyed by PayScale.com in 2024 said that they were satisfied with their jobs. Editorial assistants who are not satisfied with their jobs cite factors such as low pay, little chances for advancement, unreasonable expectations by bosses, and long hours.