Dear Editor: What’s the Difference Between an Editor and an Editor Writer?
“Dear Editor: What’s the difference between an editor and an editor/writer? I see editor job ads that require writing, and get some that don’t list anything but managing and editing.”
Answering this question is tricky; there’s no standard job description for an editor beyond “someone who edits.” In my career, I’ve been an editor and a manager, I’ve done pure editing–as in, nothing else BUT edit. But that little slice of fun didn’t last long. I was soon pulled into many other duties.
In a bad economy, everybody’s expected to do more than they used to in any job, editors included. Chances are you’ll be called on to write, manage, even act in some kind of payroll capacity when it comes to making sure your writers get their due for the hard work.
That said, beware any job description that claims to make you an editor but takes you outside the pale of typical editor writer duties. There are some truly clueless people out there advertising job openings for editors and writers. They really want someone to edit their newsletter, but they also want that person to answer the phone. Um, NO. These people really want something ELSE, but they advertise for an editor or editor/writer because they don’t really understand the business.
On the other hand, don’t mistake some duties as being outside your responsibilities– things like attending trade shows or doing some kinds of promotional work for the company are often typical for certain types of editors. You might have to schmooze a bit at a convention on the company’s behalf or get involved in recruiting new talent. Be ready for these in case you are called upon to do so–chances are you’ll get wind of this sort of thing during an interview if the hiring manager is on the ball.
Short answer? Yes, as an editor you may also become a manager, a part-time PR person, part of your own writing staff and even payroll fixer-upper when the situation requires. It’s all in the game.
