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This question is about book editor education.
What degree do you need to be a book editor?
You need a bachelor's degree in English or a related field to be a book editor. Book editors can come from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds that can help prepare them for a career in the editing field.
Earning a degree in English or journalism will prepare you for composing and evaluating the craft of written work. These are skills that are important to book editors. A communications degree is helpful to editors as they interact with writers and provide suggestions that will improve the work that has been submitted for publishing.
Experience is very important to an editor. While a bachelor's degree is standard among book editors, it is not required. Some effective editors have writing experience. This provides them the familiarity with writing structure, tone, and pacing. Experience in specific areas of book publishing can also be valuable. Knowledge of a writing genre such as science fiction is important for specific publishers.
Even though 73% of book editors have a bachelor's degree, many enter the field with a master's degree. Nearly 18% of working book editors have a master's degree in English or a related field. Some editors obtain a master's degree in business or marketing allowing them to work independently from larger publishers or assume a larger role with a big publishing house.
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