How to hire a publisher

How to hire a publisher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step publisher hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a publisher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new publisher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a publisher do?

Post a publisher job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your publisher job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a publisher for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a publisher to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a publisher that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of publishers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Publisher	Description	Hourly rate
   Publisher	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$20-57
   Managing Editor	Managing editors are individuals who coordinate and oversee the editorial activities of a publication. They administer the daily operations or a website or publication, such as generating ideas and planning and editing content... Show more	$28-63
   Content Editor	A content editor is a professional who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement... Show more	$19-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Strategic Thinking
   • Publishing Industry
   • Facebook
   • Market Trends
   • Oversight
   • Twitter
   • YouTube
   • Editorial Direction
   • FDA
   • Web Site
   • HTML
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the migration and reformatting of over 8,000 web pages into a new CMS.
   • Pitch, produce and build all content (manage freelancers, art-direct shoots, write text, CMS).
   • Manage blogs and social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn) to support the brand of the magazine.
   • Manage editorial calendar and run weekly meetings with cross-functional stakeholders.
   • Manage and perform administrative QC of electronic clinical submission modules within the Documentum document management system.
   • Supervise all editorial activities, including developing editorial story boards, managing freelance copywriters and directing contract photo assignments.

   More publisher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the publisher job description is a good way to get more applicants. A publisher salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a publisher in Kansas may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level publisher. Additionally, a publisher with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average publisher salary

   $71,539yearly

   $34.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level publisher salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average publisher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$93,393	$45
   2	California	$89,755	$43
   3	Virginia	$80,069	$38
   4	Illinois	$78,443	$38
   5	Washington	$77,847	$37
   6	New York	$77,507	$37
   7	New Jersey	$77,166	$37
   8	Maryland	$76,990	$37
   9	Massachusetts	$74,786	$36
   10	Pennsylvania	$73,726	$35
   11	West Virginia	$73,500	$35
   12	Michigan	$70,559	$34
   13	New Mexico	$70,268	$34
   14	Kentucky	$69,803	$34
   15	Tennessee	$69,070	$33
   16	Texas	$69,003	$33
   17	Georgia	$67,925	$33
   18	Florida	$66,751	$32
   19	North Carolina	$66,741	$32
   20	Arkansas	$64,674	$31

   Average publisher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$134,312	$64.57	4
   2	Playbuzz	$118,026	$56.74
   3	American Physical Society	$114,901	$55.24
   4	Sanofi US	$109,912	$52.84	3
   5	Church & Dwight Co.	$109,353	$52.57
   6	Abbott	$107,994	$51.92	3
   7	Eurasia Group	$105,505	$50.72	5
   8	Univision Holdings, Inc.	$104,588	$50.28	3
   9	Wells Fargo	$101,108	$48.61
   10	Alpha Consulting	$98,118	$47.17
   11	Riot Games	$97,437	$46.84
   12	Deloitte	$93,756	$45.08
   13	Fluor Corporation	$91,976	$44.22
   14	ICONMA	$90,660	$43.59
   15	Forum Communications	$88,066	$42.34
   16	Strategic Staffing Solutions	$86,770	$41.72
   17	Green Key Resources	$86,110	$41.40
   18	Amazon	$83,688	$40.23	17
   19	Prudential Bank	$82,165	$39.50
   20	Russell Tobin	$79,482	$38.21

4. Writing a publisher job description

   A publisher job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a publisher job description:

   Publisher job description example

   Make an impact at Goodwin, where we partner with our clients to practice law with integrity, ingenuity, agility and ambition. Our 1,800 lawyers across the United States, Europe and Asia excel at complex transactions, high-stakes litigation and world-class advisory services in the technology, life sciences, real estate, private equity and financial industries. Our unique combination of deep experience serving both the innovators and investors in a rapidly-changing, technology-driven economy sets us apart. Also a global destination for business professionals, Goodwin's team of professional staff was named the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer.
   
   Please note candidates who are located within commuting distance of a Goodwin Procter office must observe a hybrid schedule.
   Please note Sitecore software experience is a requirement to be considered for this opportunity
   
   The Web Publisher/Websites Specialist is a member of Goodwin's Marketing Team, delivering exceptional customer service to our clients throughout the global firm. Responsibilities include acting as point person to the off-site website data entry team. Day to day duties include oversight of data entry and database maintenance, fulfillment of client website marketing requests and assistance with larger scale website initiatives. Responsibilities also include liaising with vendor contacts to communicate technology enhancement requests and execute on these requests flawlessly.
   
   What You'll Do:
   Schedule and conduct training sessions and provide back-up support to off-site website support team and firm bloggers on our website and blog site platform(s).Participate in all platform training sessions online and on-site.Maintain and update team database training documentation.Work with Marketing Team members and internal stakeholder to execute on development and build of mini-sites and blogs.Work with vendor contacts to schedule and deploy fixes and enhancements to live web environments, proof and approve website programming fixes via vendor support documenting system.Utilize web-based content management systems to create and/or modify larger scale marketing website projects as requested.Provide day-to-day support and instruction to on-site and off-site team co-worker(s).Proof website posting requests for content, formatting, consistency and tagging.Oversee website data clean-up to ensure quality search results on public website.Provide overflow support in updating, formatting and publishing firm bios, blog posts, PR communications and other content as requested to website(s).Provide back-up support for firm monthly and quarterly website analytics reporting.Communicate clearly and professionally with all firm contacts, internal personnel and outside vendors.Handle sensitive and/or confidential information.
   
   Who You Are:
   Must have Sitecore software experience to be considered.Bachelor's degree preferred.Minimum of four years of experience in an administrative/marketing assistant role preferably in legal, banking or large corporate environment.Deep understanding of website content management systems technologies with the ability to trouble shoot and problem solve in these environments.Basic knowledge of HTMLBasic Photoshop editing Knowledge of proper grammar, spelling, and language usage, as well as standard business correspondence formatting.Excellent attention to detail with emphasis on accuracy and quality.Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Strong computer skills, including web-based research and Microsoft Office Suite. Ability to prioritize work to balance multiple projects and deadlines.Ability to develop and foster successful, working relationships with vendors, legal and professional staff while providing exceptional customer service.Working technical knowledge of website content management systems (Sitecore and WordPress).Basic understanding of Google Analytics.
   
   #LI-GK1
   
   Consistent with the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance an arrest and conviction record will not automatically disqualify a qualified applicant from consideration.
   
   Goodwin Procter LLP is an equal opportunity employer. This means that Goodwin Procter LLP considers applicants for employment, and makes employment decisions without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other legally protected status.
   
   Please note: Various agencies of the United States government require employers to collect information on applicants and employees. The National Association of Law Placement (NALP) and certain clients request us to keep track of certain aggregate information regarding lawyers. EEO information requested on this application is for purposes of compliance with these recordkeeping and reporting requirements and to determine recruiting and employment patterns. Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right publisher for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with publishers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit publishers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your publisher job on Zippia to find and recruit publisher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting publishers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new publisher

   Once you've selected the best publisher candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new publisher first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a publisher?