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How to hire a publishing assistant

Publishing assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring publishing assistants in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a publishing assistant is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new publishing assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a publishing assistant, step by step

To hire a publishing assistant, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a publishing assistant:

Here's a step-by-step publishing assistant hiring guide:

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

    Before you start hiring a publishing assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect publishing assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents publishing assistant salaries for various positions.

    Type of Publishing AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Publishing AssistantSecretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.$17-24
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Proofreading
    • Fiction
    • Administrative Tasks
    • Market Research
    • Expense Reports
    • Client Database
    • Press Releases
    • Metadata
    • Digital Publishing
    • Adobe Indesign
    • Travel Arrangements
    • Publishing Industry
    • Typesetting
    • Trade Shows
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage the typesetting, proofreading, and copy editing of several books with minimal supervision.
    • Manage ISRC codes and YouTube work codes from YouTube's``CMS"database into internal catalogues.
    • Process daily accounting including reconciliation of payable accounts, tracking and managing inventory through QuickBooks.
    • Spearhead initiative in converting documents to HTML and PDF for use in online marketing and internet commerce.
    • Prepare and ensure electronic submissions are in eCTD formats and within FDA guidelines when submit in a timely matter.
    • Edit and HTML conversion of online editions.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your publishing assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A publishing assistant can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, publishing assistants' average salary in oklahoma is 37% less than in colorado.
    • Seniority. Entry-level publishing assistants 26% less than senior-level publishing assistants.
    • Certifications. A publishing assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a publishing assistant's salary.

    Average publishing assistant salary

    $43,605yearly

    $20.96 hourly rate

    Entry-level publishing assistant salary
    $37,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025
  4. Writing a publishing assistant job description

    A publishing assistant 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. Below, you can find an example of a publishing assistant job description:

    Publishing assistant job description example

    Genesis10 is currently seeking a Publishing Assistant with our client in their Carpinteria , CA location. This is a 9 month + contract position and a remote opportunity.

    Description:
    • Our client was built to help professionals achieve more in their careers, and everyday millions of people use our products to make connections, Clientopportunities and gain insights.
    • Our global reach means we get to make a direct impact on the world's workforce in ways no other company can.
    • We're much more than a digital resume we transform lives through innovative products and technology.
    • Searching for your dream job?
    • At our client, they strive to help their employees find passion and purpose.
    • Join us in changing the way the world works.
    • The Client Learning Solutions Content Team is looking for a Publishing Assistant who will be responsible for compiling metadata, videos, and other assets used when releasing our Client's Learning's instructional videos and products for the markets.
    • The Publishing Assistant is also responsible for tasks such as closed-captioning requests and ingest, and for inputting and uploading data into the publishing CMS.
    • The Publishing Assistant encodes videos, builds courses for pre-publication and full release, reviews the publishing data for errors, and coordinates communication among various teams to ensure that courses stay on schedule for release.
    • The position reports to the Manager, Publication & Encoding.
    • The Publishing Assistant is a key position within the Encoding and Publication team and communicates closely with the Scheduling, Editing, Graphics, and Producer teams to ensure there are effective and efficient handoffs during all phases of the publication process.
    Responsibilities:
    • Coordinate the encoding and publishing workflow, communicating with key stakeholders to ensure all media and data entries are complete, accurate, and available for timely publication.
    • Act as a mediator, facilitator, and primary point of contact for all issues between post-production and publication phases.
    • Ingest final metadata into CMS and fix notes and errors reported by the Quality Assurance team during the publication review process.
    • Actively engage in the maintenance of production and publication workflows, and document workflow changes.
    • Coordinate closed-caption requests and ingest, and triage captioning issues.
    • Process media through automated compression workflows.
    • Perform other encoding and publication functions as assigned.
    Requirements:
    • 2+ year experience of coordination or project management experience in a corporate, production, post-production or educational industry.
    • Able to work as a W2 employee of Genesis10 (no Corp-to-Corp).
    Desired:
    • Strong interest in the practice of information management and proven desire to improve user experience and ensure a high-quality product.
    • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to anticipate and solve problems by tackling unique challenges head-on.
    • Superior time management, focus, and organization skills.
    • Extensive experience with asset, data, and information management and a comfortable knowledge of back-end data entry, data translation, metadata tracking structure, CMS software, and project tracking databases.
    • Ability to enforce best practices and organize media within projects.
    • Superior project and time management capabilities within a fast-paced, highly productive, and collaborative environment and must have the ability to work proactively, calmly, and effectively with deadlines.
    • Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision and be highly motivated and action-oriented, ensuring that all project timelines are met.
    • Basic understanding of Adobe Creative Suite, including Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects.
    • Strong Macintosh and PC computer skills, including troubleshooting and basic networking knowledge.
    If you have the described qualifications and are interested in this exciting opportunity, please apply!

    About Genesis10:
    Genesis10 is a leading U.S. business and technology consulting firm with hundreds of clients needing proven talent and solutions to power their strategic initiatives. If you are a high performing business or IT professional with solid, referenced experience, we want to meet you. Genesis10 recruiters and delivery professionals are highly accomplished career advocates, who get to know you beyond your resume to position you with the opportunities that fit your skills, experience and aspirations. We have benefit options to fit your needs and a support staff that works with you from placement throughout your engagement project after project. To learn more about Genesis10 and to view all our available career opportunities, please visit us at www.genesis10.com. "Genesis10 is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right publishing assistant for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your publishing assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit publishing assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with publishing assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    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 publishing assistant

    Once you've decided on a perfect publishing assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new publishing assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  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 publishing assistant?

Hiring a publishing assistant comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting publishing assistants involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of publishing assistant recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $43,605 per year for a publishing assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for publishing assistants in the US typically range between $17 and $24 an hour.

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