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What does a writer and editor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Mark Lounibos
What does a writer and editor do

Writing is not an easy task, so a Writer and an Editor must work together to deliver quality content. A writer's role is to gather information to create a structured written material that would serve its purpose, whether for recreational or informational. Moreover, it is the Editor's responsibility to oversee and examine what the Writer has produced. From this, the Editor will provide feedback, corrections or suggestions, and guidelines that the Writer can follow to improve the material.

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Writer and editor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real writer and editor resumes:

  • Update website daily, manage Facebook/Twitter/ Instagram accounts.
  • Create articles featuring campus faculty and students, as well as lifestyle tips, and opinion editorials.
  • Work closely with magazine's editor-in-chief to hash out design ideas and content.
  • Gain 9k twitter followers in four months, and create a consistent fan base.
  • Assign stories to writers, edit them with SEO in mind, then post to proprietary CMS.
  • Pitch, write, and publish full length book/news relate articles-Edit and format images, SEO, HTML formatting
  • Enter content into CMS system within critical deadlines and promote content via social media and lead generation efforts.
  • Copy edit reporter content, do layout of paper in InDesign, communicate with advertising staff on page space/layout.
  • Craft clickable headlines, use SEO and HTML, work in content management systems, incorporate media, and create galleries
  • Focus on editorial and marketing copy, content strategy emails, social media, blogging, advertising, and CRM.
  • Research, editing, academic writing, business writing, profile pieces, scripts and plays, blogging, memoirs, ghost
  • Format client manuscripts for self-publication, utilizing InDesign.
  • Blog contributor for local government branch (non-political/social-media relate).
  • Feature contributor of fun, informative automotive features aim at consumers and enthusiasts.
  • Complete fiction and nonfiction writing assignments following publishers' strict word count and difficulty-level requirements.

Writer and editor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 23% of Writer And Editors are proficient in Web Content, Blog Posts, and Press Releases. They’re also known for soft skills such as Good judgment, Detail oriented, and Creativity.

We break down the percentage of Writer And Editors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Web Content, 23%

    Worked with numerous independent companies producing and deploying original web content as well as utilizing Facebook and Twitter for market outreach

  • Blog Posts, 8%

    Provide original content for online/print publication that specializes in cannabis culture and environmentalism* Edit blog posts/long form articles from various writers

  • Press Releases, 8%

    Develop, compose and issue press releases and advisories to generate positive image or effectively convey key information accurately.

  • Writing Articles, 3%

    Serve as ghostwriter for ophthalmologists, researching and writing articles for Ophthalmology Management.

  • Feature Stories, 3%

    Developed feature stories and commentary on various subject matters including local political and cultural issues.

  • Photography, 3%

    Provided editorial-style copy and original photography to San Antonio Shoemakers to draw in a new customer base of fashion-forward footwear enthusiasts.

"web content," "blog posts," and "press releases" are among the most common skills that writer and editors use at work. You can find even more writer and editor responsibilities below, including:

Good judgment. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a writer and editor to have is good judgment. Their role and responsibilities require that "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them." Writer and editors often use good judgment in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "write press releases and sales pitches for this up and coming website that offers discounted goods and services"

Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling writer and editor duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." According to a writer and editor resume, here's how writer and editors can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "copy edit all community-oriented press releases sent for publication in the york weekly and the york county coast star newspapers. "

Creativity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of writer and editors is creativity. This skill is critical to many everyday writer and editor duties, as "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "write and edit advertorial, informational, and creative non-fiction pieces for a variety of business and media publications. "

Interpersonal skills. A big part of what writer and editors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to writer and editor responsibilities because "in working with writers, editors must have tact and the ability to guide and encourage them in their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical writer and editor tasks: "coordinated interpersonal relations between editorial staff, artists, writers and judges. "

Writing skills. Another common skill required for writer and editor responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of writer and editors all the time, as "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." An excerpt from a real writer and editor resume shows how this skill is central to what a writer and editor does: "article genres include but are not limited to travel writing, news, restaurant reviews, and non-fiction essays. "

See the full list of writer and editor skills

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Compare different writer and editors

Writer and editor vs. Journalist

A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.

The annual salary of journalists is $654 lower than the average salary of writer and editors.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both writer and editor and journalist positions are skilled in web content, blog posts, and press releases.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a writer and editor are more likely to require skills like "subject matter experts," "edit content," "search engine optimization," and "web copy." On the other hand, a job as a journalist requires skills like "excellent interpersonal," "multimedia," "story development," and "local community." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Journalists earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $64,488. On the other hand, writer and editors are paid more in the internet industry with an average salary of $97,058.The education levels that journalists earn slightly differ from writer and editors. In particular, journalists are 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a writer and editor. Additionally, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Writer and editor vs. Editing internship

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts. They also assist in planning promotional strategies and marketing campaigns, such as monitoring press releases, posting on social media platforms, and developing marketing materials. An editorial intern must have excellent organizational skills, most importantly, a fast-learner to understand complex tasks and perform assigned duties under minimal supervision.

A career as a editing internship brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a writer and editor. In fact, editing interns salary is $26,447 lower than the salary of writer and editors per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both writer and editors and editing interns have skills such as "web content," "blog posts," and "press releases. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real writer and editor resumes. While writer and editor responsibilities can utilize skills like "subject matter experts," "conduct interviews," "edit content," and "editorials," editing interns use skills like "video footage," "adobe premiere pro," "video production," and "adobe indesign."

In general, editing interns achieve lower levels of education than writer and editors. They're 6.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for writer and editors in the next 3-5 years?

Mark Lounibos

Associate Professor, English, Finlandia University

Everything to do with digital literacy, especially related to your specific career. If you are interested in education, look for certifications for online teaching. If you are focused on editing/publishing, make sure you are proficient or certified in the latest software and systems. Try to build online networks of peers and possible colleagues. Maintain contact with faculty at your old institution, if they can help you on the job market later.

Writer and editor vs. Reporter

In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff. Furthermore, a reporter must remain professional at all times and adhere to the policies and regulations set by the company or network.

On average scale, reporters bring in lower salaries than writer and editors. In fact, they earn a $14,815 lower salary per year.By looking over several writer and editors and reporters resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "press releases," "writing articles," and "feature stories." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a writer and editor is likely to be skilled in "web content," "blog posts," "fiction," and "subject matter experts," while a typical reporter is skilled in "digital marketing," "facebook," "news coverage," and "video packages."

Reporters earn the best pay in the media industry, where they command an average salary of $48,200. Writer and editors earn the highest pay from the internet industry, with an average salary of $97,058.When it comes to education, reporters tend to earn similar degree levels compared to writer and editors. In fact, they're 4.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Writer and editor vs. Editorial internship

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial team in publishing digital and media content, writing articles, and managing readers' reviews. Editorial interns must have excellent knowledge of the industry they work for, suggesting the latest trends and featured topics, taking notes of the tenured employees' advice and observations, and actively joining brainstorming sessions. An editorial intern must be detail-oriented and take constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn. It is also crucial to have outstanding communication and proofreading skills and keep all the materials confidential until release.

Editorial interns average a lower salary than the annual salary of writer and editors. The difference is about $29,126 per year.According to resumes from writer and editors and editorial interns, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "web content," "press releases," and "writing articles. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "blog posts," "photography," "subject matter experts," and "edit content" are skills that commonly show up on writer and editor resumes. On the other hand, editorial interns use skills like fact-check, editorial intern, seo, and administrative tasks on their resumes.editorial interns enjoy the best pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $33,508. For comparison, writer and editors earn the highest salary in the internet industry.The average resume of editorial interns showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to writer and editors. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 6.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.3%.

Types of writer and editor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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