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Writer vs publisher

The differences between writers and publishers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a writer and a publisher. Additionally, a publisher has an average salary of $71,539, which is higher than the $66,143 average annual salary of a writer.

The top three skills for a writer include work ethic, customer service and web content. The most important skills for a publisher are press releases, customer satisfaction, and strategic thinking.

Writer vs publisher overview

WriterPublisher
Yearly salary$66,143$71,539
Hourly rate$31.80$34.39
Growth rate4%-5%
Number of jobs13,93110,303
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4244
Years of experience44

What does a writer do?

A writer can have different responsibilities depending on which industry or line of work they are involved. There are writers assigned in a corporate setting, some in journalism, while there are also writers in the entertainment Industry. Although they focus on varying types of writing, they all function to inform. Among the typical duties of writers involve producing content within allotted time or deadline, gather information and verify to ensure accuracy, proofread, and undergo review and revisions.

What does a publisher do?

A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication. They distribute promotional catalogs to libraries and booksellers. They set the commercial and editorial direction for businesses publishing newspapers, digital content, magazines, and books. It is their duty to make decisions on the markets that their firms will serve as well as the type of content that they will give to their audience.

Writer vs publisher salary

Writers and publishers have different pay scales, as shown below.

WriterPublisher
Average salary$66,143$71,539
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $107,000Between $42,000 And $120,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAStamford, CT
Highest paying stateMassachusettsConnecticut
Best paying companyAppleMicrosoft
Best paying industry-Telecommunication

Differences between writer and publisher education

There are a few differences between a writer and a publisher in terms of educational background:

WriterPublisher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorEnglishBusiness
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Writer vs publisher demographics

Here are the differences between writers' and publishers' demographics:

WriterPublisher
Average age4244
Gender ratioMale, 46.2% Female, 53.8%Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%12%

Differences between writer and publisher duties and responsibilities

Writer example responsibilities.

  • Operate AP NEWSCENTER/ENPS and manage CNN feed services.
  • Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
  • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
  • Participate in roundtable discussions offering hot takes and opinions on NBA and NFL teams, players, and coaches.
  • Train all staff on using the CMS.
  • Place stories into CS3 InDesign pages.
  • Show more

Publisher example 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.
  • Show more

Writer vs publisher skills

Common writer skills
  • Work Ethic, 18%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Web Content, 8%
  • Math, 7%
  • SEO, 5%
  • SQL, 3%
Common publisher skills
  • Press Releases, 13%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 12%
  • Strategic Thinking, 11%
  • Publishing Industry, 5%
  • Facebook, 4%
  • Market Trends, 4%

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