- knowledge of English language
- knowledge of media production and communication
- the ability to read English
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Your day-to-day duties could include:
- keeping up to date with trends in the book market
- identifying future markets and new products
- deciding whether to accept submitted manuscripts
- developing ideas for books and identifying suitable authors
- preparing publishing proposals, including costings, projected sales and income
- making decisions on reprinting, revising, and producing new editions
- making sure schedules are followed and deadlines are met
You could work in an office.
With experience, you could move on to be a senior commissioning editor, editorial manager, director, or work as a freelance consultant.
You can find out more about becoming a commissioning editor from:The Publishers Association; Society for Editors and Proofreaders
You can also get information on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
