Editors: advice

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m currently in community college, taking my basic classes, and I realized something: I have no idea what I really want to do with my life. So, I’m trying to find out, but it’s difficult without information. I was reading a thread about librarians from a while back, and found that very useful, but I couldn’t find any advice about being an editor.

See, I love books. I have other hobbies–I love music, and computers, and I play the guitar–but books are my life. Always have been. So I want to do something that has to do with books, but I’d never make a fiction writer, and as much as I love reading, I doubt I’d want to become a professor and spend my life teaching classes and writing papers in between.

So: editing. I really don’t know anything at all about this profession; that’s why I’m posting. I know we have some editors here at the SDMB, so if anyone could answer these questions, I’d love it.

What, exactly, does an editor do? I know there are many kinds of editors–copy editors, as well as the people who actually review submissions and decide what is going to be published. What are these different kinds, exactly?

What kind of education does an editor usually have?

What is the usual job path? How difficult is it to get a job? What is the pay like?

Really, anything else you’d like to add would be great. My love is SF, but I enjoy fiction and nonfiction of all kinds, really, for what that’s worth.

All my appreciation and thanks.
Tanaqui

2

I’d like to second the above, being in a college search myself and needing a career in which to start so that I may bang out my first novel.

~Ferry

3

I’m an editor and proofreader, freelance. I used to work at a major publisher as a proofreader and editorial assistant. I also have some experience in other areas of publishing. Maybe I can help.
Publishing houses generally have acquisitions editors (the people who go through the slush piles, eh, I mean the unsolicited manuscripts). Actually, their flunkies go through them, and separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Acquisition editors also work on getting writers for certain book projects (nonfiction, looking for experts in a particular field). They may also work on the wheeling-and-dealing aspects of books as well, depending on how small the publishing company is. Acquisition editors spend most of their time on the phone, e-mailing and teleconferencing, not reading actual material.
Next in the food chain are project editors (or as my friend who used to be a PE used to say, a “figure bitch”). The PE looks at the outline for a nonfiction book, keeps the author as close to possible to it, and screams a lot about getting screen shots and figures to the graphics and production department on time. They spend most of their time working with graphics for covers and incidental art, and try to coordinate all this stuff through to production. They also review the manuscripts at various stages of the editing process, and may also do some copy editing. They keep the schedules, and spend a lot of their time on the phone screaming at various people (art, production, other editors, authors) and sending e-mails.
Copy editors are next down on the editing food chain. These poor people spend all their time editing and honing manuscripts, making sure the art is correct, making sure the author kept to the outlines, and making sure that the manuscript flows properly. They also ensure that the manuscript conforms to house style (for nonfiction), and catch inconsistencies in the manuscripts. They get yelled at by the PEs and authors. I’ve even heard tell that a few have been threatened when pissy authors think the CE messed up their perfect manuscript. :rolleyes:
There are other editors, including managing editors, who oversee entire series or imprints. Some publishing houses have several imprints under one roof.
Most people who work as editors at any level have a B.A. in English, Communications, or Journalism, perhaps with a concentration in another field. Starting pay for CEs is about 20,000 (U.S.) with a B.A., depending on the company. Usually you work your way up from a CE to a PE. Acquisitions are a different beast entirely, and sometimes come in from marketing. In other words. the pay sucks.
Now, for the bad part. Publishing is a cyclical industry. When the economy tanks, people stop buying books, and publishing companies lay off people, and cut pay and bennies for the workers they keep (this has happened to me, BTW). There has been a lot of consolidation in publishing in the past 5 years, and the market for editors is shrinking. Add this to the problem that many magazines have also downsized their editorial staffs, and you have a glut of ex-English majors competing for the same jobs. The pay is getting suckier, in other words.
The positive thing about being in publishing is that you are surrounded by people who also love books. Lots of great water-cooler discussions about literature and writing. Sometimes free snacks from grateful authors who appreciate your hard work. Geeky graphics people with cool cubicles. No dress codes to speak of, since you’re not in a profession that requires contact with the public (at least where I worked).
Sorry this has turned out so long. If I can dig out the Web site I know I have here somewhere about the profession, I’ll post it.