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Writers and Editors

(D.O.T.  131 except .262-010 and -018; and 132 except .067-030)

Nature of the Work

Writers and editors communicate through the written word.  Writers
develop original fiction and nonfiction for books, magazines and
trade journals, newspapers, technical reports, company newsletters,
radio and television broadcasts, movies, and advertisements.
Editors select and prepare material for publication or broadcasting
and supervise writers.

   Writers first select a topic or are assigned one by an editor.
Topics may be ideas, tangible objects, events, people, or
organizations.  Writers gather information through personal
observation, library research, and interviews.  Sometimes, they
change the focus to a more interesting related topic as they learn
more.  They select and organize the material and put it into words
that effectively convey it to the reader.  Besides reporting the
information they gather, they may analyze and interpret it.  Writers
often revise or rewrite sections, searching for the best
organization of the material or just the right phrasing.
Newswriters prepare news items for newspapers or news broadcasts,
based on information supplied by reporters or wire services.
Columnists analyze news and write columns or commentaries, based on
personal knowledge and experience.  Editorial writers write comments
to stimulate or mold public opinion, in accordance with their
publication's viewpoint.  Reporters and correspondents, who may also
write articles or copy for broadcast, are described elsewhere in
this section of the Handbook.

   Technical writers put scientific and technical information into
readily understandable language.  They prepare operating and
maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions,
sales promotion materials, and project proposals.  They also plan
and edit technical reports and oversee preparation of illustrations,
photographs, diagrams, and charts.

   Copy writers write advertising copy for use by publication or
broadcast media to promote the sale of goods and services.

   Established writers may work on a freelance basis; they sell their
work to publishers or publication units, manufacturing firms, and
public relations and advertising departments or agencies.  They
sometimes contract to complete specific assignments such as writing
about a new product or technique.

   Editors frequently write and almost always review, rewrite, and edit
the work of writers.  However, their primary duties are to plan the
contents of books, magazines, or newspapers and to supervise their
preparation.  They decide what will appeal to readers, assign topics
to reporters and writers, and oversee the production of the
publications.  In small organizations, a single editor may do
everything.  In larger ones, an executive editor oversees associate
or assistant editors who have responsibility for particular
subjects, such as fiction, local news, international news, or
sports, or who edit one or a few publications.  Editors hire
writers, reporters, or other employees, plan budgets, and negotiate
contracts with freelance writers.  In broadcasting companies,
program directors have similar responsibilities.

   Editors and program directors often have assistants, with the title
of assistant editor, editorial assistant, copy editor, or production
assistant.  Many assistants hold entry level jobs.  They review copy
for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  They check
manuscripts for readability, style, and agreement with editorial
policy.  They add and rearrange sentences to improve clarity or
delete incorrect and unnecessary material.  Editorial assistants do
research for writers and verify facts, dates, and statistics.
Assistants also may arrange page layouts of articles, photographs,
and advertising or plan the use of tapes.  They also may compose
headlines, prepare copy for printing, and proofread printer's
galleys.  Some editorial assistants read and evaluate manuscripts
submitted by freelance writers or answer letters about published or
broadcast material.  Production assistants on small papers or in
radio stations clip stories that come over the wire services'
printers, answer phones, and make photocopies.  Most writers and
editors use personal computers or word processors; many use desktop
or electronic publishing systems.

   Most writers and editors use personal computers or word processors.

Working Conditions

Some writers and editors work in comfortable, private offices;
others work in noisy rooms filled with the sound of keyboards and
computer printers as well as the voices of other writers tracking
down information over the telephone.  The search for information
sometimes requires travel and visits to diverse workplaces, such as
factories, offices, laboratories, the ballpark, or the theater, but
many have to be content with telephone interviews and the library.

   The workweek usually runs 35 to 40 hours.  Those who prepare morning
or weekend publications and broadcasts work nights or weekends.
Writers may work overtime to meet deadlines or to cover a
late-developing story.  They face deadlines and the pressure to meet
them.  On some jobs, there are deadlines every day.

Employment

Writers and editors held about 283,000 jobs in 1992.  Nearly a third
of salaried writers and editors work for newspapers, magazines, and
book publishers.  Substantial numbers also work in advertising
agencies, in radio and television broadcasting, in public relations
firms, and on journals and newsletters published by business and
nonprofit organizations, such as professional associations, labor
unions, and religious organizations.  Others develop publications
for government agencies or write for motion picture companies.

   Many technical writers work for computer software firms or
manufacturers of aircraft, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and computers
and other electronic equipment.

   Jobs with major book publishers, magazines, broadcasting companies,
advertising agencies and public relations firms, and the Federal
Government are concentrated in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles,
Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.  More
widely dispersed throughout the country are jobs with newspapers;
and professional, religious, business, technical, and trade union
magazines or journals.  Technical writers are employed throughout
the country but the largest concentrations are in the Northeast,
Texas, and California.

   Thousands of other persons work as freelancers earning some income
from their articles, books, and, less commonly, television and movie
scripts.  Most support themselves primarily with income from other
sources.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

A college degree generally is required.  Although some employers
look for a broad liberal arts background, most prefer to hire people
with degrees in communications, journalism, or English.

   Technical writing requires a degree in or some knowledge about a
specialized field engineering, business, or one of the sciences, for
example.  In many cases, people with good writing skills can pick up
specialized knowledge on the job.  Some transfer from jobs as
technicians, scientists, or engineers.  Some begin as research
assistants, editorial assistants, or trainees in a technical
information department, develop technical communication skills, and
then assume writing duties.

   Writers and editors must be able to express ideas clearly and
logically and should love to write.  Creativity, curiosity, a broad
range of knowledge, self-motivation, and perseverance are also
valuable.  For some jobs, the ability to concentrate amid confusion
and to produce under pressure is essential.  Familiarity with
electronic publishing, graphics, and video production equipment is
increasingly needed.  Editors must have good judgment in deciding
what material to accept and what to reject.  They need tact and the
ability to guide and encourage others in their work.

   High school and college newspapers, literary magazines, and
community newspapers and radio and television stations all provide
valuable but sometimes unpaid practical writing experience.  Many
magazines, newspapers, and broadcast stations have internships for
students.  Interns write short pieces, conduct research and
interviews, and learn about the publishing or broadcasting business.

   In small firms, beginning writers and editors may not only work as
editorial or production assistants but also write or edit material
right away.  They often advance by moving to other firms.  In larger
firms, jobs usually are structured more formally.  Beginners
generally do research, fact checking, or copy editing.  They take on
full-scale writing or editing duties less rapidly than do the
employees of small companies.  Advancement comes as they are
assigned more important articles.

Job Outlook

Employment of writers and editors is expected to increase about as
fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005.
Employment of salaried writers and editors by newspapers,
periodicals, book publishers, and nonprofit organizations is
expected to increase with growing demand for their publications.
Growth of advertising and public relations agencies should also be a
source of new jobs.  Demand for technical writers is expected to
increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and
technical information and the continued need to communicate it.
Many job openings will also occur as experienced workers transfer to
other occupations or leave the labor force.  Turnover is relatively
high in this occupation many freelancers leave because they can not
earn enough.

   Through the year 2005, the outlook for most writing and editing jobs
is expected to continue to be keenly competitive primarily because
so many people are attracted to the field.  However, opportunities
will be good for technical writers because of the more limited
number of writers who can handle technical material.  Opportunities
should be better on small dailies and weekly newspapers and in small
radio and television stations, where the pay is low.  Persons
preparing to be writers and editors should also have academic
preparation in another field as well, either to qualify them as
writers specializing in that field or to enter that field if they
are unable to get a writing job.

Earnings

In 1992, beginning salaries for writers and editorial assistants
averaged $20,000 annually, according to the Dow Jones Newspaper
Fund.  Those who had at least 5 years experience averaged more than
$30,000 and senior editors at the largest newspapers earned over
$60,000 a year.

   According to the 1992 Technical Communicator's Salary Survey, median
annual salaries for technical writers were as follows:


Entry level..................................................$26,700
Mid-level nonmanagement...................................... 35,000
Mid-level management......................................... 40,000
Senior management............................................ 45,400

   The average annual salary for technical writers and editors in the
Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial
positions was $40,669; other writers and editors averaged $39,077.

Related Occupations

Writers and editors communicate ideas and information.  Other
communications occupations include newspaper reporters and
correspondents, radio and television announcers, advertising and
public relations workers, and teachers.

Sources of Additional Information

   For a guide to journalism careers and scholarships, contact:

   The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, P.O.  Box 300, Princeton, NJ 08540.

   For information on college internships in magazine editing, contact:

   American Society of Magazine Editors, 575 Lexington Ave., New York,
NY 10022.

   For information on careers in technical writing, contact:

   Society for Technical Communication, Inc., 901 N.  Stuart St., Suite
304, Arlington, VA 22203.


Visual Arts Occupations