You’ll need a passion for the written word, some specialized training, and years of experience managing all aspects of a publication or editorial operation if you want to become an executive editor. The ability to manage creative staff people, a constant attention to detail, and a desire to take charge of a publication’s overall success are all required skills for becoming an executive editor. Employers typically seek an editor with a relevant education and a significant amount of experience. An executive editor should be able to establish a publication’s overall tone and vision. Years of experience will also give you the authority you need to ensure that certain editorial standards are followed.
A bachelor’s degree in journalism, communication, English, or another relevant field is typically required for those who want to become executive editors. Employers are likely to demand a significant amount of previous editorial experience. Some executive editors began their careers as interns or as reporters, eventually rising through the ranks to become mid-level editors and gaining the skills and experience required for this position. To stay current in the field, an executive editor may continue to pursue additional education, conferences, workshops, or seminars throughout his or her career.
Running the day-to-day operations of a publication or editorial operation is one of the most important requirements for those aspiring to be executive editors. Editors must be trained to manage a wide range of people, including reporters, mid-level editors, and other editorial personnel. An executive editor must be able to ensure that the content of the publication is in line with the publisher’s overall mission. This necessitates extensive experience coordinating tasks with assistant editors and effectively managing people who may be working under extremely tight deadlines. Years of experience as a reporter or editor enable an executive editor to relate to or work in a variety of roles critical to a publication’s or editorial operation’s daily operations.
Another requirement for those aspiring to be executive editors is the ability to enforce a publication’s or editorial operation’s standards. An executive director must be able to set the standards for editorial submissions, performance appraisals, deadlines, budgeting, and planning, as well as work with an editorial board. Excellent people skills, honed over years of experience, can be used to keep an executive editor, managing editor, and assistant editors working together productively. An executive editor should also be able to see the big picture of a business, manage a team, oversee editorial content, and ensure a publication’s editorial integrity.