How to Become Editor-in-Chief: Learn the Duties and Skills Required

An editor-in-chief is the manager of any print or digital publication, from physical newspapers to online magazines. The editor-in-chief determines the look and feel of the publication, has the final say in what is published and what isn’t, and leads the publication’s team of editors, copyeditors, and writers.

In addition to the job title “editor-in-chief,” there are many different names for the head of a publication, including lead editor, chief editor, and executive editor. In many cases, these titles are synonymous with editor-in-chief; in situations where a publication has both an editor-in-chief and a role like managing editor or executive editor, the editor-in-chief is always the highest position.

Editors-in-chief serve as the leaders of their publications. As such, they have a wide range of responsibilities to ensure the smooth operation of their news outlet, magazine, journal, or other publication.

• Determine publishing guidelines. The editor-in-chief is responsible for determining the tone and scope of the publication. They instruct the editorial staff to ensure topics are appropriate for the publication and that the voice is consistent.
• Create an editorial board. An editorial board is an outline of each issue (or, in the case of a digital publication, the monthly schedule) of a publication. The editor-in-chief is responsible for mapping out the content and ensuring it is consistent with the publication’s scope (while varied enough to not become monotonous).
• Review content. The editor-in-chief reviews the content of each issue and makes sure it is free of copy errors or inappropriate content (for example, libel). For larger publications, editors-in-chief will determine the editorial board and then delegate the issue to the editors and writers to manage, finally doing a final review of the issue to ensure the content is up to the publication’s standards. For smaller publications, the editor-in-chief is more involved in the editing and writing process and will review the publication multiple times, even engaging in copyediting, before their final review.
• Hire and lead the editorial team. As the leader for the publication, the editor-in-chief is a key part of the team and sets the tone for the office environment. Their team can be composed of any number of people, but is usually a combination of senior editors, junior editors, and writers (either in-house or freelance writers). The editor-in-chief also hires (or facilitates the hiring) of new department editors and writers as the need arises.
• Write editorials. The editor-in-chief will contribute written pieces to the publication periodically—either as full articles or as introductory editorial pieces that serve as a prologue to the issue’s content.
• Manage the budget. The editor-in-chief manages the publication’s budget and determines where incoming money will be best used. This means they can choose to allocate resources to increase marketing efforts, to hire new staff members, to increase pay rates to be more competitive, and so on.
• Represent the publication. The editor-in-chief’s job isn’t always behind a desk—they are also the face of the publication, and they are responsible for representing it at publishing conferences and social events. Public relations is a vital part of marketing and fundraising for the publication.

Editor-in-chief jobs are not entry-level positions; there are several skills and qualifications that can only be earned and learned over the course of a long career in journalism in order to be a strong candidate.

Good editors-in-chief have the following skills:

• Creative vision. It is essential for editors-in-chief to be creative, so that they can brainstorm interesting content for each issue and come up with inventive solutions to difficult problems (for instance, how to expand the reach of their publication on a very limited budget).
• Editorial skills. Editors-in-chief need to have a strong command of language and writing so that they can confidently maintain their audience, voice, and scope—both in their own writing, and when determining if submitted or solicited articles are appropriate for their publication.
• Strong leadership. Editors-in-chief set the tone for the office environment, so they need to be comfortable leading a team and making decisions for the entire organization.
• Interpersonal skills. Not only do editors-in-chief need to interact positively with the members of their team, they also need to feel comfortable representing the publication at publishing conferences and social functions—these are often key marketing, networking, and fundraising opportunities for the publication.

In addition to specific skills, job descriptions for editors-in-chief will usually require the following qualifications, at a minimum:

• A relevant bachelor’s degree. Editor-in-chief positions at the very least require a bachelor’s degree, usually in English language, journalism, rhetoric, or a related field. Certain publications may allow degrees relevant to their content—for instance, a history journal may allow a bachelor’s degree in history.
• Experience working in publishing. Most publications want candidates for their editor-in-chief to have many years of experience—at least five—working in publishing as an editor. A detailed knowledge of the publishing process—from first edit to proofread—is a must. Luckily, you can start getting experience as early as high school at a local publication working as a writer, magazine editor, text editor, or even cross-checking information.
• Experience in the publication’s field. Editors-in-chief don’t just need to have top-notch writing skills; they need to know the field of their publication so that they can make informed creative decisions about their audience, tone, and scope. For example, the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine will need to have in-depth knowledge of the history, modern-day landscape, and potential future of the fashion world. This knowledge can come either from study or work experience.

Few people are fortunate enough to go directly from school to becoming a magazine editor. Typically, you will have to begin with an entry-level position and even these will most likely require a bachelor’s degree. These jobs are posted on standard job boards and on employment-focused websites like LinkedIn.

1. 1. Work with a recruiter. Working with a recruiter can help you become aware of where you need to start. Be prepared for long hours with little pay; it requires legitimate passion to last in the magazine industry.
2. 2. Start as a general assignment reporter. Another way to get a foot in the door is to start as a reporter. The smaller the publication, the easier it is to get a job. Newspapers and TV stations in small towns throughout the United States may be an easier place to get a start than in media capitals like New York and Washington. Blogging is another good option, although it can be hard to stand out in the mix. You can also try to work as a freelance writer for a period of time, which will give you more experience at a variety of publications.
3. 3. Utilize your contacts. If you personally know people in the magazine industry, seek them out. Offer to buy them lunch and be direct with them about your aspiration to become a magazine editor. People love to be asked for career advice, so be proactive and seek it. Remember: your friends and colleagues can’t know what you desire unless you tell them. So if you want to work in publishing, whether as a magazine editor or any other position, speak up and let it be known. If nothing else, friends may start alerting you to open opportunities.
4. 4. Work your way up. Once you know what kind of magazine you want to work for—be it business, fashion, general news, science, or other specialist publication—apply for jobs best suited to your skills. Once you have your foot in the door, work your way up slowly. Be responsive, diligent, and creative. Make sure your superiors know your career aspirations and be prepared to show them how you want to achieve them.

One important thing to think about if you’re looking for an editor-in-chief job is location. While there are likely available editor-in-chief jobs in many cities throughout the United States, there are several cities that are recognized as strong publishing capitals, which means they have a higher concentration of publishing jobs. US cities well-known for publishing organizations include New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.

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