Editorial assistant — Rali Chorbadzhiyska

Rali explains how time-management skills, communication and a passion for reading are all essential to a career as an editorial assistant working in publishing

What degree did you study?

I studied English at King's College London, then went on to study an MA in publishing at University College London.

How did you get your job?

I had previously been a rights assistant at Penguin Random House and a maternity cover editorial assistant at Faber. I started looking for a permanent role and found the opening at Canongate through my professional network, and applied with a cover letter and CV.

I got invited to an online interview with two people I would be working with on a daily basis, and had to complete a short proofreading task. I passed that and was invited to an in-person interview. The second interview featured more senior employers and the questions tested my knowledge and abilities for the role and my fit for the team. I was offered the role on the same day and started almost immediately.

What's a typical working day like?

I support two editors focusing on fiction and narrative non-fiction and also the editorial department (alongside two other editorial assistants), which presents constant competing priorities.

I spend much of my day on email conversations with colleagues, authors and agents about the books we’re working on. I also have tasks that involve updating our internal software or creating materials for the publication of the titles.

In meetings, I am invited to contribute and sometimes I take minutes too. The creative part of my day is reading and discussing submissions for new books or even editing the manuscripts we’ve acquired.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Contact with authors, working on manuscripts, and learning the skills towards becoming an editor.

The communication with authors happens mostly online but I get to attend book launches and literary festivals where I meet them in person. Working on their manuscripts is hugely rewarding as I get to spend focused quiet time reading and assessing, and then find the best way to communicate my suggestions.

Building the skills of an editor involves making sure I have excellent time management and prioritisation skills, and building my public speaking and negotiating experience. I also enjoy developing market awareness and being alert to the business side of working with books.

What are the challenges?

I have a lot of admin responsibilities for the editorial team and authors I assist. Subsequently, it is challenging to make time for the more creative tasks such as reading submissions, brainstorming ideas for the shaping and promotion of the books, and editing.

This has an impact on progression down the line because to be promoted you need to show editorial abilities, but often you need to develop them in your personal time, after having handled your mandatory workload.

In what way is your degree relevant?

The MA in publishing at UCL provided a strong academic understanding of the industry and the different departments that I could apply to for my work experience. It was a great way to network with people who are now working in all areas of publishing and my thesis involved interviews, which helped me connect with multiple independent publishers and their managing directors at the time.

How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?

I have gradually assumed more responsibilities including presenting new manuscripts to the company, meeting with the authors and their agents, and negotiating deals.

Developing as an editor involves constantly reading and working on various projects to encounter different styles, personalities and challenges. A key aspect of developing in this role is gaining confidence in your own strengths and knowledge of the book market and developing an editorial taste.

My career ambitions are to become assistant editor next, and eventually an editor or even a publisher.

What advice can you give to others wanting to get into this job?

• Try to identify what you think does or doesn’t work in the books you read for pleasure.
• Be strategic about it - you will be applying to multiple publishing companies so prepare by reading widely, both in terms of genres and publishers.
• Be proactive. This could mean emailing smaller places and asking for work experience.
• Put yourself forward to volunteer at literary prizes and festivals - you could ask for a LinkedIn endorsement in return.
• Try to start a Bookstagram or a podcast - anything to showcase your interests and determination.

Find out more

• Read all about being an editorial assistant.
• Take a look at the marketing, advertising and PR sector.