An interesting question. If you have a strong stomach and no ego then this might work. More likely you will run into the night screaming.
Sorry, long post ahead from a senior editor at a fiction house.
The thing is, I think we each have our own talent for this business. We in the editorial part of the business bring to the table certain critical skills. We can certainly construct competent sentences but many of us wouldn't label ourselves "writers". What we do is to help those who put the words together make the stuff better. It is a different skill set than actually creating something from nothing. If you want to write you should write. If you want to help others hone their craft then editorial might be for you.
There are no hard and fast rules. I know editors who consider themselves writers. I know writers who tried editorial positions and found their writing fell away and left the business to pursue their craft. Would you be turned away from a position at a publishing house because you said you wanted to be a writer? Possibly, considering a publishing house will spend a lot of time and effort to train a publishing assistant and most expect that person to stick around. Or if you showed drive and commitment you might be hired with the warning that you might find your time and brain eaten up by the job with no time left over for writing.
It is a tough balancing act. If you are considering this I would look long and hard at just what it is you want to accomplish and then go for it. Lord knows, none of us are in it for the grand bucks. Best of luck in whatever you decide...
wrtiers working in publishing
Sorry, long post ahead from a senior editor at a fiction house.
The thing is, I think we each have our own talent for this business. We in the editorial part of the business bring to the table certain critical skills. We can certainly construct competent sentences but many of us wouldn't label ourselves "writers". What we do is to help those who put the words together make the stuff better. It is a different skill set than actually creating something from nothing. If you want to write you should write. If you want to help others hone their craft then editorial might be for you.
There are no hard and fast rules. I know editors who consider themselves writers. I know writers who tried editorial positions and found their writing fell away and left the business to pursue their craft. Would you be turned away from a position at a publishing house because you said you wanted to be a writer? Possibly, considering a publishing house will spend a lot of time and effort to train a publishing assistant and most expect that person to stick around. Or if you showed drive and commitment you might be hired with the warning that you might find your time and brain eaten up by the job with no time left over for writing.
It is a tough balancing act. If you are considering this I would look long and hard at just what it is you want to accomplish and then go for it. Lord knows, none of us are in it for the grand bucks. Best of luck in whatever you decide...
--claire eddy