Most scientists interact with scientific publishing from one side only, submitting papers, waiting on reviews, dealing with rejections. But there’s an entire world of careers behind that process, and for scientists who love the literature without wanting to produce it forever, it’s worth paying attention to.
Scientific publishing is bigger than most people realise. It’s not just “become an editor at a journal.” There are roles in editorial, production, marketing, communications, and strategy, and many of them actively want people with a science background.
Let’s walk through what’s actually out there.
First, why would a publisher want a scientist?
Because science is hard to understand without doing it. Publishers need people who can read a manuscript in molecular biology or pharmacology and actually judge whether the science is sound, whether the claims are supported, and whether the work is novel enough to publish.
That’s not something you can train someone in quickly. But if you’ve spent years doing research, reviewing papers, and thinking critically about study design? You already have the core skill set. Publishers know this, which is why PhD scientists are actively recruited, especially at journals run by major publishers like Nature Portfolio, Elsevier, Wiley, and the American Chemical Society.
The roles, broken down
📝 Scientific / Associate Editor
This is the most well-known publishing role for scientists, and for good reason, it’s a genuinely great fit. As a scientific editor at a peer-reviewed journal, your job is to receive submitted manuscripts, assess whether they’re within scope, send them out for peer review, evaluate reviewer feedback, and make publication decisions.
About 75% of an editor’s time is spent reviewing manuscripts, reading submissions, assessing the science, and communicating with authors and reviewers . It’s detail-heavy, intellectually demanding, and keeps you close to the cutting edge of research across your field.
Most positions require a PhD and strong subject expertise. Prior publishing experience isn’t always necessary, Nature Communications, for example, doesn’t require it for entry-level editorial roles .
📝 Managing Editor
A step up from associate editor. Managing editors oversee the editorial workflow across one or multiple journals, managing timelines, coordinating teams, maintaining quality standards, and keeping the publication process running smoothly. It’s less about reading science and more about running operations well. If you have a PhD and enjoy leadership and process management, this path opens up fairly naturally over time.
📝 Copy Editor / Proofreader
This one is specifically for scientists who love language as much as they love science. Copy editors review manuscripts for grammar, consistency, accuracy, and clarity before publication. It’s precise, independent work, and it’s found across journal publishing, science news outlets, and book publishing .
You don’t always need a PhD here, but subject expertise matters. A copy editor who understands the science they’re editing will always catch more than one who doesn’t.
📝 Acquisitions Editor (Book Publishing)
If journals feel too narrow, book publishing is a different world entirely. Acquisitions editors identify gaps in the scientific literature, find researchers to write books that fill those gaps, and manage the relationship from proposal to publication .
It involves a lot of relationship-building, conference attendance, and strategic thinking about what the field needs next. For scientists who love the big picture, trends, emerging areas, what comes next, this is a genuinely exciting role that most people overlook.
📝 Editorial Assistant
The entry point for many publishing careers. Editorial assistants support the editorial team, managing submissions, coordinating communications between authors and reviewers, and handling the day-to-day logistics of keeping a journal running . If you want to break into publishing without a publication record of your own, starting here and working your way up is a legitimate and well-worn path.
📝 Production Coordinator
Less visible but absolutely essential. Production teams handle everything that happens after a paper is accepted, typesetting, formatting, digital preparation, and distribution. It’s operations-heavy and detail-oriented, and often a great entry point for scientists who want to work in publishing but aren’t sure editorial is the right fit.
📝 Marketing and Communications Roles
Major publishers also have marketing teams, and they value science backgrounds here too. These roles involve communicating research to broader audiences, writing about new publications, developing outreach campaigns, and helping position a journal or publisher in the market. For scientists who lean toward communication and strategy, it’s worth knowing this door exists.
This might be for you if you:
💡 Love reading papers, genuinely, not just out of obligation
💡 Have strong opinions about scientific writing and what makes it clear or unclear
💡 Enjoy evaluating ideas rather than generating new data
💡 Want a 9-to-5 structure that research rarely offers
💡 Like staying current across a whole field, not just one narrow project
💡 Are ready to leave the bench without leaving science behind
Things to keep in mind:
📚 Most scientific editor roles require at least a Master’s degree, with a PhD strongly preferred, especially at high-impact journals .
📚 Publishing roles are largely office or remote-based. If you loved fieldwork or labwork for the physical, hands-on element of it, the transition to a desk role takes adjustment.
📚 Career progression in publishing tends to be structured. Editors typically start as Associate Editors, move to Senior Editor after a few years, and can eventually progress to Chief Editor or management positions . It’s not the fastest-moving ladder, but it’s a stable and clear one.
📚 The field is competitive at the top journals. Nature, Cell, Science, these are dream jobs for a lot of scientists, and the hiring process reflects that. Building a strong publication record, reviewing papers for journals, and networking in your field all matter here.
📚 Don’t sleep on society journals and smaller publishers. They’re often easier to break into, the work is just as meaningful, and they frequently offer more variety across different areas of science.
Job titles to look for:
💻 Associate Editor / Scientific Editor
💻 Managing Editor
💻 Copy Editor / Science Editor
💻 Acquisitions Editor
💻 Editorial Assistant
💻 Production Coordinator
💻 Publishing Marketing Specialist
How to explore this career:
🗣️ Start reviewing papers, contact journals in your field and volunteer as a reviewer. It directly demonstrates the skill set publishers are hiring for, and it gets your name in front of editors.
🗣️ Get involved in your institution’s manuscript process. If your lab is submitting papers, ask to be part of the revision and editing process.
🗣️ Follow publishers on LinkedIn, Nature Portfolio, Elsevier, Wiley, ACS Publications, and PLOS all post editorial openings there regularly.
🗣️ Attend a publishing career panel or informational event. Many universities host these, and the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) runs events specifically for people exploring careers in the field.
🗣️ Write. Whether it’s a science blog, a newsletter, or contributions to your department’s communications, any evidence that you can translate science into clear, engaging writing will help your application stand out.
Scientific publishing is one of those careers that rewards everything a research background gives you, the critical thinking, the deep subject knowledge, the ability to read between the lines of a methods section and know when something doesn’t add up. You just get to use those skills in a completely different way.
And honestly? Seeing science move through the world, from lab to published paper to the people who need it, is its own kind of satisfying.