Authors, and Book and Script Editors
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Authors, and Book and Script Editors write, edit and evaluate literary works for publication and scripts for film, television, radio and stage productions.
Tasks
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creating and developing ideas and themes for written works, such as novels, plays, musicals, screen productions, educational texts, information texts and multimedia products
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researching subject matter through original and secondary materials, interviews and other media
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planning, organising and writing material
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reviewing and evaluating manuscripts of novels, biographies, short stories, poems, educational texts and other books, and ensuring coherence of style and development of theme, plot and characterisation
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advising publishers about potential of works for publication and conditions of publication contract
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negotiating publication details such as royalties, publication dates and numbers of copies to be printed
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reviewing and assessing stories and other material for film, television, radio and stage productions
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directing the preparation of scripts to be read by announcers to introduce and connect parts of musicals, news, sports and special events programs
Characteristics
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University
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Analytical
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Creative
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow strongly
- is likely to reach 7,400 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 2,400 |
2012 | 7,700 |
2013 | 6,200 |
2014 | 10,300 |
2015 | 4,700 |
2016 | 6,600 |
2017 | 7,200 |
2018 | 6,700 |
2019 | 8,500 |
2020 | 9,400 |
2021 | 6,600 |
2026 | 7,400 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 51% of people employed as Authors, and Book and Script Editors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 15 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Authors, and Book and Script Editors work in the Arts and recreation services industry. They are also employed in industries like:
- Information media and telecommunications
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Public administration and safety.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Authors, and Book and Script Editors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 38.9 | 31.6 |
VIC | 31.6 | 25.6 |
QLD | 15.0 | 20.0 |
SA | 4.1 | 7.0 |
WA | 5.4 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.0 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.4 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.6 | 1.9 |
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Around 75% of Authors, and Book and Script Editors live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Authors, and Book and Script Editors is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.
Females make up 67% of the workforce. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Authors, and Book and Script Editors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 3.1 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 17.9 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 23.5 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 23.2 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 13.5 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 47 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A bachelor degree in writing, literature or another related field is usually needed to work as an Author, or Book or Script Editor. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Authors, and Book and Script Editors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 33.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 43.4 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 8.1 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 3.2 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 9.4 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.9 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 1.7 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Authors, and Book and Script Editors who have strong attention to detail, can communicate clearly and are organised.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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87%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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70%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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57%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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55%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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54%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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52%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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52%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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52%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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50%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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45%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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43%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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43%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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43%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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39%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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34%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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30%
Management of financial resourcesFiguring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.
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30%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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27%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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85%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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83%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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68%
Fine artsCompose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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63%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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61%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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59%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
57%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
57%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
51%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
47%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
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40%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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40%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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37%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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36%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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33%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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32%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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27%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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24%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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23%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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21%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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71%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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66%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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61%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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61%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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59%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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57%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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54%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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54%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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52%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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50%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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48%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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46%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
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43%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
39%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
95%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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71%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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70%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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70%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
69%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
68%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
67%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
64%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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64%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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63%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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62%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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60%
Influencing peopleConvincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
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53%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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51%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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50%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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50%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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50%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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50%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
49%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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44%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
71%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
52%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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33%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
29%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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86%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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81%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
71%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
69%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
38%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
29%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
-
99%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
96%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
96%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
89%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
88%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
79%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
-
79%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
78%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
73%
Using your hands to handle, control, or feelSpend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
70%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
68%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
67%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
66%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
64%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
61%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
61%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
59%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
50%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
49%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
-
48%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-3043.05 - Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.