Another term for secretary/clerk in an editing or publishing environment. The editorial assistant takes messages for the editor from aspiring authors, handles requests for payment, etc.

An editorial assistant provides administrative support for editors, associate editors and writing/editorial staff. They often perform scheduling, filing, note taking, and other administrative duties. They may or may not perform writing and editing tasks.

By far the most important job on staff (!). The EA is the entry-level position on the editorial side of the magazine, often filled by a recent college graduate. S/he usually reports to one or more senior-level editors. Some EAs only do administrative duties (opening mail, answering phones, copying stories, replying to reader mail), but many have (or can earn) writing and editing responsibilities. The next step after EA is Assistant Editor.