London-born Clement Shorter worked as a civil servant (1877-1890) before obtaining his first editorial position at the Penny Illustrated Paper in 1890. He went on to become editor of the Illustrated London News (1891-1900), founded The Sketch, The Tatler, and The Sphere and eventually became owner and director of a large conglomorate of periodicals. King also edited Boswell's Life of Johnson and the works of George Barrow, and published studies on Charlotte Bronte and Napoléon.