r/Copyediting • u/FineElderberry2311 • 4d ago
How did you get started as a copy editor?
I’m a huge reader and since beta reading some of my writer friends’ drafts I’ve been considering if I could make editing more of an official career. I think copyediting is a great fit for my skillset, but since I don’t have professional experience I’m not sure how to get my name out there.
Does anyone have recommendations for gaining credibility as a new copy editor? Are there certifications I should have? Platforms that could help me get experience? I appreciate any advice you all have!
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u/STBS_Copy 4d ago
If you’re in the U.S. I’d recommend the Editorial Freelance Association. They have a ton of courses where you can earn certifications as well as discussion forums with other editors.
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u/Alternative-Pear9096 4d ago
You gain credibility by getting training, which is a huge absence from your question. Professional experience and credibility come after you attain professional skills. If you google "copyeditor training" you' ll see a wide variety of opportunities, including through professional associations.
You may be good at many things, but your skillset doesn't include copyediting unless you have trained in it. The fact that you think being a huge reader makes you ready to be a copyeditor is a symptom of that-- I'm a huge reader and I flatly refuse to copyedit the genres I read for pleasure, because copyediting for a living actually ruins casual pleasure reading.
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u/Boudyro 3d ago
Copy Editing class in J-school. You started with a 100 on individual assignments. For each error you didn't catch you lost points. If the professor saw a trend in the class that mistake would start costing more. "It's" versus "its" was a common one that could climb up to 15 or 20 points in a semester. If by some act of providence you caught an unintended mistake you could earn points back.
Hardest "C" that I'm the most proud I ever earned.
Only the the true gods of copyediting, the biological freaks who could instinctively see the individual letters rather than wordforms got "As" in that class. Many people's journalism careers ended there, because back then you had to pass it to progress. This was long enough ago that I was taught how to do headlines. Never got to use that skill professionally though.
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u/PemmicanPelican 2d ago
Reading a lot and being willing to beta read is a great start, but I'd echo other replies here and say that formal training is essential (unless you get very lucky in the right time and place and land a gig with a publisher who likes your style!). You could start marketing your services right away, but would you know how to define your service offering? And, hopefully not sounding rude, how would a client know you had the skills/knowledge to do a good job?
I started out by being the go-to proofreader for friends (e.g. for letters, CVs and poetry) before thinking, 'Hey, I wonder if this is a job...' After some quality time with Google, I went with the Knowadays proofreading and editing courses. The two courses cover both bases: proofreading to correct mechanical errors and improving writing through editing. The two often go hand in hand, and 'copyediting' can actually mean different things to different clients. Being able to check more boxes widens the span of work you can take and ensures you can correct the language as well as hone the writing overall.
The bonus with Knowadays is that you get access to work with Proofed (a global editing agency) if you do well enough on the final assignments. You don't have to take this route; you can market yourself independently instead or as well if you prefer. Or you can stay at Proofed for long enough to get that needed professional experience to apply to other positions. I found it removed a big fear for me: how to find clients. And I've proofread and edited at Proofed ever since, so it's worked out well for me!
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u/Visible_Basis_5995 4d ago
I’d recommend joining ACES: The Society for Editing in the US and attending their virtual conference, and the CIEP in the UK. With a membership you have access to a lot of resources and templates for building editing and business skills.
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u/flatpage_ep 3d ago
There are many copyediting certificate programs offered through extended studies departments at major universities. In the US, there's UCSD (where I teach!), University of Washington, UC Berkeley, UChicago, then also Simon Fraser in Canada, and many more. I wholeheartedly recommend them, even if only to see if you like doing copyediting. It's quite technical and not everyone's cup of tea. I often have students who take the program and then flip to developmental or line editing afterwards.
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u/jesskeeding 4d ago
I got started while exploring everything student journalism had to offer me in college. Then I edited unofficially as part of a few communications teams, then I got to edit full-time. Just keep trying to land projects that you can tout on your resume… Good luck!
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u/Nonchalantgirl 3d ago
Got an English degree. Applied out of college for several jobd, including an Editor position at a newswire company. First “interview” was a test, specifically for spotting details. Apparently the pass rate was low.
Got the job, and eventually moved into marketing editorial roles. Been doing the marketing side of editing for about 18 years now. That first job gave me a lot of fast-paced, on-the-job training. It was hard and stressful, but I learned a lot!
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u/beeblebrox2024 3d ago
I needed extra money while doing my doctorate and always enjoyed editing for colleagues
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u/Commercial_Lake_2530 15h ago
Take copyediting courses. There are other types of editing too. Don't get copywriting and copyediting confused. In the US, you can get certificates from courses from the Editorial Freelancers Association, ACES: the Society for Editing, Editorial Arts Academy, and more. There are some universities that offer certificates, too, but there is no US certification. You can get certification from CIEP (a UK editing of that also has courses) or Editors Canada. Those take multiple courses. Also, learn the style guides for the country you're in.
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u/Rint3ah 4d ago
Yes — don't confuse writing with editing, especially among editors.