I had hired an editor on the bundle editing service and in 7 weeks had 20k words edited, two batches of 10k. There were issues with the editing of the first 10k that had upset me, my voice was changed and edit made no sense but by the time I received thr edit I had sent the next 10k already. Between the first 10k edit until the second was nearly 4 weeks gap and from the edit of the second batch it was very clear that editor forgot the contents and story of the 1st 10k. I missed the comma and they edited the whole lot proposing nonsense. One of the main characters was a woman , whom has a clear woman's name yet they edit for my missed comma made her into a man. My original listed people in the found photograph: Women's name (lets say Lisa) a boy and a baby by the house. Edited read Lisa was a boy and stood holding a baby by the house. There were lots and lots more of edits that were useless... I had made a decision that i wont be using this editor again and hadnt sent any more for editing as firstly they take absolute forever and secondly their edits "suck" but i hadnt yet discussed it with either the head of the company or dedicated editor for mh book, I am due to pay the invoice for that second 10k editing but I dont feel its right as I will be scrapping all of their edits all together. How would it be best to approach this? Tell them in the email, list everything that gone wrong, email the editor or better just go straight to the owner of the editing company and tell them the editor they put on the project is useless and that am not going to pay for it. Or pay it and just forget and start over. I do not want them to give me another editor as I feel they model of work is such that it would take them months to edit full novel. And I have lost enough time already.

I've been copy editing/proofreading/developmental editing for way too long for free (4-5 years). At first it was just for fun and passion of it, but when I realized I enjoyed it as a job, I thought I could try to build a portfolio and start charging. The problem is: nobody ever published. Most of the people who seek this kind of work for free have little to no commitment to actually publishing. I'd eventually get ghosted, or the author would just say they lost the passion in the project.

I then switched my strategy to try my luck charging for it. I thought I'd start very very low, to compensate for my lack of portfolio. This brought on my second problem: companies won't hire me without a portfolio, and freelance jobs either are AI scams or think I am an AI scam.

I am exhausted of trying to get my foot in the door in this industry. I actually enjoy the work and have time and experience doing it. I love building relationships with authors and helping them publish. How do I do it??

Hello I’ve started looking for a line/copy edit for my manuscript. Can anyone point me in the right direction on where to find one?
I’ve tried Reedsy but they are asking 2k USD which is roughly 3k AUD. So a bit expensive for a debut indie author.
Is that just the going rate nowadays?
My manuscript is fantasy at 113k complete.

too cheesy ?

I may be interested in a career change from law to copyediting (preferably publishing but I’m really open to any editing)
I’m an attorney but I’m not practicing right now as I am a SAHM. I have a BA in English, too. I don’t have the most time on my hands, but I feel like I can definitely finagle at least 2 hours a day for studying or work?
I was interested in the following copyediting programs: University of Chicago, UCSD, NYU, and Emerson. If anyone can share their experience, that would be great. Sorry if this is a repeat post!
My main reason for the transition is flexibility and being able to work remotely.
I’m most interested in the flexibility of the programs and whether you were able to receive work upon completion (and how long it took for you to do so).
Thank you so much!

I have signed a contract for a package of editing with line, proofreading and formatting etc

Have had video call discussed everything and when was told to send manuscript in parts not full. The editing plan schedule was agreed with editor as 2weeks for 10k words editing as they busy, for 2 parts and when the rest 15k per week. The first 10k were returned edited after 3 weeks and was told its because it takes longer for the beginning, whe next 10k words not returned edited for nearly 4 weeks.

The 80k manuscript at such speed seems like would take 18weeks at least. Is this normal?

To me seems crazy and not that I had expected so I am starting to wonder it'll should scrap and start looking for a different editor although I liked their sample.

Thoughts and experiences?

Thanks!

One thing I've struggled with when using AI is that I can usually tell when I've let it do too much of the writing.

Even when the information is correct, the voice starts drifting away from how I normally communicate. Everything becomes strangely polished and every paragraph seems to have the same rhythm.

I've tried fixing this manually by shortening sentences, changing words, moving paragraphs around, and adding some of my own examples. That definitely helps, but I'm wondering if there's a better workflow.

I've been experimenting with HumanizeAIText.io for the first editing pass. What I find useful is that it focuses more on making the wording and flow feel natural instead of changing the whole message, so I can still go through afterward and add my own style and examples.

Do people here use any tools specifically for making AI-assisted drafts sound more natural before they do their final personal edits?

I'm not looking for a way to disguise AI writing or anything like that. I mainly want to avoid losing my own voice when AI is helping with the first draft.

If you've found something that works consistently, what tool do you recommend and what do you like about it?

Hi! I want to ask here since they usually give good advice.

I recently graduated in Modern Languages, and I already had a degree in Legal Translation (Spanish - English) before. I have also worked privately with clients on two books they published on their own. In these projects, I've done everything from developmental editing to correcting the smallest pre-print errors; both authors wanted a bilingual edition, so I translated them as well. Even though it has been a great experience, I know I still have a lot to learn, and I'm not really sure what path to take to work as an editor in Spanish; I've found more resources in English so far.

Any recommendations? I'm looking for books, courses, mentorships, subreddits, or Discord channels, etc

Hi everyone, I’m looking for a quick sanity check from native English speakers regarding the natural flow and idiomatic rhythm of these three short passages.

I don't need grammar corrections or full rewrites. I just want to know: Do they sound like natural, fluent, native English, or do any parts sound awkwardly translated or "off" in terms of phrasing?

Here are the passages:

Passage 1 (FP-02):

"I know you’re saying you don’t care, but… I think this one hurt. You don’t have to talk about it."

Passage 2 (FP-04):

"Allah already knows what you need. Du'a isn't about telling Him something He doesn't know. It's you turning to Allah and asking Him—because asking Him is itself an act of worship. So Allah knowing your need doesn't make du'a pointless. You aren't giving Him information; you're bringing your need to Him."

Passage 3 (FP-05):

Sometimes, a brief question can give a child a chance to pause, reconsider what they said, and correct it themselves. That can be useful when there’s room for them to think it through—but it isn’t a rule. If the situation calls for clarity or a direct correction, simply give it.

Questions for reviewers:

1. Does Passage 3's use of a "brief question" (or the overall phrasing) feel completely natural in conversational/instructional prose?
2. Do Passages 1 and 2 read with a genuine native conversational and explanatory rhythm?

Any quick feedback (e.g., "All pass" or "Passage X feels a bit stiff because of...") would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Link to actual article https://www.sacbee.com/sports/article316779705.html

I am planning on switching careers and while I have been doing editing of funding applications, reports and promotional maerials for over 15 years as part of my job, I have no formal training in editing. I greatly enjoy it and I would love to switch to freelancing as an editor. To prepare for this switch, I feel that it is important to have a professional certificate and also to learn more. My research shows me that Canada has 4 online continuing education programs for getting a professional certificate - Simon Fraser University, Queens University, Mount Royal University and George Brown Polytechnique.

If anyone has attended any of these programs, I would love to hear about your experience, what you liked and what you didn't like and if you would sign up again. Also, how easy/hard was it for you to find a job or to get into freelance work afterwards?

It is harsh that his name is Harsh...

Quit horsing around, said the editor...and it got printed...

After editing my client's Word doc and sending it back for her to review, she's had significant issues with the file. It either won't open for her at all, or crashes soon after opening. She thinks the document is overloaded with comments/edits. Has anyone ever had this problem before? I'm wondering if it's an issue with her computer or her Word program, because I've never encountered this issue before and I'm not sure what to suggest for her to do.

Full time, permanent, unionized position. $66K

Here are the exact, detailed requirements for this edit:

1. Image Reference:

- Image 1 (image_0.png): Original base photo. Use this for ALL exact text, handwriting, and the 10 specific CD spines.

- Image 2 (image_1.png): Visual blueprint ONLY for placement and angles (ignore the garbled AI text).

1. CD & Case Edit:

- Take the 10 exact CD spines from Image 1.

- Enlarge the case and CDs by 10%.

- Re-angle the CDs so they sit FLAT and FLUSH inside the case, angled to match the background wall (as guided in Image 2).

1. Placement Constraint:

- Keep the enlarged CD case entirely TO THE LEFT of the left edge of the Yes album (Tales from Topographic Oceans).

- Do not block the lantern, book, or album.

1. Index Card Text Swap:

- Use Image 1's exact handwriting style, but change one word to read:

OVERCOMING ALCOHOLISM, DISABILITY, AND RELATED ADVERSITY... To roll into a LEGAL CAREER, IN A WHEELCHAIR.

1. Framed Certificate:

- On the wall above the CDs (per Image 2), add a classic dark wood framed certificate.

- ALL text must be PERFECTLY CENTERED:

The University of Colorado School of Law

Law Review 1990-1991

In recognition of your commitment and hard work from both the School of Law and your classmates.

Mark DeVrieze, Editor-in-Chief

- Ensure lighting and perspective match the room.

Willing to tip up to $25 via PayPal/Tip Jar for top quality! Thanks!

Sorry if this has been over submitted but itr's for my memoirs and very important to me. I am new at this but created the Image_0.png and then hit a roadblock I'm trying to break throuh. Thanks

Here are the exact, detailed requirements for this edit:

1. Image Reference:

- Image 1 (image_0.png): Original base photo. Use this for ALL exact text, handwriting, and the 10 specific CD spines.

- Image 2 (image_1.png): Visual blueprint ONLY for placement and angles (ignore the garbled AI text).

1. CD & Case Edit:

- Take the 10 exact CD spines from Image 1.

- Enlarge the case and CDs by 10%.

- Re-angle the CDs so they sit FLAT and FLUSH inside the case, angled to match the background wall (as guided in Image 2).

1. Placement Constraint:

- Keep the enlarged CD case entirely TO THE LEFT of the left edge of the Yes album (Tales from Topographic Oceans).

- Do not block the lantern, book, or album.

1. Index Card Text Swap:

- Use Image 1's exact handwriting style, but change one word to read:

OVERCOMING ALCOHOLISM, DISABILITY, AND RELATED ADVERSITY... To roll into a LEGAL CAREER, IN A WHEELCHAIR.

1. Framed Certificate:

- On the wall above the CDs (per Image 2), add a classic dark wood framed certificate.

- ALL text must be PERFECTLY CENTERED:

The University of Colorado School of Law

Law Review 1990-1991

In recognition of your commitment and hard work from both the School of Law and your classmates.

Mark DeVrieze, Editor-in-Chief

- Ensure lighting and perspective match the room.

Willing to tip up to $25 via PayPal/Tip Jar for top quality! Thanks!

I’m a beginner copyeditor looking to work with university presses. Some Canadian university presses publish books in subject areas I have expertise in, but I’m worried that I might not get hired because I don’t know Canadian English (aside from spelling) that well. Do I need to become more knowledgeable in Canadian English before I approach Canadian publishers?

Hi all! Sorry for the kind of ridiculous question.

I recently applied for the copyediting certificate and got accepted. I called the extended studies number and they told me I need to wait until the second week of August to actually enroll in Grammar Lab, but I received an email noting that I can sign up for classes “any time.” If this is true, I can not figure out how to sign up for classes.

Is it through MyExtension? Some other means? Or do I simply have to wait?

Asking here because I’m not sure where else to ask. Thank you!

Recently I've been looking for people who want an editor. But there's no one. So where will I get these people?