The best way to make use of your ability to edit a written document, spot grammatical errors, or correct sentence structure is to work as a work from home copy editor. You know, these days there are a lot of editing jobs out there. There are a lot of companies as well as individual clients who need help in perfecting their articles, blogs, etc.
I am very keen when it comes to grammatical errors. I love rewriting articles when I find it necessary. No, I did not take up journalism in college, but I was once part of a school paper. It’s a childhood passion of mine. So, when the opportunity of working as a freelance online copy editor knocked on my door, without having a second thought, I immediately grabbed it.
You know, the beauty of editing jobs and editing as a whole is that you do not necessarily have to earn a degree in English or journalism to work as an editor. For as long as you have the skills, and you have the right mindset, and you meet the qualifications for the job, you’re in.
Personally, I find editing jobs as one of the easiest work from home jobs out there. Needless to say, it is one of those home-based jobs that offer a lot of work opportunities. Editing is also ideal for people who have so many other things to do like stay at home moms like me. You know why? Because the job gives you the flexibility to work anytime and anywhere you want. It does not require interaction with your client – everything is usually done via email.
Anyway, with all that’s been said, I want to give you a sneak peek into the world of online editing. I will share with you what editing is all about, what skills you need to be an editor, how much you can make as an editor, and where to find editing jobs online.
What is copy editing?
First and foremost, let us define what copy editing is all about first. Many times, people thought that proofreading and editing are the same. But in reality, they’re not. These two are totally different from one another.
Copy editing refers to the process of checking mistakes, repetition of thoughts and words, as well as inconsistencies. During the editing process, the manuscript or the written material you are working on is being polished for publication purposes.
In contrary to what people believed in about copy editing as a glorified spell checker, it is not. It’s more than that.
What does a copy editor do?
Copy editors are publication’s partners. They are the ones who make sure that the manuscript tells the best story possible. What the copy editor do is he or she focuses on the details – both small and big. As a copy editor you must be very meticulous and be highly technical, but making sure that you are still aware of the overarching themes at work within your manuscript.
To be more specific, here are some of the basic things that a copy editor does:
– The editor checks and corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax errors.
– The editor Checks the accuracy of statements or facts written in the manuscript. This is especially required when you are dealing with a non-fiction manuscript like memoirs or historical pieces. The copy-editor must ensure that everything that is written in the manuscript like names and dates is accurate.
– The editor must check the technical consistency particularly the spelling, capitalization, numerals, hyphenation, as well as font usage.
– The editor must check for continuity errors. He or she must make sure that all loose ends are connected.
– The editor must check if there is any inconsistency within the story or the manuscript, which includes character description, plot points, as well as the setting of the story.
These are just some of the basic job of a copy editor. As you can see, there is more to an editor’s job than checking grammar and spelling. It is the editor’s job to make sure that every element of the writer or author’s story is cohesive, consistent and complete.
What are the skills required to be a copy editor?
Before looking for editing jobs online, you must first understand that there are certain requirements that clients look for when hiring copy editors.
To give you an idea, here are some of the basic skills requirements for copy editors:
– Precise and meticulous
– A keen eye for detail
– Excellent grammar skills
– Excellent in word usage
– Must have the ability to maintain high-quality work while meeting a tight deadline
– Must be up to date with standard practices in book publishing
Furthermore, if you wish to apply as a copy editor, you must also come up with a portfolio of your previous and recent editorial work as this will serve as your potential client’s basis for hiring you apart from your other credentials.
As mentioned earlier, journalism or English degree is not necessary but in some cases, maybe highly preferred.
Also, since we are talking about working from home, you must also ensure you meet some basic technical requirements like having a laptop or desktop computer, a high-speed and reliable internet connection, and a home office that is free from distraction.
Why you should consider becoming an online editor?
I can enumerate a number of reasons why you should consider becoming an online editor. But, to make it short, like in any other jobs be it online or offline, if you have the passion for editing other people’s written work, then becoming an editor is ideal for you. If you want to help other writers make their written work better, then the job is for you.
But more so, you should consider becoming an online editor because of the following reasons:
– It gives you the flexibility to work anytime and anywhere. If you thought to work from home and the flexibility of work schedule is too good to be true, well, I tell you, it is true! It happens! In fact, a lot of people are already taking advantage of and enjoying it for a long time now. Online editing jobs, just like any other home-based online jobs out there allows you to work whenever you feel working as long as you meet the deadline, and wherever you want to work – it could be at home, at a coffee shop, or while on vacation. Clients are always after your output anyway. How you do it does not matter to them at all.
– There are a lot of available editing jobs out there. I have said it a while ago already, but let me say it again. There are a lot of companies out there that offer online editing jobs. When you search online editing jobs over Google or any other search engines, you will be surprised at how in-demand the work is and at how many companies or individual clients are looking for copy editors.
– It pays well enough. Pay rates vary depending on several factors, but I must say if you just need extra to help pay the bills, it definitely will help. Regardless if you are a newbie or a pro, there is a room for you.
– It does not require specific educational or professional experience. There are so many online jobs out there that requires work experience or certain educational attainment. But with editing, as I mentioned a while ago, anyone can apply for editing jobs for as long as you meet the requirements, and you have proof to show your potential client (previous write-ups).
How much does a copy editor make?
Bases on the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, copy editors make an annual salary rate of about $54,000, which means you can make around $28.53 per hour. Meanwhile, based on Glassdoor, a copy editor can make an average of $47,000 annually.
Regardless which data is more accurate, at the end of the day, how much a copy editor makes depends on several factors like the type of manuscript you do, your years of experience, your expertise and skill, and many more.
Where to find copy editing jobs online?
Now that you already know what editing is all about and the key skills needed for you to become one, let’s get to the companies that offer editing jobs online. Here are some of the most sought after online companies where you can apply for editing jobs:
- Upwork
Upwork is very popular. It is, in fact, tagged as the world’s largest freelancing website. According to the website, it offers companies with over 5,000 skills in 70 work categories – and one of them is copy editing jobs. Upwork offers plenty of freelance editing jobs online. All you have to do is search them on the site and you will be bombarded with a clot of company and client choices. If you are new to editing jobs online, I highly suggest you start looking for work through Upwork as they cater to all kinds of editing jobs for different levels of experience. It’s a great way to start.
- Fiverr
Fiverr is another online job listing site that is famous among freelancers. The site offers pretty much the same as Upwork but it leans more towards the low-priced side of the spectrum. Compared to Upwork, which demands a higher price point as well as the quality of work, Fiverr is more focused on low costing and repeatable tasks. I suggest this for newbies. If you do not mind earning less, and you are more focused on gaining experience, this is a good option to start.
- Guru
Guru is not that popular yet compared to the two previously-mentioned sites, but Guru also offers a variety of editing jobs. Again, if you are after the experience, this is also a good way to start.
- Flexjobs
Here’s another popular job listing site among freelancers. Flexjobs also offers a variety of editing jobs. Each work from home job opportunity has its own set of requirements. Some of the job listings are specifically for pros while others consider newbies for the job. Flexjobs have plenty of job listings that seem to be up to date and current.
- Scribe
Scribe is a popular site when it comes to finding editing as well as proofreading job opportunities. The company’s primary job is to help people write, publish, as well as market their books. Compared to other companies, job listings on Scribe may be a little harder to come by. However, I suggest to still go and check the site as there may be a job posting that is available in your wheelhouse. You may also sign up to receive job alerts, and be among the firsts in line when a job post becomes available.
- Scribbr
If you are someone who’s into editing academic papers like essays, dissertations, theses, term papers, and many more, then Scribbr is perfect for you. To become an editor for Scribbr, you must meet certain requirements, which include having a bachelor’s degree at least, and the willingness to work more than 20 hours a week. For more details about their editing job postings and to know more about the requirements for the job, just head on to the Scribbr website.
- Kibin
Like Scribbr, Kibin is also into helping out students with their school papers. Kibin, in particular, helps students write essays and theses. The site has a strong academic focus. If you are into these types of writings, then just go and head on to the Kibin website to know more about their requirements for their copy editing jobs.
- Cactus Communications
Just so you know, Cactus Communications is a communication solutions provider. The company specializes in pharmaceutical and device companies, as well as the academe. Cactus Communications offers a variety of services, which include transcription, publication support, .training, education, and academic editing to name a few. While the company offers a lot of editing jobs, most of these require medical and/or science knowledge. So, if you think you have what it takes to be among their pool of editors, just go visit their site
- Cambridge Proofreading Worldwide
Cambridge Proofreading Worldwide does not only provide proofreading services but editing services as well. These services particularly focus on five subject areas, which include social sciences, life sciences, medical sciences, business, and economics, as well as engineering and physical sciences. If you wish to work as a copy editor for Cambridge Proofreading Worldwide, you must be willing to work mainly on research proposals, dissertations, resumes, admission papers, and many others.
- Scribendi
Scribendi is a company based in Canada that offers online proofreading and editing jobs. The company provides on-demand services 24 hours a day in all time zones. Scribendi boasts having over 200 highly qualified and experienced editors. Particularly, their pool of editors is skilled in the resume, business communication, medical, scientific, as well as ESL editing.
- Checklist
Checklist.com is said to be a free database of more than a thousand checklists. What I particularly like about Checklist is that you can easily access it via mobile phone or your laptop computer. You can even synchronize both and print them off. Checklist.com offers editing jobs and allows you to do work anytime you prefer, and anywhere you want to work at.
- Edanz Group
Edanz Group is an editing company that focuses on international journal publication, as well as scientific research. Getting in ca be quite a challenge though. Also, the company is particular with hiring skilled and certified editors plus with significant years of research experience. The company, which started in 1995 supports a variety of scientific disciplines like veterinary, medical, health, earth, as well as environmental science and engineering and economics. If you are interested in working on these types of disciplines, then Edanz Group is perfect for you.
- Enago
Enago has been providing editing services to various English as a second language author since 2005. The company employs over 850 editors not only from the US but from all over the world. Since the company was founded, it has already edited more than 600,000 manuscripts. Furthermore, the company has already helped over 2 million authors worldwide. The company provides work from home editing jobs to editors who wish to work on topics related to engineering, physics, chemistry, and science to name a few. If you think you are the one they are looking for, hear on to Enago’s website today.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there is a lot of work from home editing jobs out there. All you have to do is choose the right platform where you will be looking for editing jobs. Like most work from home jobs, these online editing jobs also offer the flexibility of time, which means, if you are a mom, this one’s another perfect remote job for you.
So, if you got the skills, the educational and/or professional background, and you have the right skills needed for the job, no need to have second thoughts. Apply today. Who knows, maybe in just a few days you are already starting your online copy editing career.
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