Copy editors are essential to the writing business. You can earn extra money being a copy editor. Of course, there are companies that hire out such services. Those companies have standards for hiring people to the position. If you want to offer your services independently there are no educational or experience requirements as such. However, someone who wishes to do this type of work needs to have a strong background in English—understand word usage and grammar—and it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of creativeness. Basically, a copy editor is a problem solver. I’ll give you a few examples of stumbling blocks a copy editor might change into stepping stones towards a successful work for a writer (by no means will it be an exhaustive list):
Good copy editors are needed.
Copy editors are essential to the writing business. You can earn extra money being a copy editor. Of course, there are companies that hire out such services. Those companies have standards for hiring people to the position. If you want to offer your services independently there are no educational or experience requirements as such. However, someone who wishes to do this type of work needs to have a strong background in English—understand word usage and grammar—and it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of creativeness. Basically, a copy editor is a problem solver. I’ll give you a few examples of stumbling blocks a copy editor might change into stepping stones towards a successful work for a writer (by no means will it be an exhaustive list):
Have you ever read an article or book and thought the author was trying to impress you with his large vocabulary? Big words that make a piece hard to read are unnecessary. Technical words that pertain to the topic may be required, but they should be presented in a way that lets the reader get a sense of what is meant rather than be interrupted by the need to consult a dictionary—or “OK, Google…” I’m not saying you won’t want to do that later, but if an article has caught your eye, you probably want to learn (fairly quickly) something about the topic it covers. You’d rather be impressed with the author’s ability to convey knowledge than frustrated by his need to impress you with a verbal lightshow. Should it be a fictional work, the same is true; you want to stay in the story. A copy editor can suggest words and wording changes (or make them) that can keep a reader engaged in the piece.
Would you like a career as a copy editor
Another problem we have with reading is flow. We find a story or a topic of interest, but when we get into it the author is all over the place. The author will start to make a point (or storyline), but before he finishes it he’s brought in several others and spends so many paragraphs (maybe chapters) jumping between them that we can’t easily follow what’s going on. One minute we’re reading about one thing, and then without warning, it seems we’re in the middle of something else. We’re left scratching our heads thinking, “Where did this come from?”! This happens because there is a problem with flow. The author didn’t make an easy transition between his lines of thought, and this makes the writing hard to follow. (All that said, I do want to note that some stories have several lines of action and an author may take one to a certain point, then go back to another and make it current also. This is not the same as having a haphazard—tangled—style.) A piece needs to proceed in a logical order. A copy editor makes changes to achieve that logic, or it can be sent back for the author to work on.
Authors understand what they want to say. They write on their topic and it makes perfect sense—to them. The problem is that the readers probably don’t have that same level of understanding. (And that’s good, otherwise why would they be interested in the article?) An author needs to use special care to insure they write in such a way that the reader can easily comprehend what’s being said. The piece needs to present enough detail to enlighten without going into overkill; excess can be just as bad as lack. Authors also need to know their audience so they can tailor the style and language of their piece. You don’t talk to young children the same way you talk to a teacher, or doctor, or politician. A copy editor can help the author keep his language and level of information appropriate to the readership.
The few things I’ve just talked about are only some of the challenges writers face when they’re putting a piece together. They also have the old standbys of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. (Even though spell check and other apps help considerably, they aren’t perfect.) Oh! By the way, talking about challenges…an author faces the same ones you do when you have work to do. Sometimes, life gets in the way and he just doesn’t have the time to review a piece and make sure it’s gone the way he intended—the way it needs to go. A copy editor can make changes that reconcile inconsistencies.
Copy editors can resolve problems involved in preparing a piece for publication. They offer a service that’s needed. It’s a good way to make extra money.
Copy editing is not the same as proof reading
Now is probably a good time to address the difference between a copy editor and a proofreader: A proofreader’s job is to find errors in grammar and punctuation. A copy editor will do that and, as I explained above, much more—even to the point of researching to correct erroneous content. I’ve worked (and still do work) with several proofreaders and copy editors. My relationship with proofreaders tends to be clinical. Copy editors need to know an author’s intent, so there is usually more communication between them than between an author and a proofreader.
The important relationship
I just said that a copy editor needs to understand the intent of the authors they work for. This is necessary because their work is meant to help the author develop and maintain that all important relationship—the one with his readers. I need the people who read my work to want to read more of it. When people read my work I want them to feel like they’ve learned something. I want my posts to be helpful and inspiring. My main point in writing is that a frugal lifestyle should not be a miserly one, but one that maximizes resources so we can enjoy life more. I want to offer practical ways to increase both the sense and the reality of a good life.
Not every author is looking for the same thing, but we all want to keep and grow our readership, so a copy editor should build a portfolio of work done, maybe personal writing exercises, maybe mock up edits of real articles—something a potential customer (an author) can review to see if he likes your work. One thing the copy editors I use know is that I never want to come across as judgmental. They know that any language I use that might give the idea that I am judgmental needs to be changed. (In this case, they would be helping me with the problem with tone.)
My copy editors help me keep me true to myself in my writings. They know I’m friendly and like to be a little funny, but when I write I don’t want it to be one joke after another. Personal finance is a serious topic and being frugal is—seriously—the only way most people will ever get what they want. That’s the point I want my posts to clearly convey.
How to get work as an independent copy editor
I’ve already pointed out that to use you as a copy editor an author needs to like your work. After all, it’s what the author will pay for, so he needs to
Copy editors have been around a long time
know you can deliver what he wants. I know several independent copy editors, and they all got their start the same way. They put together a large collection of writings that prove not only do they understand the mechanics and techniques of writing, but that they can adapt their work to the varying needs of different authors.
And, of course, you have to sell yourself. Most of the copy editors I know regularly contact bloggers, webmasters, and authors to solicit work. Some look for work in facebook groups or on Twitter. Since most of the authors they would work for publish on the internet, that only make sense. Also, you need to remember that these authors themselves are using social media to make money. I love using social media marketing to find help. It makes me think of the old marketplaces where people would meet to buy and sell or haggle to work out deals. It’s about as close to face to face negotiations as we get these days. But…seriously, with so many writers trying to make a name for themselves on social media, copy editing opportunities are plentiful.
Pay
Since I’m suggesting copy editing as a way to make extra money, at least a little space in this post should be dedicated to pay. Most copy editors charge by the page. The pay range is between $5 and $7.50 per finished page. That should equate to between $15 and $30 per hour. (Note: I said “finished pages.” Sometimes, because of editing needs a piece is longer—rarely shorter—when the copy editor is finished with it. Since pay is based on finished pages, this is an issue that needs to be addressed before you accept a job.)
Conclusion
Copy editors are problem solvers for authors. Many authors need help making their pieces attract a growing readership. This insures that there are copy editing jobs are available. Given that there are many authors producing a great variety of work, copy editors need to be adaptable with style and language, the one constant being proficient in the use of written English (or the language in which they work). They also need to be familiar with social media as it’s where they’ll find their customers, and since social media is so pervasive it can provide great opportunity to make extra money as a copy editor.
