To ask you what an editor does

[AlrightyyThen]

I really like correcting wording, spelling and grammar. I like to proof read things, etc.

I don't have any sort of a career as currently i'm a SAHM, but I'm looking to the future for when my youngest starts school. I'd be willing to go to uni as a mature student if necessary.

I love to fill in forms or deal with actual paperwork but as an autistic person my process' can be very long winded, so i maybe wouldn't be great in an admin job. Last time i tried some admin the manager couldn't understand my system and found a much faster, easier way to do things. I think it was because i am pedantic and too focused on the minor details, but would this not be beneficial in editorial work?

I've had a little Google but would love some insights from people with any knowledge on the subject, or from anyone with career advice! Thank you

Thought it best to add, i have A's in both English subjects at GCSE level and i'm currently arranging my English A Levels. I'm 30.

Oh and I've accidentally left voting on FFS. Please don't assume that makes me unqualified for the type of work I'm just really used to the old Mumsnet where there was no automatic voting!

It can really depend on what sort of editing you're doing but generally it's overseeing projects, double checking work (copy tends to go through junior editors and proofreaders before reaching the senior editor) and giving the final approval on the project.

You need to be detail oriented but also good with people. Authors can be a temperamental bunch and critiquing someone's work is a delicate balance.

Also editors will suggest rewrites, bits to add/cut and may have some control over the final design of the book.

Sounds like you would be really suited to proof reading. I think there are companies that can send you piece work, someone will come on who knows the details.

You're probably best off doing a proof reading course and getting the qualification then can use it to reach out to companies. By getting the qualification they know you're working at a decent standard and are willing to out in the work.

Editorial work in a media setting is usually very fast-paced, OP, and might not be suitable.
But there may be other settings, (law?legal work ? ) that might suit but I would imagine you would first have to have some knowledge of the area. But it might be something to consider if you are thinking of further study and gaining qualifications. I imagine someone has to proof-read legal journals...
There may also be proof reading work in other technical areas which requires precision and attention to detail. Again I'd think you would have to select a particular field in which to study and gain qualifications.
(I can't see a voting button, BTW)

Name changed for this. I've been editing and proofreading medical and legal documents for seven years and for the most part it's taking crap and turning it into professional English.

Most of what I do is with voice and speech recognition software. A great many people speak in idiomatic English which doesn't work when creating a professional document or report. A sound knowledge of grammar and syntax as well as the vocabulary of a speciality is a good place to start.

At times editing means ensuring everything is noted precisely as was said, including the umms and ahs.

It's not hard work but it does require concentration and some effort. One advantage is that it can be work from home, if you have the discipline to do that.

There are different types of editor and different companies and sectors use different names, helpfully. If you want to get into trade publishing (working on fiction/non-fiction that isn’t technical/educational), it’s hugely competitive and very difficult to get started. An editor is generally the person who buys new books and edits them with the author. You need a degree, usually but not exclusively in literature or a related subject; an extensive knowledge of the current bestsellers list in addition to being very well-read; a decent commercial sense; the ability to manage an insane workload; willingness to read constantly in your spare time; the ability to see what’s wrong with a book and suggest changes tactfully - it’s a heck of a lot more than just being interested in proofreading.

Freelance proofreading might be an option, or indexing (indexing is better paid); have a look at the Society for Editors and Proofreaders - they do courses.

OP as someone has mentioned it sounds like you'd make a good proofreader, being meticulous is definitely a valuable(/essential) skill for that kind of work.

I used to work as a translator but also did editing (bilingual so checking source and target texts and changing what needed to be change) and proofreading, which was the final stage before the project was sent on to the client - in the translation industry proofreading is really important because it's the last chance to catch any errors that have slipped through the net and make sure the text flows well (i.e. doesn't sound like a translation). It would take time to build up a client base and it's a bit of a race to the bottom with rates but if you're willing to start at a lower rate to gain experience you could try your hand at editing machine-translated texts (known as post-editing). You could then offer your services to translation agencies, who are often on the lookout for native English-speaking proofreaders.

If you have a background in or knowledge of any particular subject (e.g. engineering, pharmaceutical, medical) that's definitely a plus. Hope this helps!

www.meridianlinguistics.com/news/how-to-work-as-a-proofreader/

Oh and this would be freelance work.

Something else you might consider is transcription - typing up sound files into something more like a script. It requires the same sort of attention to detail as professional proof-reading.

I was an editor for 18 years, it's changed a lot. It went from being the kind of role you describe to a more project management tpye of role, managing lots of lots of different publications at once and just spit checking others work. I imagine it can be different in different companies though. I worked in academic publishing.

I'm an editor. I love my job. I would say that, although attention to detail is important, you really need to bear in mind the brief for each project, financial and time constraints, target audience, the requested style etc. You can only do the best job with the time and budget you've been given. It's not about making something perfect.

As with any job, very few clients are looking to pay what it costs to do a first-rate job. Lots of work is freelance, so you have to be able to deal with rejection and juggle your finances when clients pay late. Editors usually find work through networking, so you need to be good with people.

Take a look at the courses offered by the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. The advantage of training with a professional body like that they provide a lot of opportunities for building contacts.

If you have experience in another field (education, for example) or a hobby (cookery), try looking for work editing in that area. Specialist knowledge will really help you get your foot in the door.

P.S. I never usually admit on line that I'm an editor cause I almost immediately make a ton of mistakes. Professional angst or something. So apologies if this post is littered with mistakes!

I'd definitely suggest doing some training courses. Proper proofreading isn't just spotting typos or spelling mistakes; you need to have a thorough knowledge of grammar and usage (and that's modern usage, not stuff you were taught at school and think you know) and be able to follow style sheets, be well versed in using either Word, marking up PDFs, or using whatever CMS your client uses, know about publishing processes, etc. The SfEP (mentioned up thread) or the Publishing Training Centre are good places to start.

I used to work in magazine publishing and what you are talking about sounds like a sub editor. Some one who takes articles and corrects the grammar, fact checks and makes it coherent and fit a certain length. They may also write headlines and captions.
You don't need a university degree but A levels in English.

As for editors, there's a huge range of different kinds of editors. You have editors at publishing houses who are acquisitions editors, so not concerned overly with grammar and spelling etc. There are development editors who deal with the structure of pieces of writing. There are copy-editors who deal with sentence-level editing. And many editors who do a blend of all these things and work across different fields or specialise in one. To be a successful freelance editor, you need to do training and professional development, network (this has been the biggest boost to my business), and market yourself. The latter is where many people fail.

There are lots of different roles within publishing that all have the word "editor" in the title (Desk Editor, Copy Editor, Development Editor, Production Editor, Commissioning Editor etc), and obviously lots of different avenues that require these services (books, newspapers, magazines, journals, medical/legal documents, websites, marketing etc) so lots of options and opportunities.

I work in book publishing and, in brief, commissioning editors find writers and deal with contracts etc., Development editors then chase those writers until they've written whatever was commissioned. The production editor then oversees the next few stages; the manuscript is then sent to a copyeditor who fixes spellings/grammar etc and makes sure any figures/tables/illustrations are in the right place, correctly labelled and referenced. The manuscript is then typeset and then the pages are reviewed by a proof reader for the final checks. Depending on the type of book, the manuscript may also go to an indexer, which you may also consider looking into... The production editor checks proofs, but would have other responsibilities too such as coordinating the copyeditors, proofreaders, indexers, arranging the cover design, deciding on print run etc.

The sort of work you are describing could be that of a proof reader, copyeditor or production editor. Newspapers/magazines may require faster turnaround, so it might be worth looking into books, journals or marketing collateral which have a slightly longer window in the first instance (just until you get a bit more used to it).

FWIW, I have worked in publishing (books) for a decade and have no editing qualifications. It is possible to get a degree in publishing if you wish, but most people I know have come into it from other routes. Perhaps you could look into shorter courses to begin with (I have heard good things about Chapterhouse Publishing, and I think these courses include ways to find freelance work) This should help you get a bit of exposure/experience to things and see if it is something you'd like to pursue. You could also join LinkedIn and connect with people with the job title "Production Editor" and message to see if they need any freelancers or if they'd be willing to have a chat /discuss what their needs are.

Good luck! 🍀

I hire copyeditors and proofreaders for a publishing house and there’s no way I’d employ someone with no qualifications or experience at all, and we get loads of requests from people who were ‘good at English at school’, which is actually a huge undervaluing of the job!

I don't want to hijack the thread but those of you who work in publishing, could I ask you some questions? (via PM) I'm starting semester two of my final undergraduate (English) year in a couple of weeks and I'm not quite sure what I want to do next.

Thanks

I'm a freelance copy-editor and proofreader but started in-house in publishing companies.

Daftodil gives the best overview of what editors' jobs involve, IMO. I'd say though that copy-editors, in the commercial publishing field anyway, are overwhelmingly freelance, not in-house.

My old companies would not have hired anyone with a qualification from Chapterhouse or those other editorial/proofreading centres/courses that advertise in the backs of newspapers. SFEP is very respected, but again, experience outweighs a qualification even from them IME. For better or worse, it is largely about reputation and body of work: who you know more than what you know (although if what you know is judged by in-house editorial staff to be poor, your services will be dropped like a hot brick).

Maybe it's different in specialist/technical fields like legal or scientific. If I had a scientific qualification I'd certainly be looking into specialist editorial work in that field as I suspect there are fewer specialist editorial freelancers around than general ones, thus more work and possibly more money too.

There are many different kinds of editors. (I’m not one.) I know many self-employed editors who have few formal qualifications and work exclusively for self-publishing novel writers. Others go a more formal route ie qualifications. Maybe join the facebook group Ask A Book Editor and seek advice there.