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HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE COPY EDITOR
by Brian Konradt
People
interested in other freelance writing careers usually look upon copy editing
with disdain. Copy editing doesn't involve attention to the actual structure of
a piece, they say, and involves little research and fact-chasing necessary to
create a lively, memorable article or story. However, copy editing carries its
own unique challenges; such as:
1) you need to pay careful
attention to the basic mechanics of writing; and
2) you need to
pay attention to accuracy, both in facts and in language.
Freelance
copy editing isn't just a simpler offshoot of freelance writing in general, but
an important discipline in its own right -- and a rewarding one.
To
become a successful copy editor you need to know how to use
style guides. With some exceptions, editors of newspapers,
magazines, and other print publications require you to write in a homogeneous
style, both to compensate for writers with occasionally sloppy spelling and
usage and to ensure consistent terminology over time. (This is important with
newspapers: the names of foreign leaders, organizations, and other
foreign-language nouns are often subject to variant spellings.)
The
most commonly used style guides include AP (Associated Press), MLA (Modern
Language Association), and Chicago. Any budding freelance copy editor would do
well to own a copy of each of these, and to become familiar with their use
before applying for jobs. Prospective employers will not hire copy editors who
lack knowledge of style guides. Use a product like
StyleEase software to help with style.
Fact
checking is another prime skill for copy editors, as it is a publication's
first line of defense against accusations of libel or misrepresentation.
Fact-checking is a simple procedure: call the author of the article, ask for
his or her sources, and, if warranted, call the sources directly to confirm
quotes or statistics. Different publications will have different procedures for
fact-checking, all of which should be explained when you take a job.
Beyond that, all that it takes to become a successful copy editor is a
sensitivity to cumbersome phrasing, grammar, and spelling, as well as a
sensitivity to an author's personal style. Many novice copy editors take a far
too forceful approach to their work, effectively rewriting a reporter or other
writer's article for them in line with style guides and their own ideas about
what makes good writing. This isn't the function of a copy editor. Yes,
clarity, grammar, and other issues with writing mechanics are all important,
but a writer's ego is important as well, and a too-free hand in the editing
process can alienate a publication's staff reporters and foster general enmity.
Since rewriting someone's article causes you more additional work as
well, why would you want to do it? Instead, just try to achieve sufficient
clarity while leaving as much of the original article "as-is" as you can. If
there are any substantial portions of text that inhibit clarity or exhibit
serious mechanical errors, talk to the writer personally before making any
changes. Yes, it’s an extra step, but one that ensures professional
respect in the workplace.
If you don't want to work for a publication,
there are plenty of opportunities available for freelance copy editing, both
for corporations and for private individuals. Educational publications, in
particular, are always looking for good copy editors, and book publishers and
literary journals always have a few spots available. You can find out about
these opportunities through classified ads, or by making inquiries directly to
the company. There's typically a lot of competition in these sorts of jobs, so
a solid interview technique and some excellent samples are mandatory for
securing work. Once you have your foot in the door, though, corporate copy
editing can provide a stable -- if occasionally dull -- source of income.
Copy editing projects offered by individuals are another option, and one
which can bring you a more varied body of work and a much more informal
attitude toward style guides and format restriction. But this option carries
with it some heavy caveats. Often, copy editing projects given by individuals
amount to ghostwriting without appropriate compensation, and pay rates can be
sketchy as well, ranging from low to nonexistent (with a promise of "resume
experience," maybe.) Although when work is consistent, low pay isn't
necessarily a problem, individuals can rarely guarantee a sufficient volume of
work to ensure your livelihood and a decent career. Before you accept
individual copy editing projects, make sure that you know how much you'll need
to make per hour to make the project financially worthwhile (as well as an
estimate on how many hours the project will take), and don't accept less than
that hourly rate. You may get less work with this approach, but clients
won’t rip you off either -- an important consideration for professional
copy editors.
Copy editing is a good, low-stress writing job,
enjoyable on its own merits or as practice for other freelance writing goals
down the line. If you follow this advice, familiarize yourself with style
guides, and have a good grasp of grammar, spelling, and usage, there's no
reason why you can't become a successful copy editor.
© B.
Konradt
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Konradt has been
a professional freelance writer for over a decade. Visit his website at
BusyEntrepreneur.com (
http://www.busyentrepreneur.com ). Read more of Mr.
Konradt's articles at FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com) and
WritingCareer.com (
http://www.WritingCareer.com ).
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