posted
I'm trying to get into the world of editing. I'm studying Professional Writing and editing and I really enjoy the editing part (Not so much the literary criticism part ). Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how I can break into the work market. I've been doing computer work my whole life, but working with words is so much more fulfilling for me. If anyone has some advice (Or in the off chance anyone has some stuff they want to offload, I need the experience <I don't really care about money at this point>), let me know. PLEASE!?
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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A good place to start is getting a job as a copyeditor at a mid-sized newspaper or a decently-sized weekly. These jobs have crappy hours and pay and a high turnover rate so they're not that hard to get.
If you are good at what you do and work reasonably hard, it shouldn't be that difficult to impress your bosses and get a good recommendation and portfolio that will help with a more established job at a corporation, publishing house, etc.
It'll also give you some experience so you can land free-lance jobs.
The key, though, is to be very good at it and very aggresive about moving on from it. It's not a good place to be stuck in. Don't let a regular paycheck lull you into hanging around too long (unless you are moved up into managing positions -- and even then, I'd say 3-4 years tops before you look elsewhere).
The other route is to look for internships with college presses, publishers, pr/marketing firms, etc.
EDIT: the key here though is being able to land something *after* the internship.
ALSO: it really helps if you can become interested in and gain experience in a field that isn't clogged with applicants [the job market is tough for any editor/graphic design type positions] -- what that is depends on where you are. In some locations, specializing in tech can be useful -- in others not so much [there's a plethora of unemployed tech writers/editors in the Bay Area because of the dot com crash].
Finally: I'd say that it's always better to go established firm/print than start-up/web.
posted
Okay, so I'll have been working as an editor for BYU's Independent Study program for a year and a half to two years by the time I graduate. Jon Boy will have been working as an editor, in one job or another, for about four years when he graduates. We've got experience, knowledge, talent, etc., but we don't know how to find people who need editors. How do we do that?
Also, right now the only "type" of editing we don't want to do is newspaper (the writing style annoys us). There have got to be tons of companies who need instruction manuals, proposals, whatever edited. Then there are textbooks, magazines, journals, legal documents, advertisements, books (fiction and nonfiction), Web sites . . . the list goes on and on. Right?
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Work up a freelance resume for your editing. This should describe specific things you have edited, rather than focusing on who you happened to be working for or your job title ("work-study editor for the English department" reads a lot worse than "edited Book X by Dr. so-and-so, Book Y by Dr. Z, edited 5 papers appearing in the Journal of Blah in 2004", basically).
Submit your resume to various presses, particularly university presses, but others as well. Make sure the "things I'm interested in working on" section of your resume is customized to reflect the sorts of specialties of the press (though include things you just happen to be interested in as well, no reason to leave those out).
Follow up your resume submissions.
Join copyediting-L, its a listserv of editors.
This advice is from my mom, who makes her living as a freelance science editor (her site is at http://rujuke.com ).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
The only freelance editing job I ever had I got through referral a little over a year ago. My wife's doctor's wife works for a small publishing company. My wife mentioned to the doctor that I am a writer and editor, and he came back and told her that the publisher was looking for freelance editors. So I called them and ended up with a manuscript to edit. It was a short novel for teens. I did a decent job on the edit, and the author was pretty pleased with it. But the pay wasn't that great. It was a modest hourly rate and not really negotiable. I didn't think it was worth my time, I was starting school, and so I didn't pursue additional jobs with them.
I am just starting to feel like I really could do a decent job as a freelancer, but with the classes I am taking I just don't have the time. But when I am done with school I will probably try to pick up freelancing jobs on the side. Having work experience is a real big plus---you have to know how to work with clients and how to negotiate timelines. You have to know what kind of editing job they are looking for and be flexible enough to do that job competently. I am a lot more confident about that sort of stuff after some years in a full-time job doing just that all day. I won't be shaking in my boots walking into some strange company's conference room to discuss a project.
I suggest the book The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. It gives you lots of good pointers on jumpstarting a freelancing business and marketing yourself to different businesses.
[ November 18, 2004, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: advice for robots ]
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Newspaper copyediting may be annoying, but I wouldn't rule it out. It's good experience and a steady paycheck.
The problem many editors have is that many jobs are freelance and while there are freelance editors who make it work, it can also totally suck.
Second:
What fugu said.
As far as finding open positions goes -- how willing are you guys to relocate? One of the best (if competitive) sources for the kinds of jobs you are talking about is Craigslist. Of course, craigslist cities are usually cities where living and housing costs are high.
Third:
A lot of the editing you're talking about above is done by people who aren't solely editors. They're tech writers, pr and marketing professionals, ad copy writers, publications managers, mid-level managers, etc.
How willing are you to acquire other skills? If you are really sold on the idea of editing books then you need to obtain an internship with a publisher. And even then breaking into the business is difficult.
Freelancing is cool, but it really helps if you already have contacts, etc.
Fourth:
If you are willing to relocate, you might look for copyediting/fact checking jobs with first and second tier magazines. It's a brutal life starting out, but it often is a good way to track yourself into other positions.
EDIT -- Fifth: I agree with afr. While freelancing can be a good gig (despite what I say above). It really helps if you can land a full-time position first and work that for a year or two to help you develop contacts, make your resume look more serious, etc.
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). Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how I can break into the work market. I've been doing computer work my whole life, but working with words is so much more fulfilling for me. If anyone has some advice (Or in the off chance anyone has some stuff they want to offload, I need the experience <I don't really care about money at this point>), let me know. PLEASE!?
