Q&A Time: Breaking into the biz as an editor or proofreader?

www.inkthinkerblog.com — While I don’t think I want to leave my current position right now, I was inspired to try some freelance proofreading or editing — but I’m not really sure where to begin. I have a writing degree and a sharp eye, but I don’t have any formal training in editing. And I’m not at all sure how to find work. I was wondering how you came to be the star freelancer that you are. Any advice you can share would be greatly appreciated.
– A, who works in publishing but isn’t an editor (yet)

Well first of all, thanks for calling me a “star freelancer.” You put a smile on my face! And now people are going to think that I make these questions up, but that’s okay. ;] At any rate, the fact that you have a writing degree, a current publishing job, and a sharp eye is going to really help you.

Depending on what type of editing you want to do ultimately, there are a couple of style resources that will come in handy.

If you’re interested in medical editing, which, unfortunately, is the majority of my work (just kidding, medical-editing clients! I love you!), get a copy of the American Medical Association Manual of Style (9th edition). Learn it, live it, love it. I hear that sleeping with it under your pillow actually allows the information to diffuse into your brain, but I’m a poor enough sleeper as it is, so I haven’t actually tried it.

If you’re interested in more mainstream editing (fiction or nonfiction), you want the Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition). Again, learn it, live it, love it. Do not try sleeping with it under your pillow, though, because it’s a behemoth. That’s not because it’s insurmountably full of information, just because it’s got a ton of great resources that you don’t have to know by heart, along with a killer appendix.

For academic editing, you need the APA Publication Manual (5th edition). It’s nice because it’s paperback, and it’s a handy reference for table editing in particular, so I often refer to it for extra guidance on other projects, as well as dissertations and the like.

I also like to keep a current edition of the AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (updated annually). Ideally you’d want the most up-to-date version available, but you can get one that’s a year or two old on Half.com and other sites, and you’ll be good for a couple of years with it. It’s excellent for any kind of PR work in addition to newspaper editing, and handy for web editing, too. (That, and it makes me feel kind of like Lois Lane, but that’s not really relevant to this discussion.) You can get older ones dirt cheap on Amazon (link below), but I recommend that you get the 2006 spiral bound directly from the AP website.

Now, as far as getting started in editing and proofreading, getting your hands on one (or all) of these guides would be a great first step. Get familiar with the kinds of things you’ll need to watch out for (like varying format for state abbreviations, presentation of dates and age, use of courtesy titles, the serial comma, etc.) and start to learn where to look for the information you need (eg, if you want to know whether a title should be capitalized or italicized or what in AP style, you need to look under “composition titles,” not just “titles”).I can tell from your e-mail that you have a strong grasp of standard usage and a good feel for flow, which is a good thing. The rules can be taught, but the instinct is something you have to be born with, and I think you’re definitely on the right side of the gene pool in that respect. To start to develop that skill toward applying it in an editing capacity, I highly recommend Peggy Smith’s Mark My Words, which is targeted for proofreaders but should be required reading for every editor everywhere, if you ask me, which, conveniently, you did.

Mark My Words: Instruction and Practice in Proofreading

I also have The Copyeditor’s Handbook by Amy Einsohn (I like it, but I don’t love it. I know a lot of folks who do love it, though, so I still recommend that you consider it.) and Hodges Harbrace College Handbook, which I use constantly (sometimes, I have to admit, for fun because I am a dork).

I also recommend that, if you have the time and financial ability, you consider taking a class in editing. I’m fortunate enough to live in the DC area, which is home to EEI Communications and its fantastic schedule of classes. Frankly, they’re a little pricey, but I’ve heard great things about them. If you’re not in the DC area, I’m sure there are comparable training problems in your region, or you could check online by plugging “online editing course” into Google and combing through the results.

Now, all that being said, I think the best way to get into the biz is to jump right in. Yes, you want to make sure you can competently handle your projects so you’re not ripping people off and making it harder for legitimate editors to get work, but you don’t have to be a master editor to start small and work your way up.

A really easy way to get more confidence and just practice is to pick up editing jobs here and there within your organization. You boss has a memo that needs editing? Perfect. The marketing department is desperate for someone to look over their new brochure before sending it out? Awesome. The dude in the next cube is trying to send an important e-mail? Help him out. Basically everything that anyone produces in your office needs to be edited (though I’d be cautious about telling people how desperately bad their grammar is — even if they need to hear it), so you might as well build your skills while pitching in and earning some brownie points.

I get a lot of great job leads and networking opportunities through the following groups and e-mail discussion lists:

• Editorial Freelancers Association

• Council of Science Editors

• Washington Independent Writers

• COPYEDITING-L

• DCPubs

 

Again, if you’re not in the DC area, WIW and DCPubs will be of little help, but I bet you can find comparable groups in your area with some creative Googling.

I also look to these sites for job leads:

• Deborah Ng’s Freelance Writing Jobs

• Anne Wayman’s Abundant Writing Newsletter

• Craigslist.org writing/editing jobs and writing gigs

• Telecommuting Jobs

• Telecommute Jobs

• Journalism Jobs

I absolutely, positively, unconditionally refuse to pay for job leads. If you find a lead you’re interested in on a paid site, you can often find the same lead, and the contact info you need to find it, on a free listing (or with some creative Googling). Do not pay for job ads, and run screaming from any ad that itself asks you for money. Money flows to the editorial professional, not away from him or her.

Also, work your contacts. You’re currently working in a publishing job, so you know people in the industry. You’ve got the folks you work with (plus all of their networks), the folks you do work for (plus all of their networks), and folks who do work for you like print vendors and the like (plus all of their networks). It all depends on your relationship with these people, but if it’s appropriate, ask them for advice — and then ask them to refer you to their friends and colleagues as a source for freelance editorial services. The worst they can do is say no.

There’s no “right way” to become a star freelancer, but I’ve used all of these resources and tips in my own career, and things are going pretty well if I do say so myself. The best advice I can give you is to educate yourself and be confident in your abilities. If you’re smart and competent, which you seem to be already, and deliver quality work when the client needs it, you’ll be ahead of a lot of other folks in the business. Even if it turns out that you hate freelancing (and seriously, who could hate this job?), giving it a shot will help you to develop skills that will give you an edge in any other job you have. I wish you the best of luck! (And don’t be afraid to ask more questions.)

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www.kristenkingfreelancing.com
Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest

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