Becoming an Editor FAQ
I often receive questions from new or aspiring editors who want to know about my background, how to become an editor, how to get jobs, and any number of questions. Rather than sharing the same information with each person individually, I decided to put together a list of questions I’m frequently asked, or that I frequently see in editor spaces. Many of these apply only to freelance editing, since employees wouldn’t be asking how to get work or market.
Keep in mind that if you were to ask another editor these same questions, their answers would be different. There’s no “right” way to do any of this.
What’s your background? How did you get into editing?
I’ve always loved grammar, spelling, and general word-nerdy things, but my degrees are in psychology and social work. Moving into editing was not something I planned on doing, but because of some uncertainty in my professional life as a social worker, I started to consider it. I had originally decided to slowly transition into editing while still working at my job, but circumstances led me to make the jump sooner than I’d anticipated. The change wasn’t easy, and I don’t regret any of it.
Because I didn’t have any formal education or training in editing, I sought out all the free online resources I could, read reference books, watched webinars, and took a variety of courses. Things were very slow in the beginning, which allowed me to focus on my business processes and marketing, and I started to gain fairly consistent work after six months.
How do I become an editor?
Everyone’s path to editing looks different. Some people will get a degree in English, writing, journalism, or communications. Others, like me, transition from a completely unrelated career. (Richard Shealy’s ACES blog post “How to succeed as a freelance copyeditor without having the faintest idea what you’re doing” resonated with me for many reasons.)
The most important part of becoming an editor is being able to do the job. That doesn’t mean you have to know everything—no one does. But it does mean understanding what editing is and isn’t, knowing where to look for answers, being able to meet the client’s needs, and recognizing when you might not be the best fit for something. That’s where editorial training comes in.
These lists are by no means exhaustive, but they demonstrate how there are numerous options for training and education:
Degrees or certificates through universities or organizations
Classes and webinars through organizations
Courses offered independently by editors
Reference books
Words Into Type (You’re better off finding a used copy.)
Podcasts
You can also check out the ACES Guide for New Editors or the many resources listed on the EFA’s Resources for New Freelance Editors page and in KOK Edit’s Copyeditors’ Knowledge Base.
Training is an investment. Plenty of information is available for free online, but books and courses—any type of in-depth information—will cost money.
One thing to keep in mind is that even after you start working as an editor, the learning shouldn’t stop. Editors should continue to engage in professional development to learn new skills, hone existing ones, and keep updated on best editing practices.
How do I get work as an editor?
There are a few key questions to start with here:
What type(s) of editing do you want to do? Developmental editing? Line editing? Copyediting? Proofreading? There are also other editing-adjacent services, such as indexing, typesetting, fact checking, and authenticity reading.
Who will your clients be? Publishers? Independent authors? Companies? Nonprofits? The government?
What genre(s) do you want to edit? Fiction (romance, speculative fiction, horror, etc.)? Nonfiction (business, memoir, self-help, etc.)? Medical editing? Academia? Web copy?
Once you answer those questions, you’ll have a better idea of who to approach or how to market yourself. In my experience, indie authors care more about testimonials and what you’ve worked on than where you got your training or what’s on your résumé. They may also ask for a sample edit so they can see how you would approach their manuscript. (Whether you do sample edits for free, for a fee, or not at all is a topic for another time.) Publishers care about whether you can pass their editing test. You can tailor what to focus on based on who you want to work with.
Here are some ways to find work when you’re starting out:
Edit for family, friends, or businesses in your community. Ask to include that work in your portfolio, and have them provide a testimonial you can put on your website.
Email publishers and ask if you can take their editing test to be added to their freelancer pool. Try to find out who the production editor is and email them directly, as they oversee the editing process.
Use websites such as Reedsy, Upwork, or Fiverr, though do so with caution. While some editors find success on gig sites, many others find that the people posting jobs often have unrealistic expectations and expect to pay very low rates, leading editors to severely undercharge.
If you’re a member of a professional organization, make sure to update your directory listing so you’re findable. Some organizations, such as the EFA or Editors of Color, have job listings you can apply to.
Some things to remember:
Editors work in all sorts of fields. Wherever there’s writing, there can be an editing opportunity.
You may hear advice about finding errors in published books or in public, such as on signs or menus, and then approaching the author or business to offer your editing services. That might work occasionally, but people may not take too kindly to unsolicited commentary on the quality of their work.
Other editors aren’t the competition. They’re often referral sources or collaborators.
Be kind and professional in your interactions. You never know who’s paying attention.
How do I market myself?
If you’re a freelancer, you might also have to be a marketer, especially if you’re hoping to work with individual clients. There’s no single way to market yourself or your services. Play around with different strategies and see what works.
Here are some ideas to try:
Create a website that shows potential clients who you are, what you do (services), what you’ve worked on (portfolio), and why they should hire you (testimonials). Be careful not to make it all about you. Instead, focus on how you can help your ideal client.
Go where your potential clients are. This might mean choosing a social media platform where they hang out, joining organizations they’re part of, or going to conferences they’ll be attending. There’s no use spending time and energy marketing yourself where the clients you want aren’t going to see it.
Put out content through social media, blog posts, newsletters, presentations, courses, or books. Producing content shows people that you know your stuff and will help them trust you. Content marketing is a long game, and you likely won’t see results right away, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.
If you decide to do social media, choose the platforms you’re good at or comfortable with. You don’t have to be everywhere, especially if your clients aren’t there or if you hate it so much that you won’t engage. For example, I joined Twitter and Instagram for my business, but I’m much more active on Twitter (and now, several Twitter-esque platforms). That’s because I prefer short-form written content over making graphics. I know there are a lot of indie authors on Instagram, so creating content there could pay off, but I just can’t bring myself to do more on it. So I don’t. I’ve done plenty on Twitter to get editing jobs and build my network.
All of these tips have one thing in common: being visible. If potential clients don’t know who you are or can’t find you, they can’t hire you.
What should I charge for editing?
This is something almost all freelancers struggle with. A lot of factors go into answering this question, and at the end of the day, you’re the one setting your rates. (Side note: Publishers and companies usually have set rates they’re willing to pay, but you can try to negotiate or, of course, say no.)
People often point to the EFA’s rates chart to say how much a service should cost, but the rates are based on a survey of what EFA members actually charged throughout 2023. It’s not meant to tell anyone what they should be charging.
For an in-depth exploration of rate setting, check out Molly McCowan’s free course on charging what you’re worth.
Should I join a professional editing organization?
A resounding yes! Professional editing organizations offer loads of benefits to members, such as access to training, networking opportunities, forums, directory listings, and discounts, to name a few. Though the following professional editing organizations are listed by geographic location, many of them welcome members from anywhere in the world:
US: ACES, EFA, Professional Editors Network (PEN), Northwest Editors Guild, San Diego Professional Editors Network (SD/PEN)
Canada: Editors Canada
UK: CIEP, Editors’ and Proofreaders’ Alliance of Northern Ireland (EPANI)
Ireland: Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders & Indexers of Ireland (AFEPI Ireland)
Australia and New Zealand: Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd)
India: Indian Copyeditors Forum (Facebook group)
South Africa: Professional Editors’ Guild
How do I meet other editors?
Editing, especially freelancing, can feel isolating. Once I left my social work job—where I was surrounded by over one hundred people every day—I worried that I would be lonely, working from home all of a sudden. And while I did feel like I was on my own at first, I was able to grow my network quickly.
You can find other editors in a variety of ways:
Social media: Search for #AmEditing or #StetWalk on platforms that use hashtags, and follow editing organizations.
Online groups: Check out Madeleine Vasaly’s post on online discussion groups for editors, which includes various Facebook groups, the Editors Tea Club, and Copyediting-L. The LGBTQ+ Editors Association was also created in 2022.
Editing conferences: Many editing organizations hold conferences where editors can learn new things, reconnect with friends or make new ones, and nerd out together. ACES, EFA, Northwest Editors Guild, Editors Canada, and CIEP all have conferences that are held in person, virtually, or both.
Volunteer: Organizations often need volunteers, which can be an excellent way to give back and meet other editors. I was encouraged to join the ACES Communications Committee when it was formed, and through that, I met a lovely group of editors. My involvement in that committee led me to run for the ACES Board of Directors, another volunteer position.
Reach out to people directly: If you love what another editor is doing, tell them. You’ll likely make their day, and you never know what might come of it. That said, don’t send messages to editors you don’t have a relationship with to ask for jobs or referrals.
For more networking ideas, read Networking for Freelance Editors.
Meeting and befriending other editors has great benefits:
You get to talk with people who know what you’re going through: your wins, your frustrations, your growing pains.
You can learn from one another. I love being able to ask an editing- or business-related question in small groups of trusted colleagues, rather than putting something out to the whole internet. “Would you change this sentence or leave it alone?” “A potential client just said this in an email. What would you do in this situation?” “Has anyone heard this phrase before? The author uses it, and I have no clue what they mean.”
You can refer projects to one another.
You get to meet cool people.
Final thoughts
Becoming an editor isn’t easy, but I—and the many editors I know—can attest to how rewarding it can be.
For more insights, I recommend reading the other posts in my Being an Editor blog post collection, particularly “Bits of Editorial Wisdom,” which contains advice from those much wiser and much more experienced than I am.
Best of luck!
