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WHAT IS FREELANCE COPY EDITING?
by Brian Scott
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.
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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. You can succeed as a freelance copy
editor if you familiarize yourself with style guides, and have a good grasp of
grammar, spelling, and style usage.
© B.
Scott
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Scott has been
a professional freelance writer for more than a decade. He is an active forum moderator at Writing Answers, a vibrant community of writers helping writers.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
1)
The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and
Corporate Communications by Amy Einsohn
2)
Copyediting: A Practical Guide by Karen
Judd
3)
The Fine Art of Copyediting by Elsie Myers Stainton
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