How to become a freelance editor

It all starts with knowing your superpowers and what sets you apart. To be a great editor, you need to be a stronger writer and have a critical eye for details. As there are many types of writing, you can choose what type of writing you want to edit. Some of the common editing roles include:

Developmental editing – Think of this as editing from an aerial perspective. As a developmental editor, you’re another writer’s coach. You tell them where there are holes in their current project, and how they can fill them. In this role, you read a document and hold its overall structure in your mind. From there, you have a sense of what needs to change and move, as well as what needs to be cut or expanded.

Copy editing – If developmental editing requires a bird’s eye view, copy editing involves zooming in. Your job is to provide support on the sentence level. You help other writers make their prose as readable as possible by building in transitions, changing up sentence structure, and improving the overall sense of flow. Copy editing takes time and patience, which sets apart the novice writers and the professional editor roles.

Proofreading – As a proofreader, you put manuscripts under the microscope. It’s your job to catch each and every error, from a simple misspelling like “cannon” for “canon,” to a missing comma, to an extra space. As a professional proofreader, you need an expert eye for detail.

Some editors are hired to take on all three of these tasks. However, someone who excels at the big picture may not enjoy looking at the same project under a microscope—and vice versa.

Consider which of the above roles match your skill set as a professional editor and proofreader. From there, brainstorm your ideal client. You may want to specialize in texts closely related to your own interests and expertise. What kind of projects would you want to take on for your next freelance editing job?

• Fiction manuscripts
• Academic research papers, dissertations, and books
• Science writing
• General nonfiction articles and manuscripts
• College admissions essays and student writing
• Spiritual and inspirational literature
• Publications in a specific field (automotive, agriculture, crafts, etc.)

Once you know what kind of project you’d like to work on and what kind of services you’re qualified to provide, you’re ready to build your business as an experienced editor.