About:
As an educator, here's another one I can speak to from direct experience - and not just experience as a hobbyist or amateur freelancer this time, but experience from a "real" "day job" (this whole sentence is supposed to be laden with heavy sarcasm!). You see, I have been editing and proofreading papers since I have been able to both read and writing. All through grade school and college, these papers were mostly my own - except for the occasional peer-editing exercise we would partake in in English class; however, after college, these papers were suddenly the works of students of mine which I was then editing, revising, proofreading, and assigning a grade to to earn my monthly paycheck. Whew! Now that was a long sentence - but not a run-on! Can you tell I am a fan of the dash --- ? Ok, enough of that! The point is: editing and proofreading are all about a love of words and language (which I personally do love).
The love of words and language is crucial to being a great editor/proofreader, because this is not a point-and shoot type of job, and there are definitely things that a good editor/proofreaders needs to watch out for. While this is another one of those fields you may see played up on certain websites as a "work-from-home job almost anyone who knows how to read and write can do!", that couldn't be further from the truth! As previously state, however, if you do love language, words, and "wordsmithing", editing and proofreading could be right up your alley!
Let's take a look at what editing and proofreading are. Although similar, editing and proofreading are actually two different acts.
Editing:
Editing is the art and process of crafting and revising the written word. It is taking a piece of writing, reading it, understanding what it is trying to say and how it is trying to say it, and then carefully adding, deleting, and re-writing words, sentences, paragraphs, and sections within the piece to make the piece perfect (or as close there to as possible!). Editing involves a keen knowledge and working skill set of the grammar and mechanics of writing. It involves knowing how to spell - not necessarily millions of different specific words, but a solid knowledge of the rules and conventions of spelling (using English as an example language in this case). Editing involves having a sound knowledge of voice, tone, and being able to quickly grasp a piece's intent; knowing the audience the piece is written for and what the author is trying to convey through his or her writing to that audience. In its most basic essence, editing is the "chop up and put back together" in varying degrees to make a piece read as well as it can for its intended purpose. This can (and often does) take several "passes" - depending on the length and nature of the original work.
Different Types of Editing:
Even within the specific category of editing, there are degrees and differences. What are you editing for? Are you content editing a non-fiction or realistic fiction piece - editing with the goal and intent of fact checking and looking for accuracy in what is presented? The piece may or may not still have grammar and spelling mistakes and be a choppy read when you get finished with it, but boy, the facts and reality of what is presented are spot-on!
Are you editing for language and syntax? This is editing a piece for grammar, spelling, sentence flow and fluency, etc. - taking a "raw" piece and making it a great, polished piece, linguistically speaking. You are not checking the accuracy of facts, though.
Are you editing for tone and voice? This would be editing with the intent of actually changing/revising the tone and voice of the piece - making an informal piece sound formal, or a formal piece sound informal; making a dark and somber piece more lively and colorful, or adding seriousness to a funny, light-hearted piece, as examples.
I suppose there are other things you could specifically edit for as well. The point is, while all editing has the same end goal in mind - to make a particular piece polished and great for its intended purpose - not all editing is just finding grammar and spelling errors, and each different type of editing will take its own time frame to be accomplished.
Now, all of these examples are me as a teacher discussing things the way I would in the classroom to my students. In the world of "professional editing" there are all sorts of fancy names for these different types of editing categories (I write that in quotes because, like I said earlier in this write-up, I very much consider myself editing my students' papers to be professional editing, as it is a job I performer for pay; however, I had never run across these different names for the different categories of editing until I specifically started researching the topic for Biz Opp Empire). You can take a look at the "professional categories" of editing and their fancy professional names here (external site, opens in new window). The bottom line and the point are, no matter how or what you call it/them, a lot of editing jobs tend to combine different aspects of different editing categories to some degree or another, and you are going to want to talk with each and every one of your individual clients specifically about what they want before jumping in and taking on their job(s).
Proofreading:
Proofreading is, essentially, checking for typos after extensive editing has already occurred. Once a piece has made it to this phase, proofreading, in its most basic essence, is "the polishing". Typos, and possibly homophone, and homonym words are corrected; punctuation is added/removed without grossly changing the ebb, flow, and overall structure of the sentences/paragraphs/section (i.e. you missed a period at the end of a sentence - such a matter would be taken of at the proofreading step). Proofreading, like editing, often takes several passes (again, depending on the length and nature of the original work). On a near-final proofread, you should really be doing nothing more than fixing that final typo or two and adding that last period or comma that was missed. On the second-to-the-last proofread pass through of the piece you should be checking for glaring formatting issues (i.e. orphan and widow words, funny looking word breaks, funny looking page breaks that break up sentences/paragraphs/sections in a weird way that breaks up the overall fluency of the piece). Unlike editing, the intent of true proofreading is NOT TO rearrange structure, mechanics, or the overall logistics of sentences/paragraphs/sections to change meaning/linguistic flow (just formatting issues, if that), it is simply to catch errors.
Some Final Thoughts:
As mentioned previously, editing comes in many shapes, sizes, and varieties. Check with your client first regarding his or her specific wants and needs before hacking his or her work to pieces. Find out what the main goal is that the client has in mind for the editing of his or her piece and then focus on delivering that particular goal to the client as well as you possibly can.
Also, it should be noted that when you go directly to any major online search engine and type in something broad and generic like "Editing and proofreading jobs", you will see right away that many (but, no, not all, of course!) of the top-of-page-one hits that come up mainly revolve around book and/or play/movie manuscript editing. This can be very misleading for the novice just starting out! "Editing and proofreading" encompasses A LOT, and there is PLENTY of work outside of the area of just editing book manuscripts! Resumes, essays and other academic papers, subtitles, diagram captions, translations (of anything) and advertisements (ads fall into the category of what the pros call "copy editing") are but a few of the many types of writing that can be edited and proofread. Basically, if it can be written, it can be edited and proofread! And, let's be fair, while this discussion has pretty much exclusively revolved editing the written word, image and video editing are also real services you could offer that have the potential to pay very well.
External Links/Resources to get Started:
Make Money Editing Videos: 5 Websites that Pay - as the name implies, this one is actually related to video editing, not text-based editing, and is included in our "Photography and Videography" section as well.
Ways to Make Money from Home Proofreading
How Should You Charge for Freelance Editing? - gives treatment to different types of editing and clearly lays out how different types of editing jobs are different
How to Become a Freelance Editor
How to Start a Freelance Editing Business: 10 Actionable Tips - with some good introductory background about different types of editing
10 Things Your Freelance Editor Might Not Tell You - But Should
Online Editing Jobs
The Art of Editing - all about the editing process (the focus is academic paper editing), a study guide by the University of Leicester, U.K.
Getting Work in Academic Editing
AETES 24 - stands for "Arabic English Translation and Editing Services 24 hours" an editing, proofreading, and Arabic-English translation service I am affiliated with run by Dr. Akasha, PhD Linguist. I am affiliated with AETES 24 in the capacity of "freelance editor and proofreader of English pieces". To be clear the site and service belong to Dr. Akasha, and he handles almost all orders that come in himself - I just take the occasional overload. Dr. Akasha and I use to work together in Pullman, Washington, USA, for the public school system, teaching the English language to non-native English speakers in Elementary School.
As an educator, here's another one I can speak to from direct experience - and not just experience as a hobbyist or amateur freelancer this time, but experience from a "real" "day job" (this whole sentence is supposed to be laden with heavy sarcasm!). You see, I have been editing and proofreading papers since I have been able to both read and writing. All through grade school and college, these papers were mostly my own - except for the occasional peer-editing exercise we would partake in in English class; however, after college, these papers were suddenly the works of students of mine which I was then editing, revising, proofreading, and assigning a grade to to earn my monthly paycheck. Whew! Now that was a long sentence - but not a run-on! Can you tell I am a fan of the dash --- ? Ok, enough of that! The point is: editing and proofreading are all about a love of words and language (which I personally do love).
The love of words and language is crucial to being a great editor/proofreader, because this is not a point-and shoot type of job, and there are definitely things that a good editor/proofreaders needs to watch out for. While this is another one of those fields you may see played up on certain websites as a "work-from-home job almost anyone who knows how to read and write can do!", that couldn't be further from the truth! As previously state, however, if you do love language, words, and "wordsmithing", editing and proofreading could be right up your alley!
Let's take a look at what editing and proofreading are. Although similar, editing and proofreading are actually two different acts.
Editing:
Editing is the art and process of crafting and revising the written word. It is taking a piece of writing, reading it, understanding what it is trying to say and how it is trying to say it, and then carefully adding, deleting, and re-writing words, sentences, paragraphs, and sections within the piece to make the piece perfect (or as close there to as possible!). Editing involves a keen knowledge and working skill set of the grammar and mechanics of writing. It involves knowing how to spell - not necessarily millions of different specific words, but a solid knowledge of the rules and conventions of spelling (using English as an example language in this case). Editing involves having a sound knowledge of voice, tone, and being able to quickly grasp a piece's intent; knowing the audience the piece is written for and what the author is trying to convey through his or her writing to that audience. In its most basic essence, editing is the "chop up and put back together" in varying degrees to make a piece read as well as it can for its intended purpose. This can (and often does) take several "passes" - depending on the length and nature of the original work.
Different Types of Editing:
Even within the specific category of editing, there are degrees and differences. What are you editing for? Are you content editing a non-fiction or realistic fiction piece - editing with the goal and intent of fact checking and looking for accuracy in what is presented? The piece may or may not still have grammar and spelling mistakes and be a choppy read when you get finished with it, but boy, the facts and reality of what is presented are spot-on!
Are you editing for language and syntax? This is editing a piece for grammar, spelling, sentence flow and fluency, etc. - taking a "raw" piece and making it a great, polished piece, linguistically speaking. You are not checking the accuracy of facts, though.
Are you editing for tone and voice? This would be editing with the intent of actually changing/revising the tone and voice of the piece - making an informal piece sound formal, or a formal piece sound informal; making a dark and somber piece more lively and colorful, or adding seriousness to a funny, light-hearted piece, as examples.
I suppose there are other things you could specifically edit for as well. The point is, while all editing has the same end goal in mind - to make a particular piece polished and great for its intended purpose - not all editing is just finding grammar and spelling errors, and each different type of editing will take its own time frame to be accomplished.
Now, all of these examples are me as a teacher discussing things the way I would in the classroom to my students. In the world of "professional editing" there are all sorts of fancy names for these different types of editing categories (I write that in quotes because, like I said earlier in this write-up, I very much consider myself editing my students' papers to be professional editing, as it is a job I performer for pay; however, I had never run across these different names for the different categories of editing until I specifically started researching the topic for Biz Opp Empire). You can take a look at the "professional categories" of editing and their fancy professional names here (external site, opens in new window). The bottom line and the point are, no matter how or what you call it/them, a lot of editing jobs tend to combine different aspects of different editing categories to some degree or another, and you are going to want to talk with each and every one of your individual clients specifically about what they want before jumping in and taking on their job(s).
Proofreading:
Proofreading is, essentially, checking for typos after extensive editing has already occurred. Once a piece has made it to this phase, proofreading, in its most basic essence, is "the polishing". Typos, and possibly homophone, and homonym words are corrected; punctuation is added/removed without grossly changing the ebb, flow, and overall structure of the sentences/paragraphs/section (i.e. you missed a period at the end of a sentence - such a matter would be taken of at the proofreading step). Proofreading, like editing, often takes several passes (again, depending on the length and nature of the original work). On a near-final proofread, you should really be doing nothing more than fixing that final typo or two and adding that last period or comma that was missed. On the second-to-the-last proofread pass through of the piece you should be checking for glaring formatting issues (i.e. orphan and widow words, funny looking word breaks, funny looking page breaks that break up sentences/paragraphs/sections in a weird way that breaks up the overall fluency of the piece). Unlike editing, the intent of true proofreading is NOT TO rearrange structure, mechanics, or the overall logistics of sentences/paragraphs/sections to change meaning/linguistic flow (just formatting issues, if that), it is simply to catch errors.
Some Final Thoughts:
As mentioned previously, editing comes in many shapes, sizes, and varieties. Check with your client first regarding his or her specific wants and needs before hacking his or her work to pieces. Find out what the main goal is that the client has in mind for the editing of his or her piece and then focus on delivering that particular goal to the client as well as you possibly can.
Also, it should be noted that when you go directly to any major online search engine and type in something broad and generic like "Editing and proofreading jobs", you will see right away that many (but, no, not all, of course!) of the top-of-page-one hits that come up mainly revolve around book and/or play/movie manuscript editing. This can be very misleading for the novice just starting out! "Editing and proofreading" encompasses A LOT, and there is PLENTY of work outside of the area of just editing book manuscripts! Resumes, essays and other academic papers, subtitles, diagram captions, translations (of anything) and advertisements (ads fall into the category of what the pros call "copy editing") are but a few of the many types of writing that can be edited and proofread. Basically, if it can be written, it can be edited and proofread! And, let's be fair, while this discussion has pretty much exclusively revolved editing the written word, image and video editing are also real services you could offer that have the potential to pay very well.
External Links/Resources to get Started:
Make Money Editing Videos: 5 Websites that Pay - as the name implies, this one is actually related to video editing, not text-based editing, and is included in our "Photography and Videography" section as well.
Ways to Make Money from Home Proofreading
How Should You Charge for Freelance Editing? - gives treatment to different types of editing and clearly lays out how different types of editing jobs are different
How to Become a Freelance Editor
How to Start a Freelance Editing Business: 10 Actionable Tips - with some good introductory background about different types of editing
10 Things Your Freelance Editor Might Not Tell You - But Should
Online Editing Jobs
The Art of Editing - all about the editing process (the focus is academic paper editing), a study guide by the University of Leicester, U.K.
Getting Work in Academic Editing
AETES 24 - stands for "Arabic English Translation and Editing Services 24 hours" an editing, proofreading, and Arabic-English translation service I am affiliated with run by Dr. Akasha, PhD Linguist. I am affiliated with AETES 24 in the capacity of "freelance editor and proofreader of English pieces". To be clear the site and service belong to Dr. Akasha, and he handles almost all orders that come in himself - I just take the occasional overload. Dr. Akasha and I use to work together in Pullman, Washington, USA, for the public school system, teaching the English language to non-native English speakers in Elementary School.
