Dear Carol: How can I break in to copyediting?

Dear Carol:

I have been writing for more than 12 years, first as a reporter for a newspaper, then in public relations and communications. I have done some proofreading recently for an academic publisher on the side, and would like to also get some work copyediting books. What would be the best steps I could take to break into copyediting?

Dnovic

Dear Dnovic:

Getting work with a publisher is the hard part, so you’re well on your way. I have several suggestions for you.

First, understand that you might have to unlearn many of your old tricks. As you have discovered, proofreading and writing are not copyediting, and journalism is not academe. Your years of accumulated writing instincts can work against you, so be humble and think of yourself as a student.

Next, ask your assigning editor what she requires from copyeditors she hires. Typically, there’s a test, so if she’s willing to describe it, you’ll know what you need to learn. Most hirers will want a demonstration of your knowledge of editing marks and of their style manual; I once had to answer questions about general cultural knowledge. It’s a good bet that you will have to edit a page or two of difficult text.

If you already know the marks and the style manual, you might do well on an editing test, but you can increase your chances through instruction and practice. You could take an editing class, volunteer to copyedit the work of a friend, or read promotional materials for an impoverished nonprofit. Seek detailed feedback. Teachers of editing classes are potential referees and might know of job openings.

It’s possible that a hiring editor will also require “experience.” Yes, that old conundrum: how do you get experience if you can’t get work without it? The answer is to seek it lower on the food chain. Ask for work that isn’t full-blown copyediting but that involves more than proofreading. Maybe your publisher prints second editions of books that feature only a new preface or introduction; or maybe you could copyedit in-house materials. If your editor is interested in mentoring you, you might offer to do some reduced-fee or pro bono copyediting under supervision.

If you can do one assignment well and build on it to get more work from that employer, it probably will not be difficult to parlay your accumulated experience into work for other publishers. Your assigning editor might be willing to recommend you. At a certain point in your development, people will hire you on the basis of your experience and references, without a test. Some experienced freelancers say that word of mouth is their most effective method of finding new clients.

Finally be sure to take advantage of online resources. The Editorial Freelancers Association website is a good place to start. Good luck!

Carol

Comments

[Nimbifera]

I follow your copyediting advice to the letter and ofter learn new things from reading your posts. So, I have to ask about this post's title.

"Break 'in to' copyediting"? "In to"? Shouldn't it be "into"?

Please let me now! I'm pulling my hair out with anxiety.

[Carol Saller]

Nimbifera, since "break in" is a phrasal verb, I didn't want to lose the "in" in "into," although in other cases, I'd agree with you ("break into a house"). Maybe others will weigh in.

(But if you really followed my advice, you wouldn't tear your hair over this stuff!)

[Account Deleted]

Carol is right. “Break in” and “break into” convey different meanings, thus the heading is technically correct. Cf. “Tune in to our station,” “I turned him in to the police,” bit “he turned into such a monster,” “I broke into tears.”

I’d probably use “academia” instead of “academe,” but that’s just a matter of personal choice. Also, there’s one semicolon that rubs me the wrong way. (Then again, most semicolons do.)

Great article, Carol!