Guide to Becoming a Professional Editor

Hey, y'all! For the last fourteen and a half years, I've been asked how I started professionally editing often—especially since my degree is in social work. I could give the truthful cliché, “I’ve always been in love with literature” or “I used to want to be a teacher,” but my love for reading led to editing—at first leisurely, and now professionally. While reading, I have always picked books apart. Whether I noticed the grammatical errors, the inconsistencies, or that they lacked creativity or weren't written well, I made a note of it. A good read with bad editing angers me because it takes away from the beauty I see in the author’s craft.

If you're interested in becoming a professional editor, your educational background doesn't matter. The first thing you should have is a passion for reading. When you love to read, editing won't be a daunting task. You’ll be excited to delve into a brochure, an essay, a paper, a manuscript, a website, or any other form of written material presented to you.

You can start by offering to be a test reader. One thing a test reader does is give their opinions on how they think what they read translated. They provide honest feedback on whether something kept their interest or was entertaining and whether it was informative. A test reader’s job is as important as the editor’s.

Next, although you don't NEED credentials in English, you should be familiar with the basics. You can continually advance your learning or brush up on your grammar and knowledge of literature later. However, you should know how to form sentences, make your subjects and verbs agree, and recognize what doesn't sound or look right.

Once you’re confident in your skillset, you can volunteer to do sample edits for up-and-coming authors or try submitting emails to authors when you find errors in their published work. Not for nothing; that's how I started, and it has paid off. Offer your services for free until you have become fluent in the editing technique. This way, you're building experience as well as confidence.

Create a portfolio or running list of your experience. I have a running editing resume. Start marketing and promoting yourself. Let people know why they should work with you. Once you start feeling good about your work, research editing rates and charge for your services according to your skill and experience.

There is ALWAYS a market for good editors. Most authors and companies have more than one. So, get out there and familiarize yourself with genres and authors that interest you. Get to work; you've got this!

Good luck with your future endeavors as a professional editor.