what does it take to become an editor

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So Yous Desire to Be an Editor: Data nigh a career in editing

So you want to exist an editor

In a sense, everyone edits. A writer revises a manuscript. A speaker pauses in mid-judgement to detect a better word. A student clarifies her lecture notes. They are all editing.

Professional person editors deport out those sorts of tasks for a living. Editors work in a variety of industries and take on endless unlike tasks. But no matter what project an editor is tackling, the goal is always the same: to better the quality of communication.

Whether a text is in the form of an article, book manuscript, website, report, blog, news release or some other form of advice, the editor (along with the writer) is responsible for ensuring that the document is

• accurate enough to satisfy the most informed audition member
• clear plenty for even a novice to follow
• interesting enough to catch and hold the attention of all readers

Thanks to the huge number of websites, online publications, blogs and social networking sites, anyone can now be a published writer. To ensure that written communications and the accompanying visuals are authentic, clear and interesting, editors are more than of import than e'er.

"Edit: assemble, gear up, or modify (written fabric, esp. the work of another or others) for publication."
Canadian Oxford Dictionary, two^nd ed., 2004

An editor'due south interests and abilities

Most people become professional editors because they're intrigued by language.

They relish finding just the right word to convey a point, making sense of a complicated piece of information and working with text until it flows smoothly. They have a passion for detail and accuracy. They find themselves drawn to editing because they can't ignore the mistakes they see in publications. They notice illogical arguments, inaccurate statistics and poorly constructed sentences.

A career in editing goes beyond a honey of language. Successful editors turn that interest and skill into a way to earn a living and have an touch on the world around them.

Come across an Editor

I became an editor, translator and copywriter because of my honey for language and because of past job opportunities that allowed me to piece of work with language professionals, including editors. Pointing out mistakes wasn't plenty: I had to correct them, suggest other word choices, and sometimes rewrite texts to ensure improve readability.

Being an English language editor in a bilingual milieu has its challenges. I constantly grapple with French interferences in English language, which often upshot in poor syntax and faulty sentence structure. Some clients don't value my linguistic judgment. Thankfully, many individuals, small businesses, regime offices, non-for-turn a profit organizations and communications companies in Quebec rely on editors to ensure that English copy is pinnacle-notch. We're all winners when we realize how of import information technology is to produce quality documents in both of Canada's official languages.

Dwain Richardson, Montreal, QC

An editor must have

Editors think for a living

"To be a really good editor, you have to be a actually skilful listener. I don't merely mean to the author. Yous take to listen to what you're reading."

Ellen Seligman, Publisher, McClelland and Stewart
Vice President, Random Business firm of Canada

• an instinct for recognizing patterns, organizing ideas and creating categories
• a willingness to question assumptions, theories and facts
• an involvement in learning new things

An editor must non only be proficient in grammar, spelling and limerick, simply must also accept the power to

• visualize the end product while focusing on and remembering details
• call up logically and exercise good judgment
• reorganize a document to attain clarity and momentum
• recognize what's missing in a passage
• use a wide range of reference materials
• work within deadlines
• keep an middle on the budget
• piece of work well with the many other people who are a part of the publication process

Editors come from a diversity of backgrounds, but they are all skilled at developing effective communications tools by identifying the most appropriate construction, format and content for each audience and purpose. Ultimately, editors are people who think, and they practice and then on behalf of both the writer and the reader.

Where and how editors work

Editors can be found everywhere. They piece of work in publishing, sales and marketing, manufacturing, government, law, education and many other fields. Editors tin can be specialists who, for instance, edit only scientific or medical documents, or they can be generalists who work on all kinds of content.

Engineering has changed the nature of editing. Editing used to be done with a cherry pen. Today it's done with a keyboard and mouse, if non a digital pen and tablet. Editors receive and share documents with other squad members electronically. Jobs can involve working with advanced software and publishing platforms. Many editors now need to be skilled at using multimedia software and interactive technologies that combine the written give-and-take with graphics, sound, video and blitheness. With the constant evolution of the Internet and estimator software, editors must be adjustable and flexible.

Editors are team players, often working with others to reach a mutual goal. The all-time editors have a wide understanding of the communications and publishing industries and piece of work effectively with writers, publishers, web developers, designers, artists, photographers, projection managers, printers and other editors.

Editors exercise acquisitions, manuscript and projection development, inquiry, structural editing, stylistic editing, rewriting, fact checking, re-create editing, picture show inquiry, proofreading, indexing, layout and production editing. Professional Editorial Standards describes a number of these central roles.

Encounter an Editor

I didn't choose a freelance career and then much as it chose me. After getting my MA in English, I spent a couple of years footling around, including instruction a academy grammar course. It somewhen dawned on me that perchance I could apply what I'd been teaching, so I decided to give editing and writing a whirl. A friend of a friend offered me a dream job: a federal government editing position. While waiting (and waiting) for the job to come up through, I told everyone I knew that I was looking for short-term contracts. The work trickled in and past the time I realized the dream task would never materialize, I was hooked on the diverseness and independence of freelancing. Every day was different; I worked when I wanted; I chosen the shots. Information technology was perfect. It still is.

Frances Peck, W Coast Editorial Assembly, Vancouver, BC

An editor's career path

People pursue careers in editing from many different starting points. Some report professional writing, communications or journalism in university, and and then move correct into full-fourth dimension editing careers. Others work in completely unrelated fields, and and then, their interest piqued, combine that experience with an pedagogy in editing to move into new positions.

Choosing between freelance (self-employed) and in-business firm (part- or full-time) editing work comes down to ii key questions: How important is a regular paycheque? and How important is control over your schedule?

A freelance editor'south flexible schedule tin be ideal for night owls and parents of young children. Freelance editors tin can cull their colleagues and clients, to a degree. They can likewise focus on marketing their services to industries that involvement them.

Come across an Editor

I've heard that few editors originally set out to go editors. I did. I'd recently graduated with an MA in English and was working equally a tutor, and I was thrilled to notice another way to employ my skills. I joined the Editors' Association of Canada (Editors Canada), took every course available, read widely and voraciously, and discovered a new world of style sheets and editing marks. After a less than ideal start editing bodice-rippers and thrillers for minimum wage, I saw an Editors Canada job posting for an in-house position with a professional association. Information technology was a bully fit for me—variety and stability. In the 15 years that I've held that chore, I accept continued my teaching through courses and Editors Canada certification, equally well every bit on-the-chore experience. In a way, I will always be becoming an editor.

Kristina Lundberg, Certified Professional
Editor (CPE), Edmonton, AB

Come across an Editor

When I moved from academia to freelance editing, I was agape. It could be a huge mistake; I'd miss the classroom terribly… Wrong. No essays to mark! I could choose my own hours and encounter more of my kids. When I finish a project, that'south it—I will take learned lots about prophylactic suits, Welsh literature, undersea oil pipes, Beethoven—and then it's time to starting time the next adventure. Volunteering for Editors Canada has brought a community of editors into my study (the screen, the phone), and so I don't feel isolated, and the annual conference feels essential for keeping upwards with what's happening in the industry.

Claire Wilkshire, St. John's, NL

A 2012 survey of Editors Canada members indicated that

52% piece of work total-fourth dimension as freelance editors

19% work in-house (as employees)

17% work both freelance and in-house

Since freelance editors generate their income from a variety of employers (every bit independent contractors) rather than earning a steady salary from just one, they may have busy periods and leaner times, and a fluctuating monthly or almanac income. They can cull to seek out higher-paying clients or work longer hours for more financial stability.

Editors who work in-business firm mostly know what their schedule and income will be every month. Many (but non all) work regular business hours, although the workload varies with the type of job they have.

Today, many companies see hiring an contained contractor as an economical alternative to hiring total-time staff. Freelance editors are in dandy demand equally companies downsize and as advances in engineering brand it easy for editors to work from anywhere.

Rewards and drawbacks of an editing career

"If you do not tolerate a certain level of feet over a considerable length of time (say, an entire career), then y'all are probably not constituted to be an editor."

Gerald Gross, ed., Editors on Editing

Editors often work with minimal supervision and may be expected to make decisions on their ain. For the right person, this level of independence can exist very rewarding.

Many freelance editors enjoy the freedom to piece of work from dwelling house, set their own hours and cull their own projects—which takes bailiwick. For many editors, the tight deadlines and pressure to ensure absolute accuracy are too welcome challenges.

Editors are not ever recognized for their work. Some say they are invisible. But many editors notice satisfaction in being a all-time supporting role player.

Income

An editor's hourly rate tin can vary quite a bit, depending on factors such as the local (and even global) economy, the sector they piece of work in (not-for-profit, public, private), their willingness and power to seek out work opportunities, and their skill level and talents.

Based on a 2012 survey of Editors Canada members, most respondents charged between $40 and $59 per hour for about types of work.

• 44% of respondents who piece of work with not-for-profit clients charge less than $40 per hour
• 46% of respondents who work with public sector clients charge $sixty or more per hr
• 42% of respondents who work with corporate sector clients charge $sixty or more per 60 minutes

Meet an Editor

Membership in Editors Canada is a great investment. Not only do you proceeds access to the Online Directory of Editors and professional development opportunities, but you besides gain access to a diverse community with combined expertise that you won't notice anywhere else. Equally a freelance editor who specializes in bookish editing, my membership in Editors Canada has been invaluable in helping me build and maintain my business. Whether it's new information learned at seminars, new skills gained from volunteering, or new friends fabricated at meetings and conferences, my membership is ever giving something back.

Suzanne Purkis, Ottawa, ON

Teaching and training

Many editors have a university caste in subjects such as English literature, history, communications or journalism. Technical editors may take studied in their chosen field; for case, medical editors may take a science caste.

In the by, there were few formal training programs for editors, so most employers valued experience and reputation (for example, as demonstrated in a professional portfolio) over other credentials. But that is clearly changing.

Meaning numbers of people who want to get editors today are graduates of in-depth university or college editing and publishing programs taught by respected instructors who provide careful feedback. This rigorous professional person training, which includes opportunities to work on "real" manuscripts or documents taken from the work globe, is producing editors with solid experience and loftier standards.

Editors with potent skills and several years' experience can obtain recognition through Editors Canada's professional certification program (www.editors.ca), which tests for mastery of proofreading, copy editing, stylistic editing and structural editing skills. Editors who are certified in one or more than areas of editing observe that this credential opens doors to higher-paying work and more clients.

Resources

Colleges and universities across Canada offer courses in writing, editing and publishing, including distance learning options (see world wide web.editors.ca/ training/educational activity.html). Check with Editors Canada to learn about seminars in your area.

Things to know well-nigh a career in editing

"The only predictable element in editing is that the next trouble to come along volition not yield to any of the thousands of solutions developed in tackling previous problems."

Arthur Plotnik, The Elements of Editing

1. Editors think for a living.
2. Successful editors plow their love of language into a manner to earn a living and have an impact on the world around them.
3. Editors are team players, often working with writers, publishers, designers, artists and other editors to reach a common goal.
4. Technology is changing the way editors practise their work and the types of documents they edit, but non the reason for editing. An editor'southward goal is e'er the same: to improve communication.
5. Rigorous professional training in an editing programme is now condign essential.
6. Experienced editors can develop and obtain recognition for their skills through Editors Canada'due south professional person certification program.

Responses to a 2012 fellow member survey provided the following snapshot of the boilerplate Editors Canada member:

• is female (91%)
• is university educated (91%)
• is self-employed (75%)
• works from a home role (70%)
• lives in an urban area (66%)
• has 10 or more years of experience (61%)
• is a regular participant in continuing education (56%)
• is a regular participant in Editors Canada workshops and seminars (78%)

Copyright and acknowledgements

© 2015 Editors' Clan of Canada/ Association canadienne des réviseurs

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any grade or past whatsoever ways, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher—or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright—is an infringement of the copyright law.

ISBN: 978-ane-987998-01-6

Written and published by: Editors' Association of Canada/ Association canadienne des réviseurs (Editors Canada)
1507-180 Dundas Street W
Toronto ON  M5G 1Z8
Canada
www.editors.ca

This booklet is an updated version of the 2011 edition, which was prepared by Amanda Grondahl, with assistance from Ramona Brown, Brooke Burns, Tammy Burns, Irene Kavanagh and Penny McKinlay. The writing team benefited from advice and reviews provided by Heather Ebbs, Sheila Mahoney, Adrienne Montgomerie, Maureen Nicholson, Kelly Parry, Rosemary Shipton and Alethea Spiridon. Designed past Susan Yang. Anne Louise Mahoney, Editors Canada'due south co-director of publications, and Michelle Ou, Editors Canada's communications director, managed the projection. Jennifer Rae-Chocolate-brown proofread the layout. The copy is in role derived from the previous version of And then, Yous Want to Exist an Editor, written by John Eerkes-Medrano, Susan Gaitskell, Dennis Mills and Jim Taylor.

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Source: https://www.editors.ca/join/so-you-want-be-editor-information-about-career-editing