How to Get High-Paying Online Editing Jobs
Editors are crucial to the writing process. A wordsmith who’s unafraid to provide constructive criticism, an editor helps to make a piece more concise, free of errors, and just overall make sense. So, naturally, there are loads of online editing jobs available for those who have a way with words.
But how do you find edit from home jobs that work with your schedule, expertise, and salary expectations? We’ve put together a complete guide for narrowing down your editing niche and snagging that awesome job!
What Are Online Editing Jobs?
Online editing jobs allow people like you — who are great with grammar, usage, and flow — to work from your home office (or couch) and revise someone else’s writing. Editing is a massive field, which means there are many different types of editing niches. You could edit things like technical writing, marketing materials, funny blog posts, or news articles.
Knowing what type of editing you excel at can streamline the job search process and allow you to aim at realistic goals. To achieve the best results with your editing project, you need to know what your client is looking for.
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Types of Online Editing Jobs
Before you can get your dream editing job, you’ll need to decide what type of editor you’d like to be. Check out a few of the most common editorial roles and what they’re responsible for:
Proofreader
Possessing hawk-eyed vision, a proofreader will spot any and all mistakes within the content. This will mostly include things like grammar, spelling, usage, and typos. You may be familiar with online writing tools like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor. While these are useful proofreading solutions, nothing quite beats the human eye.
Proofreaders, with their experience and decisiveness in the editing process, can help keep the content free from errors. A proofreader will typically get work done more quickly than other types of editors due to the nature of their work. Rewriting isn’t a common task for them, and they’re normally assisted by tools like those we mentioned above.
Online copy editing jobs for proofreaders may require a close reading and fact-checking; however, rates for proofreaders are often lower than other editors.
Copy Editor
Copy editing is one of the most common types of editing jobs. It is simply making sure that the actual content is easy to understand and flows well. It can also be a copy editor’s job to verify any factual data.
Online copy editing jobs may require the editor to rewrite entire paragraphs to make them flow better. They will also make use of synonyms to avoid the content getting repetitive. Others may need to simply correct claims and studies that were improperly cited by the writer.
Developmental Editor
While copy editors focus on what the content is, a developmental editor’s job is to determine what it could be. In other words, a developmental editor will watch for inconsistency in terms of structure and tone. They will also be ready to challenge a writer to make sure they can explain their process and methods.
You may see this type of editor working specifically with authors of books or other long-form content, both fiction and non-fiction. Developmental editors are often the first ones to come in and review a piece, as they can provide feedback on the big picture and the direction of the story.
Associate Editor
If you are interested in working with newspapers, magazines, or journals, this could be the perfect editing niche for you. Associate editors decide which content best fits in their client’s newspaper or magazine and how to present it. Their job is to read and review submissions, adding notes where changes can be made.
Not all changes are grammatical or structural, though. They may suggest ways to better adapt the content to the target audience. Everything depends on the tone and standards of each client, which is why associate editors have an important responsibility within their organization.
How to Get Editing Jobs That Pay Well
Follow these steps to start working some great editing jobs online:
Step 1: Identify Your Ideal Client
The key to getting an editing job that pays well is to be good at what you do — and enjoy it! So, after you’ve defined your niche as an editor, you need to identify the clients and industries you’d most like to work with. Start by narrowing down the types of content you prefer editing.
Are you the type of person who enjoys reading and analyzing short texts? Perhaps you could work as an editor for bloggers and companies who need assistance with their content marketing. Or maybe you’re more comfortable looking at academic content. Several companies and organizations across the world are looking for someone to handle their editing needs.
Do you absolutely hate when you spot errors in books and feel like you could contribute to making them better? Why not go hunting for online book editing jobs? You’ll have plenty of work. In fact, self-publishing has become so popular that Amazon’s market share of self-printed print books in the U.S. grew from 6 percent to 92 percent between 2007 and 2018!
But don’t stop there. On numerous online job platforms, you can find listings for fact-checkers, recipe editors, subtitle proofreading, advertising editors, and more. Keep your eyes open; no matter what you enjoy editing or proofreading, there’s a job for it!
Step 2: Promote Yourself and Your Services
If you’re going the freelance route with your editing job search, it’s crucial to put your name out there and show potential customers what you offer. You can’t expect to land any jobs without actually marketing yourself.
However, advertising your services and job hunting aren’t easy tasks at all. And, depending on the sites you use, it can get costly. Facebook Marketing is one great way to advertise your services and land some opportunities to make money editing online. You can start for free by creating a Page, or you can pay to advertise your services.
As an editor, you already have the advantage of being able to create error-free content that is ready for publishing on practically any platform. This means you’ve got tons of possibilities to promote yourself, from forums to social media, not to mention starting your own blog!
You can also send emails and messages to potential employers, telling them about your experience and why they should hire you.
Step 3: Search Online Job Sites
You can visit countless websites to find freelance editing jobs or remote positions. Many of these websites have been around for quite a while, and they allow you to search for specific roles at target companies. Most of the jobs posted also allow you to view the salary range and qualifications. More importantly, you can activate alerts to receive updates on related job posts.
Here are some of the top online job sites and freelancing platforms you should start using:
Each of these sites has its own benefits and amazing features. LinkedIn has some great tools for job searchers to connect with potential employers or clients. For instance, you can send direct messages to hiring managers, allowing you to break important ground before sending a formal proposal.
Don’t hesitate to try or buy the Premium version. You’ll get additional resources like being able to see who viewed your profile and accessing interview preparation questions!
Sites like Glassdoor give you insights on salary ranges, as well as reviews on companies and their CEOs. This can help you determine if a company has the right atmosphere.
Step 4: Get Paid What You Deserve
Freelance editing jobs and other edit from home jobs can be as short- or long-term as you need them to be. As long as you prove you’re a valuable cog in your client’s machine, you can earn more assignments.
Is your new client in the eBook business, or a big blogger with an enormous backlog of articles? Take the opportunity to ask them for more work once you’ve finished the first assignment. Prove to them that working with you provides a ton of added value!
Some freelancers believe that once a client says “no” to a long-term pitch, it’s over. Wrong! Circumstances change, and there can always be another opening (or a sudden overload of work for them) that leads to them reconsidering you. They may even offer you a small but lucrative contract. Just be patient, persistent, and do quality work.
When it comes to choosing your rates, every job is different. Depending on your experience and editing niche, the rate of your remote work may vary. According to PayScale, editors charge anywhere between $35k to $82k annually, with a median of $53k.
Take your desired annual salary, then divide that number into how many hours you want to work each week. This can give you a rough estimate of the rate you can charge your client or search for jobs.
Tips and Key Takeaways
You’re almost ready to go on your job search for online editing roles. Use these final tips to discover new job opportunities without breaking a sweat:
- Set up a profile on a freelance site. Fiverr has always been an excellent place to offer a quick gig, but Upwork recently added their own version of a gigs dashboard for freelancers. If you prefer stable work, go with Upwork’s traditional contracts, or look on PeoplePerHour and Freelancer.com.
- Use Quora to subtly market your brand. By responding to questions related to editing and writing, you can attempt to provide the best answer and link readers to one of your resources. From there, you can even get them to become a client.
- Generate visibility with Medium. This writing platform requires a bit of patience, but you can get paid for your articles through the Partner Program. Simply find a subject and create some great content. The site’s “Writing Cooperative” is a great resource.
- Participate in Facebook Groups. There are groups for just about anything, especially freelancing and editing. There, you can either be direct and offer your services or simply write content that will attract potential clients. However, our word of advice is that it’s often better to be subtle, so you can avoid being removed from the group.
- Keep your LinkedIn active. Post content to your feed regularly to help you gain the attention of potential employers and peers. Use SEO and keep up with the trends that editors and writers are talking about. Remember that you can create excellent articles that will keep your LinkedIn audience engaged!
Grow Your Freelancing Career
While growing your freelance career, one of the first challenges is to identify what you’re good at and who you want to work with. After you choose what type of editing you want to do, you can start searching for those stable, long-term contracts that keep you working (and earning income) all year long.
After you land an online editing job, remember to focus on adding value, being reasonable with your rates (without undervaluing yourself), and turning in quality writing. Never give up when attempting to turn a short-term gig into a long-term opportunity.
Originally published at https://jenniferberube.com on March 10, 2021.
