When I began working as an editor, training was hard to come by. The internet was in its early days, and in-person opportunities varied greatly by location. These days, you can get training in just about any format at almost any time. The challenge is less about finding training and more about choosing the right training for you.
One category that’s still a bit hidden is training offered independently by fellow editors (“edibuddies” as the cool kids call ’em). While editors have been teaching other editors since the beginning, it was often through a third party, like a professional member organization. In the last several years, though, many editors have started to offer training independent of any organization.
The problem is that these opportunities aren’t easy to find.
You likely know that Hilary Cadman offers training in PerfectIt and other editing tools, and Malini Devadas coaches edibuddies in running their editing businesses.
But did you also know that Beth Cox teaches editors how to make books more inclusive? Or that Laura Portwood-Stacer teaches developmental editing for academics?
Maybe you didn’t know any of that. I didn’t know about a lot of offerings until recently.
So I put together a list, with some help from fellow editors (thanks!).
I love seeing edibuddies take ownership of our craft. I can tell you from experience that just creating a training program is a lot of work, never mind giving the training and working with your students. It’s also a big risk. Will you get enough students to run the training? Will it really balance with your editing work? Will you sell enough to make the effort profitable?
The list of training offerings doesn’t include any editor-led training run by companies or organizations. All of these are independent efforts. The list lives in Google Sheets, with public viewing access. (You’ll also find the link in my Editor Resources.) I’ll update it whenever I hear about new offerings.
If you’re looking for a course, why not scroll through? You’ll be amazed at what’s on offer.
To report entry errors or suggest additions, please contact me directly.
