Copyediting can be a fulfilling career, especially for people who love language and love to learn. The texts we edit can teach us about topics we know little or nothing about. We can find joy in the word puzzles that sentences present to us.
Sometimes, though, that’s not enough. We become bored with our routines and desire to do something different. Maybe we want the opportunity to earn more money or build more variety into our client lists. Situations change, too, both personally and professionally, forcing us to seek out different career opportunities.
We’ve invested time gaining knowledge and working on the skills necessary for copyediting—not to mention building a professional network.
If it’s time for a shift or a major change in your career, why not seek something that fits your interests, builds on skills you already have, and makes use of your professional relationships? In this post and the next, I’ll share 12 jobs that fit the bill. You can decide whether you want to take on those duties in addition to (or instead of ) your copyediting ones.
I Still Love Words
Copyediting is one word-related step in the publishing process, and some of your current skills will immediately apply to many of the other steps. You might need to learn additional techniques and tasks, though, so I’ve listed some training options as well.
Developmental Editor
The most obvious choices when considering a new job are other types of editing. I picture the different types of editing as different views of the forest—the manuscript—before you. From the top, you get a view of the whole forest. The position itself might be managing editor or editor-in-chief, but part of the job is to help develop content for a publication.
Where to get training
Editorial Freelancers Association
Line Editor
The line editor (a.k.a. content or stylistic editor) has a slightly lower view: they’re getting a sense of pattern in the forest’s canopy. The chief concern is how the content is organized and how the paragraphs flow.
Where to get training
Editorial Freelancers Association
Indexer
Indexing comes next, offering a view of the forest and bringing some of the trees into view. Compiling an index requires the ability to discover terms that precisely describe topics in the manuscript, as well as knowledge of the manuscript’s subject, and good organizational skills.
Where to get training
University of California, Berkeley Extension
Fact Checker
Fact-checking is about midway down to the forest floor, sitting next to copyediting, with a perfect view of the trees. Some copyeditors check facts as part of the copyedit; others do not. It depends on the editor, the manuscript, and the project parameters. Although fact checkers are not as common as they used to be, there are still some opportunities out there, particularly in medical editing.
Where to get training
The Chicago Guide to Fact Checking
Proofreader
Finally, we reach proofreading. It sits on the forest floor but is not the least important job by any means. You’re looking up at the trees and down at the roots, ensuring that the trees look straight and tall and that readers won’t trip over any exposed roots.
Where to get training
The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
Editorial Freelancers Association
Writer
Stepping away from editing, writing is a logical choice, and many copyeditors who thought they couldn’t also be writers have done well with it (including yours truly). There are, of course, many types of writing you can do. Some of the most popular are technical writing, copywriting, and reporting.
Where to get training
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, San Diego
Writing Coach
I’ve seen this desire in a lot of editors: They want their authors to write better next time. They want to help them learn. While we have to separate coaching from copyediting, it’s a valuable service, and there are writers who want it. Some editors are lucky enough to work with writers who want to improve or with companies who would approve of a training initiative.
Where to get training
Editorial Freelancers Association
SEO Professional
As one of the last people in the publishing process, a copyeditor is in the right place to apply search engine optimization (SEO) to a manuscript. It can be as simple as filling in the keywords and alternate text within your content management system. You might also have the opportunity to help shape the copy by applying SEO tactics at the editing stage.
Where to get training
Social Media Manager
Copyeditors are well positioned to help with social media. In some ways, it’s akin to writing a title (which journalism copyeditors do): You’ve read the whole piece in its final state. You know what it’s about and can summarize it. It’s not a stretch to set up tweets and Facebook posts about the story. This role could be expanded to include writing other postings, managing the accounts, and creating a social media strategy.
Where to get training
As you can see, there are so many routes you can take with your current copyediting skills and passion for language or learning. Peruse the resources and make time for the ones that stand out to you. You’ll be surprised to know the exciting places your career path can take you! Next week, we’ll dive into some high-level publishing-related jobs and training resources.
A version of this article originally published in the February–March 2016 issue of Copyediting newsletter.
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