You might be a copy editor if . . .
Our upcoming Beginning Copyediting for Fiction class will educate anyone wanting to fix the errors seen on a daily basis in the real world!
Over the past week or so, I’ve caught the following typos and grammatical awkwardness in major news media:
USA Today: “publically released”
USA Today: “could cause driver’s to crash”
USA Today: “exasperating the problem” (should be “exacerbating the problem”)
Yahoo Entertainment: “Affleck has three children with whom Lopez has become the stepmother to.”
People: “A college student is dead after falling to his death.”
CNN: “Crossed first paths”
ABC News: “preventing recruiters from meting with students”
If you, like me, have a tendency to spot errors like this, then you, too, are either a copy editor or could be one.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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How to Get Experience in Order to Freelance Edit for Publishers
I’ll get to the sad truth right away: to be considered for freelance editing work for traditional publishing companies and related organizations (hybrid publishers, book packagers), you need to have experience. And so the age-old conundrum rears its head: how do you get experience if you need experience to get experience? Three things can help
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Yellow (and Red!) Flags when Freelancing for Publishing Companies
I’ve freelanced in various capacities for a lot of publishing companies over the years, and overall, it has been a rewarding and happy experience. However. There are some yellow (and red!) flags to watch out for if you want to work as a freelance editor for publishing companies. The following are the most common. Edit
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Differences Among Publishers That Hire Freelancers
Over the course of my career, I’ve work as a freelance developmental editor for a number of publishing companies. This has been a good way for me to get regular work without having to stress too much over marketing. But there are some differences among the types of publishing companies that hire freelance editors. A
