How to Be a Copy Editor: Five Areas to Focus On

A lot of people nowadays have been doing extensive study and research on how to be a copy editor.

This may be because they want to take the plunge into the world of freelancing.

Anyone can write an interesting prose through sheer practice, but not everyone can be a good copy editor without learning the basics.

From my experience, I was awarded a credential for copywriting after about one year of working as a copy editor in an outsourcing company.

The learning curve for the new job was not so difficult due to my good foundation in grammar.

On the contrary, transitioning from writing to copy editing may be overwhelming for some because the learning curve is often steep.

There are many things an aspiring copy editor has to learn. Among these are grammar, word usage, idioms, and vocabulary.

Grammar involves the rules governing the arrangement of words in a sentence. It includes proper punctuation and correct spelling.

As a copy editor myself, I have been reviewing tests submitted by people who want to work on projects requiring an editor credential.

The most common error I see is punctuation usage, especially comma. I can see commas appearing in places where they aren't supposed to be.

One common error in writing I encounter when editing is using the pronoun "they" to refer to a singular antecedent.

I even observe this error finding its way into the work of some writers who consider themselves "professionals."

It is quite easy to correct this mistake by learning the rules of grammar.

If you really want to be a good copy editor, you cannot avoid paying the price.

Two of the books that really help me a great deal are The Elements of Style and Chicago Manual of Style.

Another useful book is The Blue Book of Grammar, which provides an extensive guidance on punctuation. These books are all available at Amazon.

You can start your study of English grammar using The Elements of Style by William Strunk. This book teaches basic grammar and points out usage rules commonly violated by many writers.

On the other hand, the Chicago Manual of Style provides an in-depth explanation of grammar, word usage, and documentation. This book is mostly used by savvy editors and is lovingly called the "editor's bible."

Word usage is an area separate from grammar. It means using the right word at the right moment.

Checking content for soundness in word choice is among the most important tasks of copy editors. It is a challenging task because it requires judgment and full understanding of the context.

New copy editors may be able to correct flaws in grammar but may struggle with correcting word choice. Fixing erros in word choice separates able editors from inept ones.

Native English speakers have the upper hand over ESL users in this respect. Obviously, they use the language every single day of their lives.

Despite this handicap, ESL editors can still keep up with the challenge by doing their best at every opportunity. They should approach the editing task with great care and do the editing slowly.

It is a good idea that ESL editors take every editing work as an opportunity to learn, not just to make money. I have had this philosophy since I started working as a freelance editor.

Unqualified people may not be able to pick the right word from a selection that appears to be similar in meaning. But good copy editors understand the subtle differences in meanings with greater certainty.

For instance, historic and historical are both adjectives. But they are used in different ways. Historical refers to events that occurred in the past, such as "historical figures" and "historical novels." On the other hand, historic indicates something important in history, such as "Magellan and his historic voyage."

Idioms are an essential part of the English language, especially in conversations.

More often than not, you will encounter documents that are conversational in tone in your editing works. So be prepared when this situation comes.

Be aware that most of the clients who seek editing services come from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Because of the outsourcing industry, providers from different parts of the world can gain access to these tasks.

If you are not familiar with idioms, you might think content is awkward. Keep in mind that idioms don't usually obey the rules of grammar.

To be a well-versed copy editor, you should give time to acquaint yourself with the most common idioms used by Americans. To learn about idioms, you can buy a book, find online resources, or just read articles and blogs.

When you suspect a phrase is an idiom, go check with an online dictionary. One really helpful resource is thefreedictionary.com. It is a good idea to keep notes of idioms you encounter in your readings for future reference.

Editing documents without improving your vocabulary will make you unhappy with your work over the long term.

This is because, as a copy editor, it is your job to improve word choice without altering the author's original intent.

Without a broad vocabulary, you may end up using the same words over and over again when doing revisions, and you may find it hard to pull out the right words at the right moment.

For later reference, it is a good idea to keep notes of the new words you have come across in your readings and review them from time to time.

Better yet, copy the whole phrase or sentence where the strange word appears to make sure you fully understand the context of its usage.

Sometimes, the editing task can be overwhelming when the topic at hand is unfamiliar, not to mention the possible existence of awkward phrasing.

The job may entail editing business or technical documents of which you have no background.

This is really a big problem, and sometimes skipping or declining the work may be the best course of action to preserve your credibility and reputation.

This is why a copy editor should learn to love reading. Information explosion is so hard to keep up with. However, you don't have to read each and every piece of material published out there.

Choose only those areas where you are at a loss for a working knowledge. Your goal should be to familiarize yourself with the terms specific to those fields.

By now, you must have a good sense of how to be a copy editor online. Let me know how you like this hub.