The demand for freelance-based editing jobs is increasing faster than ever before. So it is high time to hone your skills to become a freelance editor. I can guess your ambition, alright! Also, I know you are looking for some suggestions. Then let me assure you that you are in the right place. 

For your favor, I’ll be discussing in several segments. Are you ready to catch them? Here they are:

      The role in brief 

      Get familiar with types 

      Go for an editing niche 

      Why portfolio matters 

      Read religiously 

      Schooling is wise 

      Freelancer’s approach 

      Branding & networking

 

The Role in Brief

Let us start with this notion. What does a freelance editing expert do or how you will contribute by this role. Well, basically a freelance editor reads, structures, develops content or substantive, reviews and even shape the style, index, and format. In other words, you will be contributing to the entire literary world. It might be fiction, non-fiction, or any other genre. And you are going to befriend the internet. Especially, keep in mind that this will be your business. 

Get Familiar with Types

Yes, becoming a freelance editor means becoming a businessman too. But it is necessary to get cognizant of all the types of editing before. The major three literary editing types are –

Developmental editing

Copy editing and 

Proofreading  

A development editor undertakes the big picture of a book. Whereas a copy editor examines spelling, inconsistencies as well as grammatical mistakes. And it is up to a proofreader to find out the typos. Apart from these, classification can be like indexing, formatting, editorial assessment, line editing, fact-checking, structural editing, etc. 

Go for an Editing Niche

Do you know why I was talking about the types above? Simply because you will have to niche down according to your choice. However, it is necessary to know thyself before go for that. Have a test of yourself. Do you tend to review a book, comment on an article, or critique someone’s artwork? What sort of editing do you love most? Are you able to go through page after page void of getting lost? Do you feel an artist in your inside to rephrase a narrative or give it a new look?

I’m not putting some conditions. Since passion has arisen in you, you must have such characteristics. Now you may choose whether you want to become a web editor who usually good at Search Engine Optimization (SEO), WordPress, Blogger, etc. Or you are passionate to be a news & magazine editor. You can even become competent at book editing. 

Why Portfolio Matters

Even if you are a beginner and you don’t have any experience to showcase, you can still rock. You just need to create a portfolio that consists of some samples. To make a compelling profile in prominent marketplaces like Upwork, Toptal you must consider this. Suppose you have recently finished a fiction that has been published in the last book fair. Then why not you pen down your reviews and add them to your portfolio! Google doc is a well-accepted tool to meet this purpose. Else, platforms like WordPress can be a great fit for that. You can also take up a financial report to demonstrate your fact-checking skill. Or you may easily choose a news report that you construed to be structured weakly and shape it in your own way. 

Read Religiously

Reading, reading, and reading is the core condition to become a good editor! It will enhance your understanding. Though a person with a genuine passion need not treat this as a condition at all. He or she by nature willingly reads a lot. But since you are craving to be a professional freelance editor, you should think this way. Emphasize on sharpening your editorial sense. Most probably you are addict to reading. But try to develop ‘a mistake finder’ in you. Especially try to read those pieces more which will be beneficial for your niche. While reading, imagine you are the author of a respective write-up and going to overwhelm the readers by your own excellence. 

Schooling is Wise

Apart from being an avid reader, earning a bachelor’s degree, or grasping a scholarship will be a great plus. Subjects in the art domain like English, journalism, and Media Studies will be more helpful in this regard. It will show that professionally for an editing role how mentally prepared you are! You may also choose an internship. It will simultaneously be a little-paying and learning opportunity for you. Likewise, a bunch of useful online courses is available out there.

Freelancer’s Approach

As a freelance editor, you will be dealing with clients or buyers of different marketplaces from different countries. Or you might be doing your jobs within your province. Whatever it is, your approach must be well-mannered and professional as well. No one should think for flattering or seeking sympathy from potential clients. Moreover, each of the platforms has its own style. For example, if you are in Fiverr, you must learn to create gigs to convince buyers. If you have an Upwork profile, you must know how to write job-winning proposals.

Branding and Networking

Since you are planning to get engaged in the freelance business, you have to build your brand. Have faith in yourself! You have to utilize and propagate what you are capable of. So be active in Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or something else that is popular in your country or state. Share your earnings or feedbacks that you achieved from your clients or buyers. You can even share the samples you make to enrich your website or portfolio there. Networking and maintaining cool relationships with related professionals can certainly secure a good position for you.

Nowadays becoming a freelance editor is trendy in developed countries like the United States, Canada, Australia. Even if you are from a developing country you can claim a share by your patience, excellence, and hard work. Best of luck!