Are you considering a glamorous career in editing? If you are thinking about becoming an editor, you’ve probably come across some pretty crazy misconceptions about what exactly editors do and what we’re like. You may have heard that editors are detailed-obsessed individuals who take great pleasure in knowing more than others do about grammar and punctuation. Well, that’s entirely true. It’s a well-known fact that one cannot be an editor without an inner drive that forces him or her to strive for an unattainable level of perfection. If you spent a good part of your childhood trying to convince your parents that any low marks you achieved in school were, in fact, the end of the world, you’ve probably always been destined to become an editor.

If you’re going to be an editor, you should probably also be aware of the popular myths that surround this magical and mysterious career. Many people believe things about editors that simply aren’t true, and there’s nothing we dislike more than incorrect information being passed off as fact. (Except, maybe, comma splices. We just can’t handle that crap.)

Myth #1: All Editors Do the Same Thing

One common misconception about editors is that we all perform the same job duties. In reality, there are several different kinds of editors, and they all do different things. Two of the most different types of editors are developmental editors and copy editors. Developmental editors help structure the entire project, while copy editors focus more on technical things, like the use of punctuation and adherence to grammar principles. Another type of editor is an acquisitions editor, sometimes known as a commissioning editor. This person is responsible for choosing which manuscripts a publishing house should publish. Depending on the project, all three of these very different types of editors may be involved at some point.

So, depending on your interests and skills, you may be better suited for one type of editing than another. But don’t worry—although we do different jobs, we’re all equally awesome.

Myth #2: Editors Are Evil Destroyers of Dreams

It’s not uncommon for writers to fear editors. Many writers think that editors are out to tear their work to shreds or to change it until it is unrecognizable, but the truth is only bad editors do that. Good editors value good work, and if we feel that something could use improvement, we provide constructive feedback and solid examples of how that improvement could be made. That being said, if something is grammatically incorrect, we will change it—after all, that’s what we’re being paid to do! Sensitive authors and people whose grasp of grammar isn’t nearly as good as they think it is give editors a bad name, but you know what Taylor Swift always says—those haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Shake it off. Just shake it off.

Myth #3: Editors Never Make Mistakes

Even the best professionals make mistakes. Just look at Ben Affleck. He broke into the film industry with Good Will Hunting, a brilliant film jam-packed with stellar performances. He went on to make some other good movies, and then there was . . . Gigli. This film has a 2.3/10 rating on imbd.com and a measly 6% on rottentomatoes.com. It’s widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made. After the abomination that was Gigli, Affleck managed to establish himself as a serious director and a decent actor. So you see, everyone makes mistakes!

Now, I will admit that most editors don’t make mistakes of Gigli proportions. We’re more likely to miss the occasional misused comma or incorrect word choice than to make epic mistakes of the feature film variety. Still, the lesson here remains the same: editors are people, and people make mistakes.

Myth #4: Editors Are Proofreaders

Editing and proofreading, while similar in nature, are not actually the same thing. Yes, both editing and proofreading involve removing errors from a document. However, editors tend to focus more on the big picture, while proofreaders are responsible for making a document error-free. This doesn’t mean that one is more important than the other; instead, it means that one should come before the other.

A document should first be edited, then proofread. These are two different services, and they should be provided by two different people. There’s a reason why editors aren’t called Editoofreaders and proofreaders aren’t called Proofeditors. They aren’t the same thing.

Myth #5: All Editors Are Geeks or Nerds

Okay, so I can see where people might get this one from. Yes, editors are smart and good with language. Yes, we typically do enjoy reading. Yes, we know lots of things that other people don’t know about grammar. But that doesn’t make us all geeks. If anything, we’re definitely geek-chic. Who cares, anyway? Everyone knows that brainy is the new sexy. (All right, fine. Maybe this one isn’t a myth after all. But don’t you act like you didn’t thoroughly enjoy that Sherlock reference.)

Myth #6: Editors Are Becoming Obsolete

Some people think they don’t need editors anymore. Why pay for an editor when word processors like Microsoft Word have built-in spelling and grammar checkers? Here’s why:

“I went too go to the storage.”

According to Microsoft Word, which I’m currently using to write this blog post, that is a perfectly acceptable sentence. Despite the fact that it makes no sense and has three incorrect word choices, it’s A-Okay in Word’s book. People will always need real editors because I didn’t “went too go to the storage”; I wanted to go to the store.

Working away from an office can be ideal for some editors

Can you be a good editor and work from home?

Of course you can!

Working on editing jobs from home can give you the freedom to advance in your career without the pressure of a traditional office environment.

To land the perfect position, all you’ll need to do is follow a few simple steps. Ready to get started? Here’s what you need to do.

1) Know what you’re looking for

So you’ve decided to do editing jobs from home. Before you start applying, ask yourself what type of position you’re really looking for. Are you comfortable doing freelance editing, or are you looking for a permanent, full-time gig?

If it’s the latter, start by logging in to a job bank and searching for open positions with a telecommuting option. For freelance positions, the best places to start are sites like FlexJobs or Elance. The work on these sites is often piecemeal, but it can help you build a strong portfolio for more consistent work.

2) Do your research

You wouldn’t rent an apartment without researching it first.

To land editing jobs from home, you’ll have to exercise the same amount of caution. Job boards for stay-at-home positions are notoriously deceptive, but with a little preparation, you can make them work for you.

Once you find a job posting you like, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can I contact the company easily?
• Do I know anyone else who has worked for this company?
• Is the job posting clear and easy to understand?
• Does the job look too good to be true?

What if a company asks for your credit card number? Our advice: stay away!

When you do editing jobs from home, your boss should be paying you, not the other way around. If it doesn’t work that way, it’s likely the job is a scam and you shouldn’t waste any more time pursuing it.

3) Have a résumé and online clips ready

Do you have a portfolio with up-to-date clips?

If the answer is no, then it’s a good idea to start working on one right away.

Most companies will ask to see samples of your work before they hire you. This is standard throughout the industry, whether you do editing jobs from home or are employed by a major publishing house.

Since the average job posting is often available for just a matter of days, you’ll be much more likely to score a position if your résumé and clips are already prepared.

Once you’ve decided on editing as a career, you should create a professional website to showcase your work. Many writers have scored editing jobs from home by posting their latest clips, even if they’re just beginners.

4) Network on social media

What’s the secret to finding great editing jobs from home?

The answer might surprise you. These days, more and more writers are turning to sites like Facebook and Twitter to advertise their skills.

And it’s no surprise why. Recruiters often use these sites to find candidates for open positions.

Even if you’re planning on doing editing jobs from home, social media can help you form connections with hiring managers. By staying active on LinkedIn, you’ll be the first to know about new job postings, and you’ll be ready to apply at a moment’s notice.

Flexible, accessible, dynamic—editing jobs from home have it all

If you have a computer and great initiative, doing editing jobs from home may be for you.

Find out about the day-to-day tasks involved in copy editing jobs

Not all copy editing jobs are the same. Different companies have different requirements of their staff. You may find yourself working as part of a team in which each person fulfills a section of the tasks that copy editors do. Copy editing jobs at small companies may encompass a much wider range of tasks, taking in the full spectrum of the various responsibilities a copy editor has. Some are even given responsibilities that might not always be assigned to workers carrying out normal copy editing jobs. Look through this list of tasks usually expected in copy editing jobs; you may end up doing all of these at once, or you may have just some of these responsibilities.

Proofreading

Correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors is often the responsibility of a proofreader, so you might think it is not part of all copy editing jobs. However, while proofreaders get hold of a text immediately before publishing, copy editors engage in proofreading as soon as the writer has finished the piece. As part of this task, you will need to make sure that the length of the text fits the specification the writer was given and that the piece consistently follows the required house style guide and the dictionary.

Content editing

A key responsibility of all copy editing jobs is making sure the text being edited actually makes sense. This includes straightening out any confusion in wording or phrases that could be misinterpreted. In this task, you often have to return the work to the writer for clarification. This task, in particular, requires skill and discernment—if you decide to seek a role that includes content editing as well as basic proofreading, consider enrolling in an online editing course to sharpen your editing ability.

Fact checking

Copy editing jobs involve a range of fact checking. You have to check that what is written is accurate. Your company may have procedures in place that require the writer to provide sources for any assertions. You will also have to make sure that none of the text has been plagiarized and that all quotes have been properly attributed.

Picture editing

Many publishers have a specialist picture editor, and those carrying out copy editing jobs may not see any illustrations on a piece until it is published. However, other companies have copy editors do the work of checking the copyright on an associated photo, checking for appropriateness, and writing a caption.

Author liaison

Copy editing jobs vary widely in their requirements for contact between the copy editor and the writer. When working on newspaper or web articles, the copy editor is usually expected to have contact with the writer. However, in book publishing the copy editor almost never has direct contact with the author.