Do you dream of reading for a living?
Do you get a buzz from fine-tuning bloated paragraphs so they hammer home the writer’s message?
Does your heart sing at the thought of waving goodbye to the 9 ‘til 5 and living the digital nomad lifestyle with a diverse and fulfilling career?
Then freelance editing could be exactly what you’re looking for!
This post will walk you through what it entails, how much you can earn, and where to find work, even if you have minimal editing experience.
Let’s dive in.
As a freelance editor, you’ll improve content for readability or visual appeal.
You’re essentially a fixer-upper, helping content live up to its full potential.
Editorial tasks include:
It may also involve rewriting sections to:
The TLDR; a proofreading job and an editing job are similar but different — proofreading focus on the nitty-gritty grammar details while editing looks at content (including grammar) through a wider lens.
The world of editing is rich and diverse.
Whether you want to edit for the world of academia, publishing, business, or for print or the web, there’s a freelance editor job up for grabs.
And there’s a huge demand for your editing services if you’re a:
If you’re not an English language all-star, focusing on types of content editing such as photo, audio, and video editing could be your way into this dynamic field.
ZipRecruiter reports the average annual pay for an Online Editor in the United States is $52,107 a year.
A deeper dive into the figures reveals annual salaries as high as $104,000 and as low as $19,500. The majority of online editor jobs pay between $31-57,000, suggesting that opportunities are ripe for advancement and increased pay based on skill level and experience.
In other words, the more of an experienced editor you are, the more money you’ll bring in.
Ready to find a lucrative online editing job?
It’s time to hit the job sites!
Whether you’re looking for part-time academic editing, a full-time remote editing job, or anything in between, our curated list will help you find your next job opportunity.
Start by setting up a free account. Add work samples to show off your skills, and then bid on editing jobs. When your bids are accepted, do the work and get paid.
Don’t be discouraged by low-paying jobs initially.
Build your credibility, and apply for the Preferred Freelancer program to enjoy daily invitations to high-paying jobs from Freelancer’s dedicated recruitment team.
Their professional career coaching and resume reviews will help level up your application. And their in-depth employer research will ensure you only apply to the companies you really want to work with.
You’re in control of your schedule, and a full spectrum of academic subjects are covered allowing you to work on projects you’re passionate about.
Searching their job postings is easy. Type in your preferred job title (e.g. “managing editor”), and set the location to “flexible/remote” to see all of the roles available right now.
They’re selective about who they let in, so you’ll need to sign up and apply. If you’re accepted, you’ll work with best-selling authors and publishers, and you’ll be in control of your rates.
Their free courses and tools will help you improve your skills and get the job done with ease.
A fast turnaround time is expected, along with a bachelor’s degree, working knowledge of popular style guides, and 2 years of professional editing experience. In return, Wordvice promises a steady flow of work, flexibility, and ongoing training and feedback.
Freelancing can be lonely, but that needn’t be the case. Scribendi’s online forums encourage you to interact with other freelancers and their in-house staff.
Apply if you’re a fast working native English speaker, have a relevant degree, and 3 years of experience. In return, you’ll get the freedom to choose your projects and how many hours you work.
LinkedIn also has a jam-packed job board. To find remote editing jobs, simply select “remote” from the drop-down location menu in the search box.
Scribbr provides a vibrant community online via Slack, and at offline meet-ups, so you can geek out over the Oxford comma in good company.
Sounds too fast? Don’t worry! Scribbr provides training and software to supercharge your workflow.
The good news? Editors are in demand!
Once accepted, you’ll get the opportunity to work with some fantastic companies. If you wow them, they’ll add you to their “love-list,” giving you first choice on future gigs.
Upload your resume, find the role you want, and use the Quick Apply feature to fire off an application.
They list openings for copy editing, video editing jobs, and more.
Their free resources will help you boost your skills and provide detailed salary information. Discover how much others in your dream role are earning and what you need to do to get those higher rates.
You could be editing academic papers, resumes, business plans, and more. Choose your area of expertise or do a bit of everything, the choice is yours.
They pay twice monthly and award bonuses for competency and speed.
With new openings being posted daily, keep checking back to find the gig you’ve been waiting for to get your editing career off the ground.
Set up by writers for writers (and editors), they support the community by sharing a wealth of information for both the seasoned freelancer and beginners alike. You’ll find business advice, get help setting up your online editing portfolio and receive job hunting tips.
Guru boasts the lowest freelancer fees in the industry and helps take the pain out of being paid with SafePay. Employers fund the shared account before work starts. Then, when the work’s complete and the employer’s happy, the funds will be released to you.
It’s easy to get started. Just sign up, and take their pre-timed test to prove your mettle.
Kibin welcomes everyone to apply, especially if you’re in a different time zone to the US/Canada or are available for overnight hours.
Many of the editing gigs listed here are permanent and contract positions, but every one of them is a remote job. Experience is often required so be sure to have a robust portfolio; if you haven’t got it in years, prove it with ability.
When you’re a beginner it can be hard to know how to open the door to a new career.
Next, launch your own website! Decide what you want to edit, share your portfolio, and include a contact form to start receiving leads.
Sign up to a few of the job sites, win some gigs, sharpen your editing skills, and build your online presence.
Once you gain some experience, those kick-ass editing jobs will be flying in thick and fast.
Who knows, you may even find yourself heading up a team of writers or editing the next Pulitzer.
Go ahead, find your dream job today!
The post 17 Online Editing Jobs for Freelancers & Beginners (2022) appeared first on Smart Blogger.
