Does this sound like a career that would interest you? If so, you should know that you, too, can enjoy the lifestyle that online editing jobs can offer.
Here are ten tips to help you on your way:
Tip #1
The Internet has made searching for online editing jobs easy. If you do a Google search for “online editing jobs”, for example, you will quickly find a range of sites and businesses advertising these positions. Some are online publications directly advertising for editing staff, while others are freelance writing sites and industry-specific job-search sites which advertise positions related to publishing.
Tip #2
Freelance job sites usually have freelance editing jobs available. To use these sites, you have to register and then bid on projects posted by various clients. A given client will then accept the editor he or she wants from the assorted bids. You will need to have an online portfolio, including a resume and references, to prove your skills and experience. These jobs are typically temporary contract positions, but they can help you build an online editing business from home.
Tip #3
Informational websites such as Suite101.com regularly advertise for online editors. These are generally great entry-level editing jobs, and if you’re willing to invest some time, you can benefit from them over the long term. These sorts of communities do generally require a certain time commitment, though, so you will need to be clear upfront about how much time you can afford to spend on them.
Tip #4
Online writers market databases are great places to discover the names and web addresses of quality online publications that pay market rates for editing services. If you have professional qualifications, skills, and experience, you can contact these publishers directly to offer your services on either a full-time or contract basis.
Tip #5
Contact publishers directly to offer your services as an online editor. Be willing to contact any and all publishing houses because you never know which ones could be willing to farm out editing jobs to an online editor.
Tip #6
If you have a degree in journalism, you can qualify for most entry-level editing jobs with newspapers and magazines. Nevertheless, the type of editing you would do in such jobs varies, and you will need to have clear career goals when choosing between these publication types. Incidentally, these editing positions are in-house, not online. That said, if you’re prepared to spend some time working on-site for such traditional print publications, it may be possible to move into online editing later and have work referred to you from these sources. The contacts you can make undertaking traditional employment as an editor can be invaluable.
Tip #7
Online editing jobs are often advertised on both journalism job sites and more general online job boards. Professional journalism sites are far more likely to advertise high-paying positions than some other writing and editing sites.
Tip #8
Freelance writing sites which advertise writer jobs also tend to include online editor jobs. They gain their advertisements from a variety of places including craigslist, and you can often pick up well-paid assignments and even permanent telecommuting positions. However, there are also a lot of people seeking volunteer online editors or offering very little payment for professional work. There may be some benefit, of course, to taking such positions when you’re first starting out -- in order to build a portfolio, for example -- but they can also take time away from finding well-paying jobs, and it can be all too easy to get stuck working for peanuts.
Tip #9
Create a website and advertise yourself as an online editor. There is no reason why you can’t create your own online editing jobs. Of course, you may need professional help to get an Internet marketing campaign up and running, but the global marketplace has made everything Internet-related very competitive, so you can easily find very qualified people on freelance job sites who can do some marketing for you at very reasonable prices. Once you start working for your own clients at rates you set yourself, you’ll gain repeat business and word-of-mouth business if you do a good job.
Tip #10
Contact local printer shops. Printers are good at printing, but many of them are notoriously bad at spelling and grammar, let alone improving on unintelligible writing. If you have the right software, you can suggest that the printer send you documents to check via email that you can then return the same way. This is quick, cost-effective, and can actually be a selling point for them. They can legitimately claim that they employ an experienced editor to ensure that their customers are happy.
Of course, there are more than ten ways to create opportunities to earn a good income through online editing jobs, but these tips are a good start. If you are diligent in your efforts to market yourself and can prove your expertise, it won’t be long before you are happily earning a decent living working online as an editor.
