Technology is a beautiful thing. If you’re a copyeditor, you can now work as a freelancer and make money more easily than ever before.
Here at Evviva, we are committed to helping you achieve financial freedom. One of the key tools to building your abundant life is side hustles like freelancing.
What Is A Freelance Copyeditor?
A freelance copyeditor is a self-employed editor who works for themselves rather than for someone else. As a result, they have greater control over their working environment and schedule.
Freelancers charge a fixed amount per hour or each project to clients who will use them on a regular basis or for a one-time job. Because companies want their services but don’t want to pay salaries and benefits, freelancers may command a premium for small editing jobs. As a result, companies have an immediate demand for your skills, and you make good money
Editors can work with clients on a number of interesting projects ranging from resumes to journal articles.
Project examples:
- Resumes
- Journals
- Reports
- Blogs
- Website text
- CVs
- Many more
Why Be A Freelance Editor?
In 2020, there are several benefits to working as a freelancer. For example, the freelance sector in the United States is worth around $1.2 trillion each year, according to CNBC (2020).
That’s a lot.
Flexibility is another benefit. You can work from any place with an internet connection as a freelancer. As the owner of your own time, you may choose when and how much to work. You have complete control over who you collaborate with and what kinds of responsibilities you take on. Freelancing is a great Side Hustle in college and can even become your Career after graduation.
Freelancing can be a great source of income. The average freelance copyeditor makes about $30 per hour (ZipRecruiter, 2022), but the top earners make over $50 per hour. (Upwork, 2022)
Freelancing allows you to be more selective about the work you do. You may pick and finish projects that are interesting to you and consistent with your values.
How To Become A Freelance Copyeditor?
To become a professional editor in the freelance world, you don’t need a four-year English degree or an award-winning journalist award. The appeal of being a freelancer is that you can get started with limited experience and still make money. Your rates will increase as your skills and ratings grow, showing how much more experience you have.
There are a few key things you need to get started as a freelance copyeditor:
- Copy editing skills
- A portfolio of work to showcase
If you have these things, you’re well on your way to becoming a freelance copyeditor.
Editing Skills
The first step is to improve your abilities. There are several tools available to assist you in learning from the bottom up or furthering your understanding. You may study on your own by watching instructional films or attending an online course at home.
The more you practice, the better you get. Here are some tools to help you get up to speed and build your portfolio.
Online Courses:
Editing Mastery: How To Edit Writing To Perfection
This course will teach you everything you need to edit nonfiction writing.
With over 6 hours of world class material and 54 downloadable resources, this course really has it all. You will learn about content, structure style, and even presentation of text. The course even features tips and tricks from a former Wall Street Journal senior editor.
If you want a guide to editing from some of the best so you can get freelance writing jobs, look no further.
For those who want to improve their proofreading game, this course covers how to proofread and what to look for when doing so.
It will teach you the ins and outs of professional proofreading symbols and even strategies to catch more errors. These include such things as punctuation, grammar, and even fact checking.
For those who want in-depth guidance on proofreading everything from academic copy to video content, this course is for you.
How to Become a Freelance Editor: Make Money Copy Editing
Once you know how to edit, you may want some extra guidance navigating the freelance editing game. This course will give you that in depth support.
The course covers everything from how to position and market yourself to how to work and talk with clients. It also will hep you foresee and deal with common editing freelance problems so that you can be right up there with other top tier freelance editors.
One of the best parts of this course is its discussion of the three levels of editing as well as discussion on how to price these different offerings.
For those looking for in-depth guidance on how to market yourself and deal with clients in the copyediting space, this course is for you.
Create A Portfolio
After you’ve honed your copywriting abilities, it’s time to put them to use. A portfolio is a collection of your best work that you can offer prospective clients as proof of your expertise.
Having a diverse portfolio of projects is crucial so that clients may see your expertise. You might build an internet portfolio on platforms like Wix, Weebly, or WordPress. It’s easy to get started and free. Some freelancing sites even allow you to submit your work for evaluation by potential clients so that you don’t need a separate portfolio. This will help you secure your first editing job.
If you like writing or took one of the courses above, you’ll likely have plenty of material for your portfolio. Now time to get clients and put your writing skills to the test as a copy editor!
Where To Find Clients?
Once you’ve established that you have the necessary talents, it’s time to start making money! There are several freelance platform websites where you may find potential customers and freelance editing jobs immediately. It’s never been easier to earn money as a freelancer editor, selling your editing services before.
You can check out our article on freelance platforms if you would like to see more options, but here are our top three recommendations for freelance editing platforms.
Top 3 Freelance Platforms to Find Clients
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the most popular freelance websites; it is easy to use and has a huge pool of clients ready to hire.
One of the best things about Fiverr is that it’s straightforward; clients can can search for consultants by skills and location, and then view their profiles, reviews, and gig descriptions. Then you both can easily chat on the site.
Key features:
- Huge pool of consultants & clients
- Easy to use
- Consultants are rated and reviewed
- Fiverr takes a 20% cut of every transaction.
2. Upwork
Upwork is a major freelancing website with over 12 million registered freelancers and 5 million customers. Upwork has a comprehensive vetting procedure for contractors, so businesses know they can rely on you.
A freelancer’s profile on Upwork includes a CV, portfolio, testimonials, and a rate card. To help clients and freelancers find the ideal match, Upwork offers a searchable database of professionals, skills tests, and bids.
Key features:
- 16 million registered freelancers
- Rigorous screening process
- Skills tests
- 20% fee for the first $500
- 10% from $500-10,000
- 5% above $10,000
3. Freelancer.com
Freelancer is one of the most popular freelance sites, with over 25 million registered users and 10 million projects posted every year. If you want to take on one-time jobs or look for long-term employment, Freelancer is a fantastic platform.
One of the finest features about Freelancer is that it provides a variety of methods to earn money, including hourly jobs, fixed-price projects, and contests. This makes it simple to locate work that matches your schedule and abilities. There are also several tools available to make locating the appropriate project easy, such as a searchable database of projects,
Key features:
- Contests
- Built-in messenger
- 6 free bids per month (for free users)
- 10% fee for hourly projects
- 10% or $5 (whichever is higher) fee for fixed-price projects
- 20% fee for services
What Are You Waiting For?
As a freelancer, you may work from anywhere with access to the internet. As an self-employed person, you are in command of your own life. You have the option of who you want to collaborate with and what obligations you want to take on. Freelance editing is a fantastic Side Hustle while in school that might even grow into a career by the time you graduate!
If you want to be a freelance editor, start with the three websites listed above or one from our freelance platform recommendation article. All of these sites, including Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer, are fantastic options for finding clients and earning money. If you follow the instructions carefully, you can begin freelancing right now and make a decent living. Who knows what might happen? You could wind up with a whole new freelance business.
Start hustling today!
