Editing Jobs - What Are They and How to Get One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

There are several different categories of editing jobs, including developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. There are also visual editing jobs, such as film or television editing. All of these jobs come with different responsibilities and duties. As a developmental editor, for example, you work closely with an author or writer to flesh out a novel or book. You read rough drafts and provide extensive notes and constructive criticism about character development, narrative structure, and other elements, and assist the writer to publish the manuscript.

Proofreading jobs are distinguished from editing jobs by the fact that proofreaders have little or no input on the actual copy, and the work involves no writing. In this career, your primary duty is to be the final set of eyes before publication. You address and mark any typographical errors, grammatical mistakes, or formatting issues that the copy editor has missed or that occurred while the type was being set by the printer. You typically proofread galley proofs, which need to be perfect before publication.

A video editor takes footage and edits into a comprehensible form. In this career, your work typically begins after principle shooting has completed. You can work in film, television, news, or sports. You often work closely with the director and producer to provide helpful notes on how to structure and present the footage. Some editors consult during production, advising the director and camera operators on how to shoot scenes. You typically work with digital editing bays, but some video editors still work with film.

A copy editor provides consistency on a writing project that is nearing completion. In this job, your duties are to ensure the content and style are smooth and consistent, address any proofreading errors, grammatical or syntactical mistakes, and query authors about points that need further clarification. Copy editors may work for publishers, newspapers, or on a freelance basis. You can also find work editing content for websites. In these jobs, you may publish the content as well. The role of the copy editor falls somewhere between developmental editing and proofreading jobs. However, sometimes your duties may overlap, depending on the type of publication or size of the publisher.