Written by Erin Snyder

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Freelance writing is a good way for novice editors to gain experience in the publishing field, learn valuable skills, and further their education.

Editing Experience

As a professional freelance writer, your job doesn’t stop with writing an article or blog post and submitting your work; it also involves knowing how to edit your work. When I first started my freelance career, I made the mistake of believing that the organization’s in-house editors would edit my pieces and check for typos, grammar errors, etc.

I quickly learned that this was not always the case. If I wanted to look professional, I needed to learn how to edit my own work, catch typos, and acquire skills to polish my words. For me, freelance writing became a powerful tool to learn the basic concepts of several kinds of editing, including developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading.

Freelance writing can also be beneficial in learning your strengths and weaknesses and what editing skills you excel. This is especially insightful if you have an editor who is willing to work with you to improve your submissions.

Learn How to Edit Kindly

As editors, our job is to take someone else’s words and make them better. For most of us, reworking a manuscript, article, or devotional into a masterpiece is very rewarding. But for the author, the process can be a little more painful.

Freelance writing gives editors a chance to experience the “other side of the coin” in the publishing field. Being edited can provide a deeper insight on what it means to be a kind editor and how to approach your clients with a humble, teachable attitude.

Practice Being Teachable

You can learn a lot from the people who edit your work. While you may sometimes learn how not to edit, many editors are willing to help you learn the ropes and can offer constructive criticism that can positively shape your career.

Job Opportunities

If you’re interested in an editing career beyond books, freelance writing is a good way to open doors and build relationships in your preferred field. 

Gain SEO Knowledge

If you are a freelance writer online, you are probably familiar with a few SEO guidelines, including headlines and keywords. Learning some basic SEO knowledge can go a long way to helping run a successful website, craft blog posts, and even help land online editing jobs.

Sharpen Writing Skills

Sharpening your writing skills is essential for a successful editing career. Developmental and line editing requires reworking sentences, paragraphs, and even whole chapters to improve clarity, point of view, and pacing.

Freelance writing is a good way to hone your own writing skills so that you can help other writers and authors ready their manuscripts, blog posts, and devotionals for publication.

Earn Extra Income

Earning extra income from freelance writing is one of the best ways to help boost your editing skills. When budgeted wisely, taking on extra freelance jobs can provide funding for editing classes, conferences, and website and marketing expenses.

Freelance writing can be a wonderful experience for novice editors and can help prepare you for your God-given calling of editing. 

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