Hi! Thanks for the question.
I will try to provide you with links that answers some of your
questions and also gives a background of this field. I will also
provide some direct quotations from the websites I will mention so as
to save you time. But I highly recommend that you read them in full so
as to get a better perspective. Some documents are in PDF file so you
will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to read them. In case you haven’t
installed it yet here is a link so you could download The Adobe
Acrobat Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
The following links provides some tips on how to be a copy editor and
what you can expect from this career.
“Prior experience either in reporting or in editing is generally a
prerequisite for Copy Editors. Previous newspaper experience is
preferred, but experience reporting for other media such as radio,
television, or magazines may be acceptable. A high school diploma is
generally required, and most employers desire at least some college
training, preferably a four year degree. Course work in journalism,
English, and writing is helpful, as are classes in humanities and the
liberal arts. Writing and editing experience on a high school or
college newspaper is also advantageous. Aspiring Copy Editors should
also learn to type.”
“Applicants for copy editor jobs should have good concentration, be
interested in a variety of subjects, and enjoy reading. They must
have an excellent knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and
word and sentence usage. Knowledge of proofreader symbols is
helpful.”
“Salaries for Copy Editors vary considerably, depending upon previous
experience and the size of the publication. Pay can range from
$18,009
to $20,000 per year for the beginning worker and from $20,275 to over
$50,000 yearly for skilled workers. Merit and longevity pay could
raise the latter amount considerably. Smaller newspapers generally
offer lower starting salaries than do the newspapers in the larger
metropolitan areas. Copy editors working at night may receive slightly
higher wages.”
The article also has good forecasts and statistics for the future of
copy editor jobs.
“Copy Editors”
http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/COPYEDIT.HTM
The next article meanwhile the author discusses his career path in
taking a career as a copy editor.
“I suppose my path toward a copy-editing career was about as
straightforward as it gets. I spent four years getting a bachelor's
degree in journalism at a college known for its journalism program, I
got a job on the college newspaper as soon as I could, and I got a
summer internship (actually, two summer internships) at a major
metropolitan daily -- which hired me right after graduation. I paid my
dues on the reporting side, and then I became an editor.”
“If you're just starting college (or still in college mode, no matter
what your age) and you want to be a copy editor when you grow up, make
"internship" your mantra. If the place that hires you as an intern
likes you, that place will hire you full time. If the fit isn't quite
so nice, you'll have invaluable experience and an invaluable addition
to your resume. Nothing you learn in a journalism class will be
anywhere near as valuable as actual experience, which brings me to the
other part of my experience you should strive to emulate: Join the
school paper. At the University of Arizona, my alma mater, the paper
is an independent entity supported by advertising revenue. I learned
my future job by actually doing that job, and that's a heck of a good
way to learn. I got no class credit, but I got a respectable paycheck.
Even if you end up at a college where the paper is more of a
J-department organ, the experience is still the thing. Get it."
“The question of whether you should major in journalism is more
difficult. A lot of very good colleges don't even offer journalism as
a major, and most newspapers wouldn't think twice about hiring a
non-major if that non-major had significant school-paper and
internship experience. The journalism degree is a more straight-ahead
path to a journalism job, but those with the initiative to pursue
non-classroom journalism opportunities might be more successful, in
the long run, in a different area of study. This is perhaps more true
for reporters than for copy editors, but keep in mind that a lot of
journalism jobs are specialist jobs: If you're an economist and a
journalist, for example, you'll be far more appealing to a newspaper's
business section than a dime-a-dozen J-grad.”
“How Can I Become a Copy Editor?”
http://www.theslot.com/howto.html
You do not necessarily need to be in journalism to be in a copy
editing career as the previous link shows. In fact our next link
provides other career avenues for literature majors. One of them is
being a copy editor.
“What Can I Do With a Major in Literature or Mass
Communications?”
http://www.unca.edu/career/LitMassComm.pdf
Language and Literature
http://www.wsc.edu/advising/program/career/majors_careers/arts_human/lang_lit.html
In order to get a very good background, going to some university
publishing programs will be a very good step in the right direction.
The following link lists some copy editing workshops. In fact they
have one at the University of Chicago. The listing for the workshop in
this University is about at the end of the page. Remember the page
also lists other copy editing workshops so you might be interested in
those so as to get a good career out of this.
http://www.copyeditor.com/copy/copy_workshops_books.asp#40
More copy editing workshops are available from the same site. It also
lists some of its online copy editing training programs.
http://www.copyeditor.com/copy/copy_workshops_online.asp
You can also search for copy editor jobs within this site. Just click
on the line above the “Job Opportunities” link (Not Job Opportunities
itself) and you will see Publications Management and Copy Editor.
Click on the Copy Editor link and you will see a link for “Job Board”
click on that and you’re on your way.
http://www.copyeditor.com/default.asp?id=3
The American Copy Editors Society (ACES) will hold a conference in
Chicago on March 6 to 8, 2003.
http://www.copydesk.org/conference.htm
The following are other programs from the American Press Institute
(API) that you might be interested in:
News Editors and Copy Desk Chiefs: Inspiring the Team, Sharpening the
Package
http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/news.cfm?id=656
The next workshop was made in September of this year but it would help
to contact the API when they would have this seminar again since it is
targeted for the aspiring copy editor.
http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/news.cfm?id=221
A complete list of API seminars:
http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/news.cfm?id=7
Search terms used:
“Copy editor” career workshops “online training”
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us at Google Answers.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga |
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