Online Editing Jobs
By Eric Hammer
The flip side of online content creation (i.e. writing for
the Internet) is online editing and for all those people who
work in content writing jobs, there are also a tremendous number
of online editing jobs available to look over that work and make
sure that it all looks good.
These online editing jobs are available from a wide variety
of different companies, including major newspapers and magazines
which have expanded their online offerings as well as web only
publications which have online editing jobs aplenty for those
who know the business well.
The key in both cases however is more than just understanding
the nuances of the English language. You also need to understand
how people consume content online. The experience is generally
different from consuming content offline since most people don't
read extremely long pieces of writing online and even when they
do, they tend to skim the material. Because of this, it's often
a good idea to show that you have experience writing online before
you look into online editing jobs.
How Much Can You Make?
Online editing jobs, like offline editing jobs run the gamut
in the amount of money they pay. As an example, Demand Media,
which owns eHow, pays $3.50 per article edited by their online
editors. However, online editing jobs for a company such as the
New York Times can pay significant amount of money (in the range
of $50,000-$60,000 per year) since those kinds of jobs are really
extensions of professional editing work.
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As noted above, you're not likely to get work directly in
online editing jobs without first having proven yourself as a
writer for online work. The job requires you to have an eye for
what will work online. This means relatively short paragraphs
with plenty of subheadings between them to allow people to easily
skim through your writing rather than being required to read
the content word for word as many people may do with a magazine
for example.
At the same time however, it's important to make sure that
every word is completely accurate and without typos. The best
online editing jobs will require those who are absolute sticklers
for enforcing editorial guidelines so as to ensure that a company
puts its best face forward when providing content online.
Qualifications / Requirements
There are no formal requirements for online editing jobs and
there are no requirements to earn a degree. However, it can be
helpful to hold a degree in journalism or a related field as
these kinds of degrees often include a great deal of information
about what it takes to be an effective online editor (as well
as offline editor).
First Steps
Consider creating a portfolio of your own writing, showing
off your editing skills to potential employers. Don't be afraid
to take on some low paying jobs or even internships in order
to gain the experience you'll need to prove that you are able
to effectively handle online editing jobs as well.
Resources
Check out these helpful resources to learn more about online
editing jobs:
EHow: Online Editing Jobs - Ehow is one of the
largest employers of online editors (through their parent corporation,
Demand Studios) and as such is a good place to learn more about
online editing jobs. This article is a bit dry and doesn't provide
lots of detail, but it is a good start.
About.com: Online Editor Profile - Another company
which hires many people for online editor jobs is About.com (it
is owned by the New York Times Company). This is another good
introduction to how online editing works and what is involved
in online editing jobs.
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