Copyeditors' Knowledge Base

Want to become a copyeditor, improve existing skills, find some new editing tools, network with other copyeditors, or look for editing jobs? (Inclusion in the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base of a program, organization, or publication does not necessarily imply its endorsement by KOK Edit. All entries are supplied for informational purposes only. If you know of information that would be a good addition to the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base, please e-mail KOK Edit.)

Style Sheets

Ever wonder how a copyeditor maintains consistency in a manuscript or on a web site? There are a good many things that a copyeditor must keep track of in a manuscript or on a web site to ensure that the finished book or site is consistent throughout and doesn't jar the reader by odd deviations from its intended structure.

What are some of these? Proper spelling and capitalization of jargon, for a start. There's much more, such as chronological numbering of chapters and references, physical and personality traits of novel characters, and how ranges of numbers are handled.

To document choices about such items, a copyeditor creates a style sheet for each manuscript or web site. It then serves as a reference for anyone who deals with the manuscript later in the process.

KOK Edit Newsletter

The periodic KOK Edit newsletter, available here in PDF format, is sent to all clients by snail mail. For best results, make sure you have the most current version of Acrobat.

Mentoring

Are you new to freelance copyediting and looking for a mentor? E-mail KOK Edit to inquire about Katharine O'Moore-Klopf's availability as a mentor. The cost of being mentored? You must agree to mentor others as you gain more experience.

Are you thinking about becoming
a freelance copyeditor?

Want to become a freelance copyeditor? Maybe you're ready to leave the corporate world or you'd like to have the flexibility that working for yourself can offer. How do you market yourself to establish and build your business? Do you know what skills you need, and what resources are available for you to develop those skills? What computer resources will you need? And what about money—how do you charge for your work, budget for the slow periods, and deal with invoicing and contracts?

"Getting Started as a Freelance Copyeditor," a 16-page onscreen booklet from KOK Edit, will tell you what you need to know. It's expertly written by Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, who has 23 years of experience in publishing, half of it as a freelance copyeditor.

The booklet covers these topics:

Starting out
- The freelancer personality
- The basic skills you need
- The resources that can provide advice and support
- The different types of work available
- What kinds of software you need
- What equipment and reference works you need
Building your business
- Getting the word out
- Getting first clients
- Ongoing marketing
- Determining whether you need a web site
- How to get more skills
Managing time and money
- What to charge for what kinds of work
- Whether to charge by the hour, the page, or the job
- What work pace is considered usual
- How to plan your time
- Putting aside money for vacations, sick days, and taxes
- Budgeting for an unpredictable income
- Expenses
Communicating as a professional
- Dealing with contracts
- Invoicing
- Dealing with clients who haven't paid on time
- Communicating with clients and authors

To purchase this information-packed booklet by credit card or bank-account debit for only U.S.$40.00, go to the "Payment" section here. When you're prompted to input an invoice number, just type in Getting Started. After you do so, either click the credit-card icon or press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will take you to a new page where you can fill in the amount you are paying and other transaction details. During this process, KOK Edit will not be given any information about the credit card or bank account that you are using to make payment. Once your payment has been received, you will be sent the booklet by e-mail.

(Note: The booklet is onscreen only. To prevent infringement on its copyright, it is security-protected so that it cannot be copied or saved as a new file.)

Resources

If you need a graphic artist or an editorial freelancer in another specialty, such as proofreading, design, indexing, or desktop publishing, try these directories and providers.

American Society for Indexing
The American Society for Indexing (ASI) is the only professional organization in the United States devoted solely to the advancement of indexing, abstracting, and database building. Use the Find an indexer link on the ASI web site's home page to find the indexer you need.
Directory of CE-L Freelancers
Copyediting-L (CE-L), an e-mail list, was founded in 1992. Its subscribers are some of the most intelligent, detail-oriented, and helpful people around in the service of making prose safe for readers everywhere. As a service to its subscribers and to those who want to hire an editor, CE-L maintains a list of those of its subscribers who are freelancers, with their specialties and contact information.
DK Research, Inc.
Do you need a permissions editor? Diane Kraut of DK Research, Inc. can research text permission clearance and photographs for use in textbooks of various disciplines from a broad range of commercial and noncommercial sources, edit images for publication, handle photo caption and credit information, prepare spec lists and photo logs, acquire and traffic reproduction rights for photographs and printed material, handle permission agreements, and negotiate usage fees. For more information, contact KOK Edit.
Editorial Freelancers Association Directory
Editorial Freelancers Association's membership includes experienced editors, writers, indexers, translators, and other editorial professionals with expertise in everything from anthropology to 'zines.
Elsa Peterson Ltd.
If you need a versatile freelance editor, go to Elsa Peterson. She is experienced in developmental editing, permission clearance, and in picture research. She has worked in a wide variety of disciplines in the social sciences, arts, and humanities, and her special skills include reading music (piano reduction and open score) and foreign languages (French, Spanish, German). Highly intelligent, she is down-to-earth, professional, and pleasant to work with. For more information, .
Formandsubstance.com
A designer as well as an editor, Helen Glenn Court of Formandsubstance develops and reworks web sites exclusively for individuals, relying on intuition and a reverence for balance between useful information and appearance.
Titivillus Editorial Services
Timothy DeVinney of Titivillus Editorial Services is a talented copyeditor whose clients include many publishers and journals in the health sciences. He is meticulous, dependable, and pleasant to work with.