Copy editing is a calling.
Some people are called to teach; others to save lives. I have been called to nit-pick. As funny as that may sound, I believe it’s important. It’s much more than the correct use of commas, e.g. “let’s eat grandma” vs “let’s eat, grandma” – though that also saves lives. Copy editing provides clarity. My lecturer used to say that editing is like cleaning a window in order to see through it instead of only seeing the dirt on it. Instead of seeing errors and awkward sentences on a page, you see the content shine through.
But, like with all callings, editing has its frustrations and, at times, can become overwhelming. Thinking in circles and being worried that I’ll let the client down is a daily struggle. I am my brand and my business, so the stakes are high! Fortunately, my boss is open to me not getting it right 100%, and she’s big on allowing room for growth. #beingyourownbossrocks
Workwise, my December was slow (academic editing isn’t exactly high on students’ lists during this time). I, therefore, had a lot of time to reflect on my calling, and this led me to write about the good, the bad and the better of editing.
The good
I love what I do. Not only because I find it ridiculously satisfying to work with grammar rules (nerd alert), but because I can be creative at the same time. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, “Let me count the ways.” In my case it’s not about my love for someone, but how many different ways I can correct a sentence so that it turns from pain into poetry.
It makes me happy to know that I can help improve people’s use of grammar and language and, thereby, help them to achieve a goal. My passion is to help students improve their marks because their dissertation was easy to read and consistent in its presentation. Clients who are happy and thank me for helping them really makes my heart sing.
An unexpected perk of copy editing is that my general knowledge has expanded. I now know about how market-related news affects Bitcoin’s price, how fire affects soils types in Ghana and, most importantly, that 'Pool Olympics' with plastic dolphins is a real thing (for those of you who got excited – the last one is not an academic text).
An expected perk of freelancing is that I get to work from home – or whichever coffee shop entices me the day. I value autonomy very much. The notion of having to ask my boss if I can get time off to go renew my driver’s licence drives (pun!) me nuts. Now, I can come and go as I please and my only responsibility is to deliver quality work on time. In fact, my current boss encourages me to go out for a quick coffee!
The bad
As I’ve mentioned before, hours of intense editing can prove to be frustrating and also exhausting – mentally, emotionally and physically. Having a stiff neck, strained eyes and high levels of stress whilst feeling completely overwhelmed when I’m alone at home can make for a pretty unhealthy work environment. Unfortunately, working in your pyjamas can only take you so far….
An unexpected con to being a copy editor is that my hobby (reading) has now become my job. Now I’m so tired of reading all the time that I never want to read. Sigh. That awkward time your hobby becomes your job which then destroys your hobby. I suppose I’ll have to find a new hobby. Fly-fishing it is, I guess.
A big struggle has been dealing with potential clients who are not willing to pay the rates I charge, because they don’t believe I deliver a real service. I wish I could walk around with a banner on my forehead saying, “Editing a document isn’t the same as having a quick squizz at it.”
Lastly, the thing about freelancing that has been the most difficult to accept is the lack of consistent income. Some months are feast and other months are famine. But I remain stubbornly optimistic and alternate between drinking champagne in feast months and sparkling water in famine months. Balance is everything, they say.
The better
Working in an office environment made me desperately unhappy and, frankly, I was a horrible person to be around. Now that I’m in charge of my own time, I’m friendlier, calmer and considerably more patient. My personal life is healthier and mental health is better. Much better. My husband has also forbidden me from finding an office job again because he says I’m much nicer to him now! Happy wife happy life, right?
Looking back on previous work I’ve done and seeing how my style has improved is greatly encouraging. It’s good to see my editing style changing and maturing (hopefully). Self-improvement is hard work because it requires effort, but the reward of seeing it happen really makes it worth all the hours spent.
And finally, freelance copy editing has forced me to learn skills I never thought I’d learn: design, marketing, SEO, client relations. I actively avoided these things for a long time because I found it so intimidating, but now, it’s just another thing on my list of things to do. I was convinced that I wasn’t good at those things and couldn’t do them – but I was actually just scared; I didn’t want to put myself out there. Those who can’t, don’t want to.
The year 2020 has roared into action and it’s time to get back onto the hamster wheel. But this time round it’s with a clearer picture of my calling which will amplify the good and the better and with an expanded skill set in my arsenal to help combat the bad.
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