Top 12 Freelance Editor Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today’s competitive landscape, a freelance editor must showcase a unique blend of skills on their resume to stand out among the sea of candidates. This article delves into the top 12 skills that not only highlight your expertise and adaptability in the field but also make you a highly sought-after candidate for any editorial position.

Freelance Editor Skills

1. Proofreading
2. Copyediting
3. Adobe InDesign
4. SEO Optimization
5. CMS Platforms
6. AP Style
7. Chicago Manual
8. Grammarly
9. Fact-Checking
10. Microsoft Word
11. Project Management
12. Google Docs

1. Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to ensure accuracy, consistency, and correctness in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting before final publication. For a freelance editor, it involves meticulously checking a client's text to enhance its quality without altering the content's essence.

Why It's Important

Proofreading is crucial for a Freelance Editor because it ensures accuracy, enhances readability, and maintains the author's credibility by eliminating errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, ultimately improving the overall quality of the work.

How to Improve Proofreading Skills

Improving proofreading skills, especially as a freelance editor, requires a blend of practice, tools, and continuous learning. Here are concise tips:

1. Practice Regularly: The more you proofread, the better you'll become. Use diverse texts to widen your experience.

2. Learn Common Errors: Familiarize yourself with common grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes to spot them quickly.

3. Use Tools: Leverage tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor for an initial check, but don't rely on them completely.

4. Read Aloud: Reading text aloud helps catch errors you might skip while reading silently.

5. Take Breaks: Fresh eyes catch more errors. Take short breaks, especially during long proofreading sessions.

6. Focus on One Type of Error at a Time: Tackle grammatical errors, punctuation, formatting, etc., in separate passes for better efficiency.

7. Continual Learning: Stay updated with language usage and editing standards by following reputable sources like the Chicago Manual of Style or AP Stylebook.

8. Join Editing Communities: Platforms like Editorial Freelancers Association or Society for Editors and Proofreaders offer resources, workshops, and networking opportunities.

9. Get Feedback: When possible, seek feedback on your edits from peers or mentors to identify areas for improvement.

10. Practice Mindfulness and Patience: Proofreading requires attention to detail and patience. Mindfulness practices can enhance concentration and efficiency.

By systematically applying these strategies and leveraging available resources, freelance editors can significantly improve their proofreading skills.

How to Display Proofreading Skills on Your Resume

2. Copyediting

Copyediting is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to improve accuracy, readability, and fitness for its purpose, ensuring that text is free of grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. For a freelance editor, it involves providing these services on a project basis for various clients.

Why It's Important

Copyediting is crucial for ensuring clarity, accuracy, and consistency in a text, enhancing its readability and professionalism, and preserving the author's voice, making it essential for a freelance editor to deliver polished and error-free content.

How to Improve Copyediting Skills

Improving your copyediting skills as a freelance editor involves continuous learning, practice, and leveraging available resources. Here's a concise guide:

1. Study the Style Guides: Familiarize yourself with major style guides like APA, Chicago Manual of Style, and MLA. Knowing these guides inside out is crucial for accuracy in your work.

2. Practice Regularly: Utilize platforms like Grammarly for daily practice and feedback. The more you edit, the sharper your skills become.

3. Take Professional Courses: Enroll in courses and certifications from reputable sources like The Society for Editors and Proofreaders or ACES: The Society for Editing to enhance your knowledge and credibility.

4. Read Widely and Diversely: Expand your reading to various genres and formats. This exposure improves your flexibility and adaptability in editing different types of texts.

5. Join Editing Forums: Participate in communities like Editorial Freelancers Association where you can exchange knowledge, get advice, and stay updated on industry standards.

6. Use Editing Tools: Familiarize yourself with editing software and tools like ProWritingAid or Scrivener that can help streamline your work and enhance your efficiency.

Remember, improvement is a continual process. Stay curious, open to feedback, and dedicated to your craft.

How to Display Copyediting Skills on Your Resume

3. Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software used by freelance editors and designers for creating and editing complex layouts for print and digital media, including books, magazines, brochures, and interactive PDFs.

Why It's Important

Adobe InDesign is essential for a Freelance Editor because it offers powerful tools for creating and editing complex layouts and designs for publishing across various media, including print, web, and mobile, enabling high-quality, professional output and efficient workflow management.

How to Improve Adobe InDesign Skills

To improve your Adobe InDesign skills as a Freelance Editor, focus on these concise strategies:

1. Explore Adobe Tutorials: Start with Adobe's own tutorials for both beginners and advanced users to understand the basics and discover new features.

2. Practice with Templates: Use Adobe Stock templates to learn how different elements interact and how to manage complex layouts efficiently.

3. Join Communities: Engage with InDesign Secrets and the Adobe InDesign Community Forum for tips, tricks, and troubleshooting.

4. Follow Online Courses: Platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy offer comprehensive courses that cover various aspects of InDesign.

5. Utilize Keyboard Shortcuts: Mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly speed up your workflow and efficiency.

6. Experiment with Scripts: Automate repetitive tasks by using or writing scripts.

7. Stay Updated: Always update to the latest version of InDesign to utilize new features and improvements. Keep an eye on the official Adobe blog for announcements and updates.

By following these steps, you'll enhance your Adobe InDesign skills, leading to more efficient and higher-quality work as a Freelance Editor.

How to Display Adobe InDesign Skills on Your Resume

4. SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization, for a Freelance Editor, involves strategically improving and tailoring their online content to rank higher in search engine results, making their editing services more visible to potential clients. This includes using relevant keywords, optimizing website structure, and creating quality content.

Why It's Important

SEO optimization is important for a Freelance Editor to enhance online visibility, attract targeted traffic, and establish credibility, thereby increasing potential client engagement and business opportunities.

How to Improve SEO Optimization Skills

To enhance SEO optimization for a Freelance Editor, follow these concise steps:

1. Keyword Optimization: Integrate relevant keywords related to editing services in your content. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help find appropriate keywords.

2. High-Quality Content: Produce engaging and valuable content for your audience. This increases the chance of retaining visitors and reduces bounce rates.

3. Optimize Meta Descriptions and Title Tags: Include main keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions to improve visibility in search results.

4. Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help assess your site's mobile design.

5. Page Speed: Enhance your website’s loading speed to improve user experience and SEO ranking. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights provide insights and optimization suggestions.

6. Internal and External Linking: Incorporate internal links to guide visitors to other pages on your site and use external links to reputable sites to enhance credibility and authority.

7. Social Media Engagement: Promote your content on social media platforms to drive traffic and enhance your site’s visibility.

8. Use Google Analytics: Monitor your site’s performance and user behavior with Google Analytics to continuously refine your SEO strategies.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your SEO as a Freelance Editor.

How to Display SEO Optimization Skills on Your Resume

5. CMS Platforms

A CMS (Content Management System) platform is a software that allows freelance editors to create, edit, manage, and publish content on websites without the need for specialized technical knowledge.

Why It's Important

CMS platforms are essential for freelance editors because they streamline content management and publication, enabling efficient editing, organizing, and updating of digital content without the need for extensive technical expertise, thereby saving time and enhancing productivity.

How to Improve CMS Platforms Skills

Improving CMS platforms for a freelance editor involves enhancing usability, flexibility, and content management capabilities. Here are concise strategies:

1. User-Friendly Interface: Optimize the dashboard and editor interface for simplicity and efficiency. Making tools easily accessible can significantly speed up content editing and management processes. WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface.

2. Customization Options: Allow for easy customization of themes and templates without needing extensive coding knowledge. This empowers editors to tailor the look and feel of the content. Squarespace offers robust customization options.

3. Advanced Content Editing Tools: Incorporate advanced text and media editing tools that support various formats and styles, enabling rich content creation. Wix provides a wide range of editing tools.

4. SEO Features: Integrate built-in SEO tools to help editors optimize content for search engines directly within the CMS. This could include metadata editing, sitemap generation, and readability checks. Yoast SEO for WordPress is a great example.

5. Responsive Design: Ensure that the CMS supports responsive design out of the box so that content automatically adjusts to different screen sizes and devices. Bootstrap can be integrated for responsive design.

6. Content Collaboration Tools: Facilitate content collaboration features such as multi-author editing, commenting, and version control. This makes it easier to manage content as a team. Contentful excels in collaboration features.

7. Security Measures: Implement robust security measures to protect content and user data, including regular updates, backups, and user access controls. Sucuri offers security solutions for websites.

8. Performance Optimization: Ensure the CMS platform is optimized for speed and performance, minimizing page load times. Cloudflare can enhance site performance.

By focusing on these areas, CMS platforms can become more efficient and user-friendly for freelance editors, enhancing their content creation and management experience.

How to Display CMS Platforms Skills on Your Resume

6. AP Style

AP Style, or Associated Press Style, is a standardized set of guidelines for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and formatting used primarily in news writing. It is designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and accuracy across publications. For a freelance editor, mastering AP Style is essential for editing journalistic works, press releases, and any content intended for news outlets.

Why It's Important

AP Style is important for a Freelance Editor because it ensures consistency, clarity, and professionalism in written content, aligning with standards recognized by journalists and publications worldwide. This enhances credibility and readability for diverse audiences.

How to Improve AP Style Skills

To improve your AP Style as a freelance editor, focus on the following concise steps:

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Basics: Start by understanding the core principles of AP Style, focusing on common areas like punctuation, capitalization, and numbers. The AP Stylebook is your go-to resource.

2. Practice Regularly: Apply AP Style rules in your editing projects. Use online exercises and quizzes for practice, such as those found on Newsroom 101.

3. Stay Updated: AP Style updates its guidelines annually. Follow the AP Stylebook's Twitter for real-time updates and tips.

4. Use Online Tools: Incorporate tools like Grammarly or the AP StyleGuard for Microsoft Word, which can help enforce AP Style rules in your texts.

5. Read AP Material: Regularly read AP-written articles on sites like AP News. This will help you get accustomed to the style in action.

6. Join Forums and Groups: Engage with other editors and writers in forums or groups like ACES: The Society for Editing to exchange knowledge and stay informed on best practices.

By adopting these strategies, you'll enhance your proficiency in AP Style, ensuring your editing work meets professional standards.

How to Display AP Style Skills on Your Resume

7. Chicago Manual

The Chicago Manual of Style is a comprehensive guide used in publishing, covering grammar, punctuation, formatting, and citation styles, essential for freelance editors for ensuring consistency and accuracy in manuscripts.

Why It's Important

The Chicago Manual of Style is essential for a freelance editor because it provides authoritative, comprehensive guidelines for editing and formatting text, ensuring consistency, clarity, and professionalism in published work across a variety of disciplines.

How to Improve Chicago Manual Skills

Improving your skills with the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as a freelance editor involves a few key steps:

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Manual: Start by getting the latest edition of the CMOS. Spend time reading through it, focusing on commonly referenced sections to build a solid foundation.

2. Practice Regularly: Apply CMOS guidelines in your editing work. Regular practice helps reinforce your understanding and familiarity.

3. Use Online Resources: The Chicago Manual of Style Online is a great resource. It offers searchable guidelines, Q&A, and updates on the latest edition.

4. Join Editing Communities: Platforms like EFA (Editorial Freelancers Association) or ACES: The Society for Editing can provide community support, resources, and workshops on CMOS and other editing standards.

5. Continuous Learning: Attend webinars, workshops, and training sessions focused on CMOS. Many are offered through the Chicago Manual of Style Online and professional editors' associations.

6. Stay Updated: The CMOS guidelines can be updated or revised. Subscribe to the CMOS newsletter or blog to stay informed about any changes or clarifications.

By consistently engaging with the CMOS guidelines, participating in professional communities, and seeking out educational opportunities, you can significantly improve your mastery of the Chicago Manual of Style as a freelance editor.

How to Display Chicago Manual Skills on Your Resume

8. Grammarly

Grammarly is a digital writing assistance tool that uses artificial intelligence to help users improve their writing by checking for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style errors. For a freelance editor, it serves as an efficient tool to enhance the quality and accuracy of their work.

Why It's Important

Grammarly is essential for a Freelance Editor as it provides real-time, automated grammatical corrections, enhancing the accuracy, consistency, and professionalism of their work.

How to Improve Grammarly Skills

To enhance Grammarly as a freelance editor, focus on customizing the tool to better meet your editing needs. Here are concise strategies:

1. Personalize the Dictionary: Add niche-specific terms or frequently used words to Grammarly's dictionary to avoid unnecessary corrections. Customize Your Dictionary.

2. Adjust Goals: Set specific writing goals based on the document's audience, formality, and intent. This tailors Grammarly's suggestions to the context of your work. Adjusting Goals.

3. Utilize the Plagiarism Checker: This feature can be particularly useful for ensuring originality in content. Plagiarism Checker.

4. Explore the Grammarly Handbook: Enhance your understanding of grammar rules to make informed decisions when accepting or ignoring suggestions. Grammarly Handbook.

5. Provide Feedback: Use the feature within Grammarly that allows you to provide feedback on suggestions. This helps improve the tool's accuracy over time.

By customizing and actively engaging with Grammarly's features, you can make it a more powerful assistant in your freelance editing work.

How to Display Grammarly Skills on Your Resume

9. Fact-Checking

Fact-checking is the process of verifying the accuracy and truthfulness of information, ensuring that content (e.g., articles, reports) is correct and supported by reliable evidence, an essential task for a freelance editor to maintain credibility and integrity of published materials.

Why It's Important

Fact-checking is crucial for a Freelance Editor to ensure accuracy, maintain credibility, and uphold the integrity of the content, thereby preventing misinformation and fostering trust with the audience.

How to Improve Fact-Checking Skills

Improving fact-checking as a Freelance Editor involves a few key strategies:

1. Utilize Reliable Sources: Always cross-verify facts with authoritative sources such as academic journals, official government websites, and reputable news organizations. Websites like PubMed for health-related topics and gov.uk for UK governmental information are valuable.

2. Employ Fact-Checking Tools: Make use of digital tools designed for fact-checking. FactCheck.org, Snopes, and PolitiFact can help validate claims and debunk myths.

3. Check for Biases: Recognize and counteract biases, including your own. Websites like AllSides can help identify potential biases in news sources.

4. Stay Updated: Keep abreast of the latest news and developments in your field of editing. Subscribing to relevant newsletters and RSS feeds from trusted news outlets can be beneficial.

5. Enhance Your Skills: Consider taking online courses in fact-checking and digital literacy. Websites like Coursera and edX offer courses developed by reputable institutions.

6. Create a Fact-Checking Checklist: Develop a systematic approach to fact-checking. Checklists should include verifying dates, locations, statistical information, and the context of quotes.

7. Engage with a Community: Join forums or communities of editors and fact-checkers. Platforms like Reddit’s r/factchecking and professional networks can provide support and insights.

By applying these strategies, a Freelance Editor can significantly enhance their fact-checking effectiveness.

How to Display Fact-Checking Skills on Your Resume

10. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a widely-used word processing software that enables freelance editors to create, edit, format, and review text documents, offering features such as spell check, grammar correction, and track changes for efficient editing and collaboration.

Why It's Important

Microsoft Word is crucial for a Freelance Editor as it is the industry-standard word processing tool, offering advanced editing, formatting, and collaboration features essential for producing polished and professional documents.

How to Improve Microsoft Word Skills

Improving Microsoft Word for a Freelance Editor involves enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and convenience. Here are concise recommendations:

1. Utilize Add-ins: Integrate editing-specific add-ins like Grammarly for advanced grammar and style checking, or ProWritingAid for comprehensive editing assistance.

2. Master Shortcuts: Learn and use Word's keyboard shortcuts for faster editing. Microsoft's official shortcut list can enhance your editing speed.

3. Customize Quick Access Toolbar: Tailor the Quick Access Toolbar for one-click access to frequently used commands. Microsoft provides guidance on customization.

4. Use Track Changes and Comments: Master the use of Track Changes and Comments for clear and efficient editing and feedback. Microsoft offers a tutorial on Track Changes.

5. Implement Styles and Templates: Create or customize Styles and Templates for consistent formatting. Learn about Styles here and Templates here.

6. Explore Advanced Find and Replace: Use Advanced Find and Replace for efficient text manipulation. Microsoft's guide on this feature is found here.

7. Leverage Macros for Repetitive Tasks: Automate repetitive tasks with Macros to save time. Learn about creating and using Macros here.

Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency for freelance editors using Microsoft Word.

How to Display Microsoft Word Skills on Your Resume

11. Project Management

Project Management, in the context of a Freelance Editor, involves planning, organizing, and overseeing the process of editing projects from inception to completion, ensuring they meet client specifications, deadlines, and quality standards.

Why It's Important

Project management is crucial for a freelance editor as it ensures efficient organization and timely completion of editing projects, optimizes workflow, meets client expectations, and maintains quality standards, ultimately leading to client satisfaction and repeat business.

How to Improve Project Management Skills

Improving project management as a freelance editor involves a combination of strategic planning, efficient communication, and the use of effective tools. Here’s a concise guide:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Establish clear, measurable goals for each project. Understand the client's expectations and deadlines. MindTools offers insights on setting SMART goals.

2. Effective Communication: Maintain open and regular communication with clients. Use tools like Slack for instant messaging and Zoom for video calls to discuss project updates and feedback.

3. Time Management: Prioritize tasks and set realistic deadlines. Use Trello or Asana for task management and scheduling to keep track of progress and deadlines.

4. Financial Management: Keep a detailed record of project quotes, invoices, and payments. Tools like FreshBooks or QuickBooks can help manage finances efficiently.

5. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest editing techniques and project management trends. Platforms like Coursera and Lynda offer relevant courses.

6. Feedback and Review: After project completion, seek feedback from clients. Use insights to improve future project management practices.

By focusing on these areas, a freelance editor can enhance their project management skills, leading to better outcomes for both them and their clients.

How to Display Project Management Skills on Your Resume

12. Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, web-based word processing software offered by Google, enabling users to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time from any device with an internet connection. It's particularly useful for freelance editors for its collaboration features and accessibility.

Why It's Important

Google Docs is crucial for a Freelance Editor because it enables real-time collaboration and editing, offers easy access from any device, and provides a secure platform for sharing and storing documents.

How to Improve Google Docs Skills

To enhance Google Docs for a Freelance Editor, focusing on efficiency, collaboration, and quality of editing:

1. Utilize Add-ons: Integrate editing-focused add-ons (e.g., Grammarly for grammar checks, ProWritingAid for style and readability) to elevate document quality.

2. Shortcut Mastery: Learn keyboard shortcuts for faster editing and navigation. Google's Support Page provides a comprehensive list.

3. Commenting and Suggestion Mode: Use the 'Suggesting' mode for trackable edits and the 'Comment' feature for queries or suggestions, enhancing collaboration with clients. Google Docs Help Center explains these features.

4. Version History: Leverage 'Version History' to review changes or revert to previous versions, ensuring no valuable edit is lost. Detailed guidance is available on Google's Support Page.

5. Document Outline Tool: For large documents, use the 'Document Outline' feature to navigate sections quickly. Google Docs Support can help set this up.

6. Template Use: Create or utilize existing templates for consistent document formats, saving time on setup. Google provides a range of templates.

7. Voice Typing: For quick drafting or when hands are busy, use 'Voice Typing' under the 'Tools' menu for efficient content creation. Learn more at Google Docs Support.

8. Research Tool: Use the 'Explore' feature to research directly within Google Docs, streamlining the editing process by keeping all work within one window. Details are at Google Docs Help Center.

By implementing these strategies, a freelance editor can significantly improve their efficiency and editing quality in Google Docs.

How to Display Google Docs Skills on Your Resume