Top 12 Writer Editor Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today’s competitive job market, showcasing the right set of skills on your resume can significantly enhance your prospects as a writer or editor. This article outlines the top 12 skills that you should highlight to demonstrate your proficiency and stand out to potential employers in the field of writing and editing.

Writer Editor Skills

1. Proofreading
2. Copyediting
3. SEO
4. WordPress
5. AP Style
6. CMS (Content Management Systems)
7. Grammarly
8. Scrivener
9. InDesign
10. Fact-Checking
11. Google Docs
12. HTML/CSS

1. Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to ensure accuracy, consistency, and error-free text before publication.

Why It's Important

Proofreading is crucial for a Writer Editor as it ensures accuracy, coherence, and professionalism in the final text, eliminating errors, enhancing clarity, and maintaining the intended message and tone. This process is essential for maintaining credibility and engaging the target audience effectively.

How to Improve Proofreading Skills

Improving proofreading skills involves practice, attention to detail, and the use of various strategies and tools. Here's a concise guide for writer editors seeking to enhance their proofreading abilities:

1. Read Aloud: Reading text aloud can help catch errors that might be missed when reading silently. It forces you to go slower and pay more attention to each word.

2. Print It Out: Sometimes, seeing your work on paper instead of a screen can help you spot mistakes you might have overlooked.

3. Use Tools: Leverage proofreading tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor for an extra set of eyes. These can catch basic grammatical errors and suggest stylistic improvements.

4. Take Breaks: Step away from your work to clear your mind. Coming back with fresh eyes can make a big difference in spotting errors.

5. Read Backwards: Start from the end and work your way to the beginning. This technique helps focus on individual words and sentences, making it easier to catch spelling mistakes.

6. Focus on Common Errors: Keep a checklist of errors you frequently make and pay extra attention to them while proofreading.

7. Get External Feedback: Sometimes, a fresh perspective can catch errors you've missed. Consider using peer review platforms or communities like Scribophile.

8. Stay Updated: Language rules and styles evolve. Stay informed about the latest in language and grammar through resources like The Chicago Manual of Style Online or Purdue OWL.

Improving proofreading skills is a continuous process that requires dedication and practice. Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance your efficiency and accuracy as a writer editor.

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 consistency, focusing on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style without altering the author's voice or content.

Why It's Important

Copyediting is crucial as it ensures clarity, coherence, and correctness in a text, enhancing readability and maintaining the writer's credibility by eliminating errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It also involves refining the language to convey the intended message effectively, making it an essential step in the publishing process for any writer or editor aiming for professional and engaging content.

How to Improve Copyediting Skills

Improving copyediting skills involves a combination of practice, feedback, and learning. Here are concise steps:

1. Understand the Basics: Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of grammar, punctuation, and style. The Chicago Manual of Style (The Chicago Manual of Style Online) and the AP Stylebook (AP Stylebook) are essential resources.

2. Read Widely: Enhance your language skills and understanding of different writing styles by reading a broad range of materials.

3. Practice Regularly: Engage in daily writing and editing exercises. Websites like Daily Writing Tips provide useful exercises and tips.

4. Use Tools: Utilize editing tools like Grammarly (Grammarly) and Hemingway (Hemingway Editor) for initial checks, but don't rely solely on them.

5. Seek Feedback: Join writing and editing communities (e.g., Scribophile) to get constructive criticism and learn from others.

6. Learn Continuously: Enroll in online courses or workshops on platforms like Coursera (Coursera) or LinkedIn Learning (LinkedIn Learning) to keep your skills sharp.

7. Stay Updated: Editing standards evolve, so subscribe to industry newsletters like The Editor's Blog to stay informed about the latest trends and discussions.

By following these steps and continually seeking to refine your approach, you can significantly improve your copyediting skills.

How to Display Copyediting Skills on Your Resume

3. SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a strategy used to increase a website's visibility in search engine results, improving the chances of attracting targeted audience. For a Writer/Editor, it involves crafting content using specific keywords, ensuring readability, and optimizing titles and meta descriptions to enhance online presence and engagement.

Why It's Important

SEO is crucial for a Writer/Editor because it enhances the visibility of their content in search engine results, attracting more readers, increasing engagement, and potentially boosting their credibility and audience reach.

How to Improve SEO Skills

To improve SEO for a Writer or Editor, focus on these concise strategies:

1. Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords related to writing and editing (Google Keyword Planner) is a useful tool for this. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content, titles, and meta descriptions.

2. High-Quality Content: Create valuable, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs of your audience. Updating content regularly can also improve SEO.

3. Optimize Meta Descriptions and Title Tags: Make sure your title tags and meta descriptions are clear, include keywords, and accurately describe your content.

4. Use Headings Properly: Organize your content using H1, H2, and so on, to make it easier for readers and search engines to understand the structure of your articles.

5. Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as this is a significant ranking factor (Google's Mobile-Friendly Test).

6. Internal Linking: Link to other pages within your website where relevant. This helps with site navigation and spreading link equity.

7. External Linking: Include links to reputable sites in your content. This can enhance your content's credibility and usefulness.

8. Social Media Engagement: Share your content on social media platforms to drive traffic and improve visibility.

9. Page Speed: Improve your website’s loading speed as it’s a ranking factor. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you analyze and optimize your site's speed.

10. Secure Your Site: Use HTTPS to secure your site. A secure site is a trust factor for users and a ranking signal for Google.

By focusing on these areas, Writers and Editors can significantly improve their SEO performance, attracting more readers and engagement to their content.

How to Display SEO Skills on Your Resume

4. WordPress

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables writer editors to create, edit, and publish digital content on websites without needing extensive technical knowledge.

Why It's Important

WordPress is crucial for a Writer Editor because it provides an easy-to-use platform to publish, edit, and manage content efficiently, enabling them to reach and engage a wider audience online.

How to Improve WordPress Skills

To enhance WordPress for a Writer/Editor, focus on themes, plugins, and SEO optimization:

1. Select a Responsive Theme: Choose a clean, responsive theme tailored for writers. Astra and Writee are popular choices, ensuring your content looks good on all devices.

2. Use Gutenberg Editor Enhancements: Enhance the default WordPress editor with plugins like Kadence Blocks for more layout options and flexibility.

3. Install SEO Plugins: Optimize your content for search engines with Yoast SEO or Rank Math, helping you to write better content and improve your site's visibility.

4. Opt for a Caching Plugin: Speed up your site with caching plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, enhancing user experience and SEO.

5. Utilize Grammar and Style Plugins: Improve your writing quality with Grammarly or Hemingway plugins, catching errors and suggesting improvements.

6. Incorporate Social Sharing Tools: Increase visibility and engagement with social sharing plugins like Social Snap or Monarch, making it easy for readers to share your content.

7. Regularly Update and Backup: Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated. Use a backup solution like UpdraftPlus to protect your content.

8. Implement Google Analytics: Track your site's performance and visitor behavior with Google Analytics to inform content and SEO strategies.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve the functionality, appearance, and performance of your WordPress site, making it more appealing and user-friendly for both you and your readers.

How to Display WordPress Skills on Your Resume

5. AP Style

AP Style, short for Associated Press Style, is a standardized approach to writing and formatting used primarily in news writing. It provides guidelines on grammar, punctuation, usage, and journalistic principles, aimed at ensuring clarity, consistency, and accuracy in written communication. For a Writer Editor, it serves as an essential reference for editing text to meet professional journalism standards.

Why It's Important

AP Style is important for a Writer Editor as it ensures consistency, clarity, and accuracy across written content, facilitating clear communication and professionalism, particularly in journalism and media industries.

How to Improve AP Style Skills

Improving your AP Style as a Writer or Editor involves practice, staying updated, and utilizing resources effectively. Here's a concise guide:

1. Practice Regularly: Writing and editing frequently in AP Style sharpens your skills. Quick exercises or editing short paragraphs daily can help.

2. Stay Updated: AP Stylebook updates annually, introducing new guidelines and changes. Keep abreast with these updates through the AP Stylebook Online.

3. Utilize Resources: Invest in the latest edition of the AP Stylebook. Additionally, the AP Style Blog offers valuable insights and clarifications on complex rules.

4. Join Forums: Participate in online forums or communities where AP Style is discussed. This can provide practical advice and answer specific questions.

5. AP Style Quizzes: Test your knowledge regularly with quizzes. The AP Stylebook's quizzes are a good starting point.

6. Feedback and Review: Seek feedback from peers and review your work critically. Identifying common mistakes can pinpoint areas needing improvement.

By incorporating these strategies into your routine, you'll enhance your proficiency in AP Style, making your writing more accurate and professional.

How to Display AP Style Skills on Your Resume

6. CMS (Content Management Systems)

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software platform that allows writers and editors to create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing specialized technical knowledge.

Why It's Important

CMS is important for a Writer/Editor as it streamlines content creation, management, and editing, allowing for efficient publishing, collaboration, and content organization, ensuring that content reaches the audience in a timely and appealing manner.

How to Improve CMS (Content Management Systems) Skills

Improving a CMS for a Writer/Editor involves enhancing usability, flexibility, and efficiency. Here are concise strategies:

1. User-Friendly Editor Interface: Opt for or customize the CMS to have a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, making it easier for writers to format their content without needing to know HTML or CSS. Example: WordPress's Gutenberg.

2. SEO Tools Integration: Incorporate SEO tools that suggest improvements in real-time. Plugins like Yoast SEO for WordPress can guide writers on readability and keyword optimization.

3. Responsive Design Options: Ensure the CMS offers responsive design templates, allowing content to display optimally across devices. Services like Squarespace excel at this.

4. Content Workflow Management: Implement or enhance workflow capabilities to allow for drafting, reviewing, and scheduling of content seamlessly. Look into Trello for organizing and tracking content tasks.

5. Efficient Media Management: Optimize the media library to support easy uploading, organizing, and editing of images and videos. CMSs like Drupal have robust media management modules.

6. Customization and Extensibility: Ensure the CMS allows for plugins and themes to add new features or modify existing ones without extensive coding. Joomla offers extensive customization options.

7. Regular Updates and Support: Choose a CMS with a strong track record of updates and community support, ensuring security and modern features. Check out the support forums for platforms like WordPress.

8. Integration with Analytics Tools: Make sure the CMS can seamlessly integrate with analytics tools like Google Analytics to track and analyze visitor behavior, helping to tailor content strategies effectively.

Focusing on these aspects can significantly enhance a Content Management System's effectiveness for writers and editors, streamlining their workflow and improving the overall content quality and reach.

How to Display CMS (Content Management Systems) Skills on Your Resume

7. Grammarly

Grammarly is a digital writing tool that provides grammar checking, spell checking, and plagiarism detection services to help writers and editors improve the quality and clarity of their work.

Why It's Important

Grammarly is important for a Writer Editor because it provides real-time grammar, spelling, and style corrections, enhancing the quality and readability of their work while saving time on editing.

How to Improve Grammarly Skills

To improve Grammarly for a Writer Editor:

1. Custom Style Guides: Implement user-created style guides that adapt suggestions to specific writing styles or industry standards. This ensures Grammarly's advice is more relevant and tailored (Grammarly Business).

2. Integration with Professional Tools: Enhance integration capabilities with professional writing and publishing tools such as Adobe InDesign or Scrivener, streamlining the editing process for writers and editors (Grammarly Support).

3. Advanced Contextual Analysis: Improve the AI's ability to understand context better, reducing false positives and offering more nuanced suggestions. This involves deep learning and natural language processing advancements (Grammarly AI).

4. Feedback Loop for Learning: Incorporate a feedback system where users can explain why they rejected a suggestion, helping the AI learn and adapt its future suggestions more accurately (Grammarly Support).

5. Collaborative Editing Features: Add features that allow multiple users to work on a document simultaneously, with real-time suggestions and changes visible to all. This facilitates a more dynamic editing process (Grammarly Business).

How to Display Grammarly Skills on Your Resume

8. Scrivener

Scrivener is a comprehensive writing and project management tool designed for writers and editors, offering features for drafting, organizing, editing, and formatting documents, making it ideal for long-form writing projects such as novels, research papers, and screenplays.

Why It's Important

Scrivener is important for a Writer Editor because it provides a comprehensive writing and editing platform that allows for organizing research, structuring complex documents, and managing drafts in one place, enhancing productivity and focus.

How to Improve Scrivener Skills

Improving Scrivener for a Writer Editor involves optimizing organization, customization, and workflow efficiency. Here's a concise guide:

1. Customize the Interface: Tailor the Scrivener interface to suit your needs. Hide unnecessary elements and use Full-Screen mode for distraction-free writing. Customization Guide.

2. Use Templates and Stylesheets: Create or download templates and stylesheets for consistent formatting. This saves time and helps in maintaining a uniform structure across documents. Templates and Styles.

3. Master the Corkboard: Use the Corkboard for planning and structuring your work. It's great for visualizing and rearranging sections or chapters. Corkboard Tips.

4. Compile with Flexibility: Learn to use Scrivener’s Compile feature effectively. It allows for versatile export options, catering to different formats and platforms. Compiling Basics.

5. Incorporate External Links: For research and references, efficiently incorporate external links into your documents. This ensures easy access to resources and references. Using Links.

6. Sync with External Editors: For advanced editing, learn to sync your Scrivener project with external editors or tools like ProWritingAid or Grammarly. This allows for a deeper editing process while keeping your Scrivener project updated. Syncing with External Tools.

7. Keyboard Shortcuts: Familiarize yourself with keyboard shortcuts to speed up your writing and editing process. Keyboard Shortcuts.

8. Backups and Versioning: Ensure your work is safe by setting up automatic backups and understanding how to use Scrivener’s versioning system. Backups and Snapshots.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency in Scrivener.

How to Display Scrivener Skills on Your Resume

9. InDesign

InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software by Adobe, used primarily for layout and design of documents such as magazines, brochures, posters, and books, offering precise control over typography, images, and page formatting, making it an essential tool for writers and editors in preparing content for publication.

Why It's Important

InDesign is crucial for Writer Editors as it offers advanced layout, typography, and publishing features, enabling the creation of professional, visually appealing documents, books, and digital publications with precise control over design and formatting.

How to Improve InDesign Skills

To improve your InDesign skills as a Writer/Editor, focus on the following concise strategies:

1. Learn the Basics: Start by understanding the core functionalities of InDesign. Adobe's official tutorials are a great resource.
2. Master Text Handling: Dive deep into text formatting, styles, and typography. This InDesignSecrets guide offers tips and tricks specifically for text manipulation.
3. Use Templates: Save time and ensure consistency by using templates. Explore free and premium options on sites like Adobe Stock.
4. Understand Layout Principles: Familiarize yourself with basic design and layout principles to enhance readability and visual appeal. This Canva guide offers a good overview.
5. Embrace Automation: Learn to use GREP styles for automatic text formatting and master the ‘Find/Change’ feature to streamline your workflow. The InDesign Skills guide can be very helpful.
6. Link & Manage External Resources: Efficiently manage and link to external files and resources. Adobe’s guide on managing graphics links is essential reading.
7. Feedback and Collaboration: Utilize Adobe InDesign's collaboration features or integrate with Adobe InCopy for seamless writer-editor workflows. Adobe’s collaboration guide provides insights into collaboration tools.
8. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest features and updates from Adobe InDesign. Regularly visit forums like Adobe Support Community for insights and problem-solving.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly enhance your effectiveness and efficiency as a writer/editor using Adobe InDesign.

How to Display InDesign Skills on Your Resume

10. Fact-Checking

Fact-checking is the process of verifying the accuracy of factual statements in a text to ensure its reliability and correctness, a crucial task for writer editors to maintain the credibility of their content.

Why It's Important

Fact-checking is crucial for a Writer Editor to ensure accuracy, uphold credibility, and maintain trust with the audience by verifying information before publication.

How to Improve Fact-Checking Skills

Improving fact-checking as a Writer Editor involves a multi-step approach focusing on accuracy, credibility, and thoroughness. Here are concise strategies:

1. Utilize Reputable Sources: Always derive information from authoritative and credible sources (e.g., academic journals, reputable news organizations). Cross-reference facts with multiple reliable sources to enhance accuracy. Columbia Journalism Review offers insights on credible sources.

2. Fact-Checking Databases: Employ fact-checking databases and websites such as FactCheck.org or Snopes to verify claims and debunk myths.

3. Check Original Sources: When possible, trace information back to the original source to confirm its accuracy and context. This is particularly important for quotes, research findings, and statistics.

4. Expert Verification: Reach out to subject matter experts for clarification and verification when dealing with complex topics or specialized knowledge areas.

5. Use Fact-Checking Tools: Leverage digital tools and software designed to assist with fact-checking. Tools like Grammarly can help catch inaccuracies, while Google Scholar provides access to scholarly articles.

6. Maintain Transparency: Be transparent about your sources and the fact-checking process. If certain information cannot be verified, disclose this uncertainty to your readers.

7. Continuous Learning: Stay informed about fact-checking methodologies and best practices by participating in workshops or webinars offered by organizations such as Poynter and The News Literacy Project.

By adopting these strategies, Writer Editors can significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of their content, fostering trust with their audience.

How to Display Fact-Checking Skills on Your Resume

11. Google Docs

Google Docs is a cloud-based word processing application that allows for real-time collaboration, editing, and sharing of documents by writers and editors.

Why It's Important

Google Docs is important for a Writer Editor because it enables real-time collaboration, document version control, and accessibility from any device, streamlining the editing and writing process.

How to Improve Google Docs Skills

To enhance Google Docs for a Writer Editor, focusing on productivity and collaboration, consider these improvements:

1. Utilize Add-ons for Editing: Integrate editing-specific add-ons like Grammarly or ProWritingAid to refine your writing directly within Google Docs.

2. Master Keyboard Shortcuts: Familiarize yourself with Google Docs keyboard shortcuts to speed up formatting and editing tasks.

3. Leverage Comments and Suggestions: Utilize the commenting and suggestion features for collaborative editing and feedback, streamlining revisions and communication.

4. Customize Styles: Predefine and apply your custom styles for headings, text, and paragraphs to ensure consistent formatting throughout your document.

5. Link to External Resources: When incorporating external links, ensure they are relevant and credible. Use concise descriptions for links, and apply inline linking for a cleaner document appearance. For example, integrating a citation tool like EasyBib can help manage and format citations directly in Google Docs.

6. Optimize Document Navigation: For lengthy documents, use the document outline feature and insert a table of contents to make navigation easier for both the editor and the reader.

By adopting these strategies, a Writer Editor can significantly improve their efficiency and effectiveness within Google Docs.

How to Display Google Docs Skills on Your Resume

12. HTML/CSS

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard code used to create and structure web pages and content. It allows for the insertion of text, links, images, and other media on websites.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a stylesheet language used to style the appearance of content created with HTML, including layout, colors, and fonts, enabling the visual customization of web pages for a more engaging user experience.

Why It's Important

HTML/CSS is important for a Writer/Editor as it enables the creation and styling of web content, ensuring it is visually appealing and accessible to readers.

How to Improve HTML/CSS Skills

Improving your HTML/CSS skills, especially as a Writer or Editor, involves a blend of learning best practices, practicing coding, understanding design principles, and staying updated with the latest web standards. Here's a concise guide to get you started:

1. Learn the Basics: Ensure you have a solid understanding of HTML and CSS fundamentals. Use resources like MDN Web Docs for comprehensive guides and references.

2. Practice Regularly: Apply what you've learned by building small projects. Platforms like CodePen offer a sandbox to experiment with HTML/CSS.

3. Responsive Design: Understand responsive design principles to ensure content looks good on any device. Start with CSS Tricks' guide to Media Queries for adaptive layouts.

4. CSS Frameworks: Leverage CSS frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS to speed up development and ensure consistency.

5. Web Accessibility: Make your content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Refer to WebAIM's guidelines for making web content accessible.

6. SEO Basics: Understanding HTML semantics improves SEO. Dive into Google's SEO Starter Guide for best practices.

7. Stay Updated: Follow blogs and participate in forums like Stack Overflow and CSS-Tricks to stay informed about new technologies and techniques.

8. Use Developer Tools: Familiarize yourself with browser developer tools to debug and experiment with live CSS editing.

By following these steps and continuously exploring, you'll enhance your HTML/CSS skills, improving your capability as a Writer or Editor to create and manage web content effectively.

How to Display HTML/CSS Skills on Your Resume