Editors

One of the best ways to explore the field of editing is to work on a school newspaper or other publication. The experience you gain will definitely be helpful, even if your duties are not strictly editorial. Being involved in writing, reporting, digital production, proofreading, printing, or any other task will help you to understand editing and how it relates to the entire field of publishing.

If you cannot work for the school paper, try to land a part-time job with a local newspaper or newsletter, or publish your own newsletter or start a blog. You may try combining another interest with your interest in editing. For example, if you are interested in environmental issues, you might want to start a newsletter or blog that deals with environmental problems and solutions in your community.

Another useful project is keeping a journal. In fact, any writing project will be helpful, since editing and writing are inextricably linked. Write something every day. Try to rework your writing until it is as good as you can make it. Try different kinds of writing, such as letters to the editor, short stories, poetry, essays, comedic prose, and plays.

ACES: The Society for Editing offers a wide variety of resources for aspiring and professional copy editors on its Web site (https://aceseditors.org). These include articles about copyediting, a blog and forum, editing guidelines, grammar guide quizzes, and suggested books and Web sites. The society also offers membership to college students who are pursuing course work in communications, as well as an associate membership category for those who are interested in editing but who have no professional background in the field.

Talk with an editor about his or her career. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology (e.g., AI) change the field? Perhaps you could even job-shadow an editor to learn even more about the field. Ask your school counselor or English teacher to help arrange these exploration opportunities.