Expert: Cathy Clamp - 11/17/2008

Question
Hello,

I am currently a senior anthropology major at my college, but writing and editing remain my true passions. My career goal upon graduating this May is to become a copy editor (becoming rich is not important to me, obviously). I am concerned, however, that because I have neither an English-related degree nor very much work experience, it will be nearly impossible to land a job. I have submitted poetry to my campus literary publication and worked as an assistant copy editor for my campus newspaper for one semester, but that is virtually all my experience. I am willing to move -anywhere- in the world to find a job, so I'm hoping that flexbility will be a major asset.

My question is, what can I do to make myself more appealing as an applicant? Is it really who you know rather than what you know? Will excellent research/grammar skills trump a non-journalism degree?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Hi, Christine!  

Well, there are a couple of things you can do to make yourself more appealing. Most of it involves volunteer work, but experience is experience in this biz. You don't say whether you want to be a journalism copy editor or a book copy editor, but fortunately they pass back and forth nicely. Here are a couple of tips:

1.  Visit Google or your favorite search engine and do a string search for "Independent Publisher Association & [insert your state name]"  You'll probably get a local group of small, independent and niche publishers. Then, start calling around to offer your services for free or for a very low cost. Explain your circumstance and see if there's anything you can do to get started in the biz. Most likely, they're terribly overworked and would welcome you aboard, but probably won't give you copy editing at first, at least until they have some concept of your skills. Perhaps a letter from your English or Journalism Professor could help as an introduction. But even if you don't get copy editing at first, there are still things you can do, such as proof reading galleys or media kits or even press releases.

2.  Join an online group called "Publisher's Marketplace". http://www.publishersmarketplace.com This is one of the industry "hotspots" where publishers post jobs. You'll get the opportunity to sign on for a weekly email called "Publishers Lunch" That's where the classified ads are where publishers list entry level openings. The trick is that normally the jobs are on-site and you're still in college. That's why I recommended #1, because that's something you can do at a remote location. Now, PM is a pay service, as well as a free one. But in order to access the jobs section, you'll need to pay the $20/month fee. It's billed to a credit card, but can be cancelled at any time without any hassle at all. So, you can do a month or two, see if it's useful, cancel for a few months and then start it again. They make it really easy.

3.  Intern at a publisher. It's a little late in your college career to start interning, but it's possible an anthropology or archaeology magazine might be looking for skilled editors who understand the language. Look through your favorite industry mags and send a simple inquiry to the managing editor on the masthead (near the table of contents) to see if there are any possibilities for freelance work at the mag.

4.  Learn as much as you can about the publishing business by reading up on terminology and how magazines and books get from the concept stage to the shelf. If you need some hints about where to go, just yell.

Those are a few possibilities. Hope they help a little. Good luck, and feel free to ask any other questions if you have them! :)

Cathy