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With so many online editing jobs available, how do you know which ones are ideal for you? In this article, I’ll break down the options for editing jobs based on where to find them and who they suit in terms of experience—beginner, experienced, or expert.
The jobs in this article are targeted at developmental editors. However, you’ll qualify for some of these jobs as a line editor.
These are not suitable jobs for proofreaders or copy editors, though.
Om Proofreading Picks for Online Editing Work
These are my choices for the best jobs for freelance editors.
| Pick | Reason |
|---|---|
| Best Freelance Platform: Fiverr | no written proposals needed to get gigs |
| Best Job Board: FlexJobs | all jobs screened by their research team |
| Best for Beginners: Proofed | no experience or degree required, but you must take and pass Knowadays’ proofreading class and their editing course |
What Is Editing?
Editing involves making substantial changes to a piece of writing. Developmental and line editors are tasked with making these major changes.
Developmental editing involves improving the overall content and structure of writing.
Line editing enhances a document’s language, logical flow, and readability.
Copy editors are also editors; however, they make changes on a smaller scale.
My Research Process for Developing This Job List
If you’ve ever looked for editing jobs, you know the words proofreading and editing are sometimes used interchangeably, even though they aren’t synonymous.
Therefore, I’ve talked to customer service reps, sent emails, and filled out contact forms to ensure these jobs are for editors, not proofreaders.
I want to give you options that accurately reflect what you’re looking for to save you time.
Top-Notch Tip: Read every job description carefully to know exactly what the position entails.
How The List Is Organized
I’ve listed the jobs according to where you can find them:
- Freelance Platforms
- Job Boards with Remote Work Listings
- Online Proofreading and Editing Companies
The online proofreading and editing companies are further organized according to selectivity—starting with jobs for beginners and ending with ones for experts.
Please visit the sites where you’d like to apply to see the most up-to-date information about job availability.
Notes about Your Role as an Editor
While researching, I noticed that some proofreading and editing services hire editors who are also tasked with proofreading (and everything in between).
I will tell you when I know that the editors hired by a particular business are tasked with the entire editorial process.
I’ll do this by stating that the editors are also responsible for proofreading, meaning they handle line editing and copyediting too.
Online Editing Jobs for Beginners
Let’s start with jobs on freelance marketplaces, which are well-suited to beginners.
FREELANCE PLATFORMS
A simple way to get started as an editor is to set up shop on one or more freelancing platforms.
These online marketplaces serve to connect clients with freelancers.
The disadvantage is that they take a percentage (typically 10%–20%) of your pay for providing these services.
The advantage of these platforms is that they process payments and market your services for you.
You get started by posting a profile (it’s free) to show clients who you are and what you offer.
Then, on all these platforms except Fiverr, you send proposals to clients who have a project you’d like to work on. Getting your first batch of clients is the hardest part of selling your services on freelance marketplaces.
1) Fiverr
Fiverr is a name you’ve probably heard. But now, sellers offer services that cost well over five dollars. I started my proofreading career on this platform and gained valuable experience. What I love about Fiverr is not having to send proposals, which saves time.
Fiverr takes 20% of your earnings.
Requirements: Not selective
Availability: Many clients are looking for editors. If you’d like help snagging those initial clients, please see my post about succeeding on Fiverr as a seller.
2) Upwork
Upwork is another popular freelance platform.
Upwork keeps 10% of your earnings.
Requirements: Not selective
Availability: Upwork is full of clients looking for editors.
3) Freelancer
Freelancer is another well-known marketplace for buyers and sellers. Freelancer takes 10% for hourly projects and 10% or $5 (whichever is greater) for fixed-price projects.
Requirements: Not selective
Availability: Many clients look for editors on this platform.
4) Guru
Guru is not as well known, but it’s a viable option. Since you can work on more than one platform, feel free to give this one a whirl while trying your luck on one or more others.
Depending on your membership plan, Guru takes 5%–9% of your earnings.
They offer a free basic plan, but other plans require you to fork over some cash. Here’s the link to see what each plan includes.
Requirements: Not selective
Availability: Many customers come to Guru looking for developers and programmers, but you’ll still find some editing jobs within Guru’s “Writing & Translation” category.
5) PeoplePerHour
Last, we have PeoplePerHour. They let you send 15 proposals for free each month. If you wish to send more, you can buy “credits.” Unused credits roll over month to month.
PeoplePerHour takes a percentage of what you earn per your lifetime billings with each client. Here are the percentages:
| Percentage Taken | Amount Billed |
|---|---|
| 20% (excl. VAT) | under £250 |
| 7.5% (excl. VAT) | £250–£5,000 |
| 3.5% (excl. VAT) | over £5,000 |
Requirements: Although they don’t mention specific requirements, you need to apply and be approved to work on this site. If you’d like to begin an application, please click here.
Availability: You won’t find as many editing jobs here as on Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer, but it’s still worth a shot.
JOB BOARDS WITH REMOTE WORK OPPORTUNITIES
Checking out job boards is another great way to find editing jobs. Some of these opportunities are beginner friendly, while others require varying degrees of experience.
Except for FlexJobs, many jobs found on these platforms are on-site positions.
However, if you type “remote” into the job location search bar, you can find freelance options.
Below is a list of some of the most well-known job boards in cyberspace.
6) FlexJobs
You can find top-notch opportunities for remote work on this site, but you need to subscribe to access the job list.
Here’s the breakdown of fees based on the subscription period:
| Time Subscribed | Price |
|---|---|
| two weeks | $2.95 |
| one month | $23.95 |
| one year | $71.40 (best value) |
FlexJobs has a research team that screens all companies and jobs added to their site to ensure you find legitimate and professional opportunities. The BBB has given them an A+ rating, and they provide a satisfaction guarantee to their subscribers:
“With FlexJobs’ Satisfaction Guarantee, if you are not satisfied with the quality of our service for any reason, simply cancel your subscription and request a refund (by phone, email, or our Client Service virtual chat) within 14 days of account creation or renewal. We will quickly and promptly process your refund.”
-FlexJobs
7) Indeed
Indeed is a popular board that’s been around since 2004. You can upload your résumé after establishing an account.
8) Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a stellar spot for job hunting and checking out how employees and freelancers rate their employers. The ratings consider factors like compensation, benefits, work/life balance, and senior management.
9) SimplyHired
SimplyHired is another solid site where you can upload your résumé once you have an account.
10) Mediabistro
This website offers various creative jobs, including occasional work for editors. Like several similar sites, you need to create an account before uploading your résumé.
ONLINE EDITING AND PROOFREADING COMPANIES
Here’s a summary of the online editing and proofreading businesses mentioned in this article and the experience level needed to work for each one.
Online Proofreading and Editing Services That Hire Freelance Editors
| Beginner | Experienced | Expert |
|---|---|---|
| R3ciprocity | First Editing | Enago |
| Proofed | Editor World | Managed Editing |
| Writing Jobz | Cambridge Proofreading | ProofreadingServices.com |
| EditorLive | Sibia Proofreading | |
| Proofessor | Wordvice | |
| Scribbr | English Trackers | |
| Grammar Chic | WordsRU | |
| Prompt | Reedsy | |
| American Journal Experts | Scribendi | |
| CACTUS Communications | Quality Proofreading | |
| Dotdash Meredith | The Expert Editor | |
| Global English Editing | ||
| Edit911 | ||
| Kibin |
Many online proofreading and editing services hire freelance editors.
Some businesses hire so many editors that jobs are only available sporadically.
However, other companies provide editors with consistent work since they keep their pool of editors relatively small.
We’ll start with the companies that hire beginners.
11) R3ciprocity
R3ciprocity was designed to provide a space where academics and grad students can give one another feedback on their writing.
You earn credits on R3ciprocity for editing or proofreading other people’s work. You can then use your credits to have someone edit or proofread your work. As the name suggests, the platform operates on the principle of give and take.
Requirements: To become a paid editor, you need to meet R3ciprocity’s quality standards for the test documents.
Availability: To learn about opportunities for paid work, you need to create a profile. The “Contact Us” section of your profile allows you to reach out to the support team.
If you’re new to the editing scene, this could be a wonderful way to hone your skills while helping someone if you’re willing to edit on a volunteer basis.
I’ve corresponded with Dave via email; he’s so nice! Here’s a short video from the site owner, David Maslach, that shows how his site works.
12) Proofed
Proofed offers proofreading, copyediting, AI content editing, fact-checking, and formatting services to a broad range of clients.
Requirements: To work for Proofed, you need to pass the Becoming a Proofreader course and the Becoming an Editor class with distinction by scoring 80% or higher on the final exams. Proofed’s partner company (Knowadays) offers these courses.
If you pass the exam in both courses with distinction, they’ll invite you to complete a trial period with Proofed. If the trial goes well, you can join their team.
Availability: They’re seeking editors to join their growing team.
13) Writing Jobz
Writing Jobz hires writers, editors, and proofreaders for a wide range of subjects. I spoke with Madison, one of the Support Wizards (don’t you love that title?).
Madison was so friendly and helpful. Can I recruit her to be a Support Wizard for my personal life, lol?
Requirements: Madison informed me that prior writing or editing experience isn’t necessary to join their team. But to access the jobs on their site, you need to complete the registration form and submit a writing sample. If your writing sample passes the test, you can continue with the application process.
Availability: Unknown. You need to sign up (it’s free) to access this website.
14) EditorLive
EditorLive.com is dedicated to providing highly qualified editors with consistent work.
The editing they offer clients seems to encompass line editing but not developmental editing.
Their editors are in charge of proofreading too.
Requirements: They ask that you have experience writing academic papers on a variety of subjects. You must also be familiar with Chicago, APA, AP, MLA, CSE, and other style guides.
Please see their website for the complete list of qualifications and requirements.
Availability: They’re currently seeking qualified editors. However, they only hire editors who live in the following states: Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Colorado.
15) Proofessor
Based in the UK, Proofessor offers editing, proofreading, rewriting, and paraphrasing services.
Requirements: They hire native English speakers who have graduated from a UK/Ireland university. You also need to have a firm grasp of English and earn an excellent score on their tests.
Availability: Unknown
16) Scribbr
Scribbr offers academic editing, proofreading, and essay coaching services.
The editors they hire are responsible for editing and proofreading.
Requirements: The main requirements are a bachelor’s degree or higher and the ability to edit at least 10,000 words per week.
Availability: They’re hiring editors who are native speakers of one of the following languages:
- English
- Dutch
- German
- French
You need to scroll down the page, past “Job openings,” to see these opportunities. I almost missed them!
If you find these jobs are no longer available, I suggest taking their language quiz.
When they’re not hiring, they typically send you an application and contact you when they’re hiring again if you pass the quiz.
17) Grammar Chic
Grammar Chic provides various services including editing, writing, and formatting. They hire editors, copy editors, and proofreaders.
Requirements: You can email them at [email protected] to learn about their requirements.
Availability: Unknown
18) Prompt
Prompt aims to help students become better writers by providing actionable feedback on their college essays and applications. Therefore, Prompt hires people who edit essays and give students thoughtful and comprehensive feedback.
If you’re an editor with a flair for coaching, you may want to consider becoming a writing coach at Prompt.
Requirements: They don’t have any requirements listed on their website.
In the past, they’ve required applicants to have a college degree. They’ve also stated that 80% of their coaches had an advanced degree, and 75% had teaching experience.
Availability: They’re not hiring. However, if you’re interested in becoming a writing coach, you can fill out this form to be added to their waitlist.
19) American Journal Experts
American Journal Experts (a division of Research Square Company) offers editing, manuscript preparation services, and academic translation for researchers who want to publish their papers.
Requirements: You must have native English proficiency and have or be pursuing a master’s degree from a leading research university in the US. Please see their site for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They have openings for academic editors. Here’s the link to see the most up-to-date job listings.
20) CACTUS Communications
CACTUS Communications wants to help society progress by making scientific knowledge accessible to people all around the globe.
Requirements: None listed. However, about a year ago, they wanted you to have a master’s or PhD in one or more specialized subject areas in the following:
- physical sciences
- engineering
- materials science
- healthcare
- life sciences
- medicine
- surgery
Experience was preferred but not mandatory.
Availability: You can visit their website to see if they have openings for editors.
21) Dotdash Meredith
Dotdash Meredith is a digital media company that publishes content about diverse topics.
Several positions for editors (including content update editors) were available when I looked at their website.
Top-Notch Tip: When job hunting on this site, search the “Contract” jobs, and set the location to “Work from Home” unless you have a sudden urge to work in New York—the other option for location. 😉
Also, when choosing a job category, select “Editorial/Content.”
Requirements: It depends on the company posting the job.
Availability: This site seems to have at least a few editing positions open regularly.
Freelance Work for Experienced Editors
22) First Editing
First Editing provides various services including editing, proofreading, and formatting.
Their editors are responsible for proofreading.
Requirements: They only hire editors who are native English speakers with formal editing training and experience.
Availability: They’re hiring editors.
23) Editor World
Editor World provides editing, proofreading, writing, rewriting, and paraphrasing services.
They only hire editors who are also responsible for proofreading.
Requirements: Editor World hires native English speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Their main requirements are editing and proofreading experience and a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Availability: They’re hiring editors.
24) Cambridge Proofreading
Cambridge Proofreading offers proofreading and editing services to a wide range of clients. However, most of their clients are students and academics.
Their editors are responsible for proofreading.
Requirements: At a minimum, you need a bachelor’s degree, some editing experience, and an outstanding grasp of the English language. But they strongly prefer editors with more advanced qualifications, such as a master’s or PhD.
Please see their site for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They’re looking for freelance editors. You can start here if you’d like to apply.
25) Sibia Proofreading
Sibia offers editing and proofreading for all kinds of documents.
Their editors are also in charge of proofreading.
Requirements: You need to have a degree from a top university and PhD-level editing experience.
Availability: Sibia is not hiring editors.
26) Wordvice
Wordvice provides editing and proofreading services to a broad range of clients.
They prefer to hire editors who can also do proofreading.
Requirements: You need to have a master’s degree or be pursuing one. You also must have a minimum of two years of experience and knowledge of several style guides. Please visit their site for the complete list of requirements and details of their hiring process.
Availability: They’re looking for qualified, experienced editors to join their team.
27) English Trackers
English Trackers offers editing and rewriting for a wide variety of documents. Their editing services are akin to what most people know as copyediting; their rewriting service is comparable to developmental editing.
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker with a specialist background or experience in editing or journalism.
Their ideal candidate either holds a PhD or has at least two years of experience as an academic editor. They also prefer editors who have experience working with documents written by non-native English speakers.
Availability: They’re not hiring editors.
28) WordsRU
WordsRu provides editing, proofreading, and copywriting for businesses, authors, and academics.
Requirements: You need to have at least two years of experience as an editor, copy editor, or proofreader. You must also have a master’s, PhD, or equivalent experience in an academic discipline. Please see their site for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They’re seeking editors.
29) Reedsy
Reedsy aspires to connect authors and publishers with accomplished freelancers in the publishing industry. They hire editors and proofreaders.
Reedsy keeps 10% of your earnings in exchange for advertising your services in their marketplace.
Requirements: No requirements are listed on their site.
You can take the short quiz (“Are you ready to join Reedsy?”) in this article to determine whether you’re qualified to freelance for Reedsy.
I took the quiz to learn more about the requirements. Then, Reedsy emailed me saying that they “ask that all professionals on our platform have at least three years of experience working with books.”
However, they review profiles individually, so you can complete a profile if you’ve worked with bestselling authors or won a prestigious award in a book-related field.
Availability: You can sign up and create a profile for free. If they accept your application, your profile will be displayed in the Reedsy Marketplace.
30) Scribendi
Scribendi offers editing and proofreading for a wide range of clients.
Their editors are tasked with proofreading.
Requirements: You need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least three years of experience in editing, writing, document production, or language teaching.
Please visit their site for the full list of requirements.
They state the following concerning freelance editors:
“Must not reside in the US jurisdictions of Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington DC, West Virginia, or Wyoming.”
– Scribendi
Availability: You can fill out Scribendi’s application. If you meet their current hiring needs, they’ll contact you.
31) Quality Proofreading
Based in the UK, Quality Proofreading offers editing and proofreading services to businesses, academics, and students. They hire editors and proofreaders.
Requirements: You must have at least three years of proofreading experience and an advanced degree from a leading US or UK university.
Please visit their site for the full list of requirements.
Availability: They’re interested in hearing from experienced proofreaders and editors, especially those with backgrounds in science/engineering and business/management.
You can email your CV to [email protected] if you meet the requirements. Please click here for information on what to include in the email’s body and subject line.
32) The Expert Editor
Based in Australia, The Expert Editor offers editing and proofreading for books, business documents, and academic work. They also provide manuscript assessments.
Their editors are tasked with proofreading.
Global English Editing (below) is their sister site.
Requirements: You need to be a native English speaker with considerable experience and have a master’s degree or a PhD.
Availability: They often look to hire experienced editors. If you’re an excellent editor, they ask that you introduce yourself via email at [email protected].
33) Global English Editing
Global English Editing provides editing and proofreading for books, business writing, and academic documents. They also offer manuscript evaluations.
Their editors also proofread.
Requirements: All their editors are native English speakers with a master’s or PhD and extensive editing experience.
Availability: Unknown
34) Edit911
Edit911 provides editing, copyediting, and proofreading. They also transform dissertations into books.
Requirements: They’re highly selective. You need to be a teacher and/or book editor with verifiable experience. You must be a published scholar with a PhD in English or another writing-intensive field. Please see their site for all the requirements.
Availability: They’re seeking editors for dissertations, theses, and books. If you meet the qualifications, you can send them your résumé and a writing sample.
35) Kibin
Kibin specializes in academic editing but accepts documents from a broad range of clients.
They hire editors who are also responsible for proofreading.
Requirements: Kibin hires experienced editors, and they have high standards. You can learn about their vetting process here.
Availability: They’re not hiring.
Online Jobs for Expert Editors
36) Enago
Enago helps researchers worldwide to successfully publish their manuscripts. They hire editors and copy editors.
Requirements: They generally hire editors with a master’s or PhD and a minimum of five years of experience in academic editing. Their editors need to be able to work with documents written by non-native English speakers, and they should also be experts in a particular subject.
Please see their website for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They’re looking for editors for several subjects. You can click here to read about the application and selection process.
37) Managed Editing
Managed Editing offers developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading to a varied clientele. They also provide publication-related services.
Requirements: You must have a college degree and at least five years of experience to apply, but they typically hire editors with far more advanced qualifications.
Availability: You can complete their detailed independent contractor application so they’ll have your information when they need extra help.
38) ProofreadingServices.com
ProofreadingServices.com provides various services to academics, authors, and businesses.
Although they cater to clients who need copyediting and proofreading, they hire editors to handle developmental edits when needed.
Requirements: At a minimum, you’ll need years of experience in a relevant field (e.g., as an English professor or teacher). Previously, they said they only hire one out of roughly three hundred applicants.
Availability: You can go here to learn more about freelancing for them and take their 20-minute preliminary test.
That winds up this extensive list of online editing jobs. Now, let’s get answers to a few common questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get online editing work?
Many strategies are available to get online editing work.
I like to compare searching for work to fishing. When “fishing” for jobs, you want several lines in the water to boost your chances of scoring work. But if you cast too many lines, they’ll likely get mixed up and become too difficult to manage.
So try to focus on a few tactics that you think will work best.
Here are some ideas to consider:
1) Establish Your Own Online Editing Business
If you haven’t yet built a website, doing so can help you land jobs. Creating a business requires initiative and shows potential clients you take editing seriously.
On your site, you can talk about your training and display certificates and testimonials.
Having an online company portrays you as a professional and lets you keep everything you earn—no intermediary here!
If you plan to build a website, feel free to look around my site to get a feel for the pages you may want to include. I’m far from a web developer, but checking out my site’s structure may help point you in the right direction.
2) Create a Profile on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals.
When creating your profile, be as detailed as possible to increase your chances of landing a job.
You’ll also want to indicate that you’re open to work so that you appear in recruiters’ and hiring managers’ searches.
3) Network with Editors and Writers
We often forget about the power of networking to connect us with a job. Ideal places for networking include LinkedIn, Facebook, Quora, and Reddit.
These sites have groups for editors and writers where you can meet new people and be in the know about opportunities for editing work.
People will notice if you offer value to these groups by providing advice and insights.
They’ll be more likely to hire you since they’ve seen how helpful you are.
And after you’ve helped others, you can pitch your services if it’s permitted.
4) Cold Email Potential Clients
Although this may seem daunting, it can lead to success with enough perseverance and patience. The advantage of cold emailing is that you’re handpicking your clients.
The opportunities are there for the taking.
Just reach out (with exceptional tact) to those you think you can help the most.
To have the best shot at getting a new gig, write a tailored email highlighting how you can help your potential client.
Also, offering a free or low-cost sample edit is a wonderful way to get the communication going!
Can I work from home as an editor?
Yes, you can work from home as an editor. Many editing jobs are done remotely to save companies the overhead they ordinarily pay to accommodate in-house editors. And if you work for independent authors, you’ll be working remotely.
How much do online editors make?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average yearly salary of online editors in the United States is $51,564 (as of February 2024). This is roughly $25 per hour.
If you’re a beginner editor, your earnings will start on the low end of this pay range.
ZipRecruiter gives us more information about how much online editors earn by stating the following:
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,000 and as low as $20,000, the majority of Online Editor salaries currently range between $35,000 (25th percentile) to $56,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $104,000 annually across the United States.
– ZipRecruiter
If you’d like to see how pay rates differ for developmental and line editors, you can visit this page on the Editorial Freelancers Association’s website.
I hope this article has helped you discover several freelance editing opportunities that are right up your alley!
I wish you the best as you pursue jobs!
Best wishes to you!
“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
-Maya Angelou
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