Why Editors Don't Work for Free

Would you ask a computer repair technician or a real estate agent to work for free? Of course not. Then why would you ask an editor to work for free? Editing isn't a hobby or a cause; it's a profession that requires training.

But maybe you don't know what editing entails. Maybe you think anyone can do it because it's just like reading for pleasure (hint: it's not!), so you think it should be done for free. Here are links to articles and blog posts about what thorough work editing really is:

• "Let Us Now Praise Editors," from Salon

• "Why Every Author Needs an Editor," from EditorMom

• "Why Editors Should Build Relationships with Authors, and How They Can Do So," from the American Society of Business Publication Editors

• "Why Does Editing Take So Much Longer Than Reading for Pleasure or Interest?" from EditorMom

• "One Editor’s Editing Process," from the blog of the Indian Copyeditors Forum

And here are links to blog posts about the training and continuing professional development necessary to be an editor:

• "How to Transition to Copyediting From Another Career," from EditorMom

• "How to Become a Medical Editor," from The Editors' Weekly