An income and an interesting job without the hassle of annoying coworkers and long commutes — all from the comfort of your own home… Who wouldn’t want to be a remote worker?
Remote job searching has been steadily on the rise, even before working-from-home became the norm with COVID-19. Remote work, or “working from home,” involves working from anywhere in the world for a client or employer. The remote working industry takes advantage of advanced technology to match employers with potential employees. Internet access is the only thing you need to find a job. Many remote working programs also end up hiring remote freelancers for full-time remote positions as well.
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Though there are more opportunities opening up for remote jobs, finding these openings, especially fields like writing or video editing, may be difficult. The remote job search, like any other, is tedious and time-consuming.
In this article, we’ll dig into the different types of online editing jobs, as well as provide some resources for finding remote jobs in the industry.
What Is An Editing Job?
So what is an editing job?
An editor’s main job is to make the content look clear, organized, and polished. There are a variety of different editing services that employers look for, including technical ones like sound and video editing, as well as written content editing jobs. Some positions may run on an hourly editing contract where an employer pays according to each hour of work. Many remote editors also work freelance – working for many different companies or employers at once instead of sticking to a single company.
Types Of Editing Jobs
Many jobs are shifting from in-person to online since people around the globe are shifting towards remote work at a fast pace. The challenge lies in finding the opportunities online that fit your skills, whether it be video editing, sound editing, image editing, or others. Read on to find out the breakdown of different types of editing jobs, what they entail, and how they can be done remotely.
Video Editing
Video editor is a popular option for many digital nomads since many tasks can be done remotely. Video editing involves taking clips of video shots, arranging, and manipulating them into a polished final video. Often, all that is required for remote video editing is proper software, a portfolio, and a keen eye for detail. A remote video editor works virtually to create custom videos for clients and/or companies. They typically run on a somewhat tight schedule and need to have the ability to make creative decisions for the video. Websites like Filmless hire video editors and match them with startups and Fortune 500 companies.
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Video editing is an essential part of any brand’s marketing strategy. Many companies and clients look for a specific video-editing style to showcase their own brand. It’s important to have a polished portfolio so clients know what type of videos you’re capable of editing! Video-editing tools like Write-on Video can also be helpful in that process. Video editors who can tell compelling visual stories and showcase a brand properly are in high demand, so put your foot in the door and get your work out there today!
Sound Editing
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Sound editing, like video editing, is also a form of media and technical editing. Sound editors typically work with software like Adobe Audition, Audacity, Amadeus, and more. Clients may send audio clips to remote editors, detail what they’re looking for in a final polished track, and expect a tight turnaround time. Sound editing goes beyond just trimming clips and putting together audio tracks.
Many clients look for technical editors to repair and enhance voices or audio. Sound editing is essential to many industries, particularly the music industry. Many artists or clients may have recorded clips but are unable to stitch them together in a professional and polished way. This is where sound editing comes in. If you have a distinct style or skill for audio editing, this may be the right remote editing job for you!
Image Editing
Visual images are at the forefront of any website, social media platform, and brand image. Photo and image editing involves altering images, typically using specialized image editing software. A remote photo editor may be sent image files and given instructions on a particular style of editing required for the job by the client or company. Required software may include Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, or other professional-grade photo editing and manipulation software.
Photo-editing skills are in high demand, especially with the rise of online visual content. Companies and individuals alike strive for a professional brand image, which is almost impossible to achieve without the help of a professional photo editor. The resulting photos would be a reflection of the client’s brand image and/or perceived reliability. Examples of potential work could include editing headshots, Photoshop work, or simply making a photo look more professional.
Written Content Editing
There is a large variety of jobs to consider in the written content editing field. From blog editing to professional publication editing, it’s a fantastic industry that operates well in a remote fashion. Clients can easily send written works over the internet, and content editors can edit from anywhere in the world.
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Things to consider before deciding on a specific type of editing include your skill level, education, and experience as well as personal interest. For some editing jobs, bachelor’s degrees are required; for others, simply experience in the industry will be sufficient. Anyone with excellent technical editing, language, or proofreading skills should consider one of the following editing roles:
Blogging
Blogs are a major part of social networking and information sharing. Blog editors may do a variety of tasks, ranging from managing writers who contribute to a blog to providing article feedback and making sure the writing style is cohesive across the entire blog. In business, its content can be used to create SaaS marketing email templates, social media posts, and other promotional campaigns. To find remote blog editing jobs, look around on sites like Indeed.
Publication
Publications can include journals, magazines, and more. Do some research to find out what type of publication editing would suit your experience and interest best. Publication editing may also include academic editing of journals, editing articles, or working with multi-media content alongside written content. They must be familiar with the style of writing that the publication embodies, and make the creative decisions for the client.
Book
Book editing, though typically through publishing houses, can also be done by freelance writers as well. Frequently, relevant experience is needed to be hired by a client. Some book editing jobs may also require you to format documents into book templates. Sites like Upwork help book editors get matched with work that suits their experience.
Copy and Content
Copy, or general pieces of writing, must be reviewed and edited to improve its goal and readability for a potential audience. Oftentimes, copy editing is needed by clients and companies to improve their marketing materials for customers. Copy editing may require a knowledge of marketing and content editing, as well as good technical editing skills. Remote content and copy editors can work with clients and companies across the globe on content strategy and management like startup email marketing.
Translating
If you are familiar or fluent with reading and writing in more than one language, translating could be a job for you! Clients and companies from all over the world may look for translating services; these jobs can be easily done remotely. There is a large demand for English language editing and translating work, especially from languages like Spanish. Translator editors could be asked to look through texts, listen to audio, or edit words in another language.
What Editing Skills Do You Need to Be a Professional Editor?
Whether you’re looking to edit marketing content or translating text, there are certain skills you’ll need under your belt for whichever editing field or niche you decide to pursue. These may include an advanced degree in language or writing, good collaboration and time management skills, computer proficiency, quick reading and multitasking skills, and more. You may choose to specialize and become a master in just one skill or work on several different editing skills so you can apply them to different types of jobs. These skills could be instrumental in proving that you’re an experienced and qualified editor and open you up to more fantastic opportunities!
More skills to look into include:
- University or College Degree in English, Language, Communications, etc.
- Writing Skills: samples of writing in different disciplines and for different contexts (article writing, creative writing, etc.); those who write well, edit well
- Proofreading: experience in proofreading and publishing is an amazing asset to have for any editor
- Research Experience: having any research experience can show your resourcefulness and experience in academic writing
Niche & Industry
Finding your own particular niche in the large field of editing is important. It can help you land more jobs that are particular to your own skills and experience and allow you to use your expertise in the best way. For example, if you have the relevant marketing experience, you may want to focus on business editing for companies specializing in social media marketing, editing their white papers, presentations, or articles.
Being specific in your job search and on job boards can help you find work because clients are almost always looking for someone with specific experience or skill in their field. Though finding your niche is important, focusing on a single industry is not always necessary – editing for multiple industries is an alternative route to take and has its own perks!
Some industries that have the highest rates of employment for remote editing work include:
- Academic Editing
- Marketing and Copywriting
- College Application and Academic Essay Editor
- Creative Copy
- Transcript Editing
- Blog and Social Content Editing
Applying For Remote Editing Jobs
While there are many remote editing job listings out there on the internet, finding a good, reputable website or client for remote workers can be tough. When applying for online editing jobs, it is important to know what to prepare. These jobs often require materials like a traditional resume, cover letter, and portfolio.
In terms of where to look, freelance job searching can often be incredibly widespread on the internet. Reputable job search websites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter have resources and search terms for freelance positions and remote workers alike. Specific freelance editor jobs can be found on sites like FlexJobs, SolidGigs, We Work Remotely, and Remotive. Many of these sites require an email address or even an application process to register but have extensive job descriptions and key responsibilities included with each job listing. Freelancing is a great setup if you prefer to work on your own terms. But of course, this means that you’ll also need to equip yourself with knowledge on how to file your own taxes, how companies pay freelancers, and essentially how to manage your own business. If you prefer to work with just one company and you’re not keen on handling business operations, you can opt to go for full-time employment. Some of these sites also have full-time positions available to which you can easily send your job application form to apply.
Companies That Hire For Remote Editing Positions
There are many websites that match remote workers with clients. These are very useful to find good, reputable freelance editor positions and other jobs for editors. Here are a few of the top companies that hire for remote editing positions:
- Cactus Communications hires academic editors for their scientific journals and publications and is well-known throughout the world. They also offer training and education for editors.
- Brafton is a creative content marketing agency hiring remote workers to edit and create blog content, as well as video production and editing.
- EBSCO Information Services is a world-renowned “leading provider of discovery services, databases, and other information resources and services for libraries worldwide.” They are headquartered in Alabama but hire full-time editing employees remotely as well.
- Fiverr is not a traditional employer by any means. It is a platform that allows freelancers to post their services, and clients from all across the world can pay you for work; you can choose what you do, how much you get paid, and even overtime compensation.
- Future plc is a global multi-platform media company. They are a leading publisher of B2B magazines and hire remote editors.
- USA Today is a nationally known information and news company. They offer full-time remote job opportunities for editors of all ranks — from digital editors to senior editors.
- VoxMedia, a media and news company, is also in the news industry. The company includes over 325 media brands and typically offers flexible schedules to remote workers.
- Universities are often a great resource to find remote working opportunities as well. Especially after the onset of remote learning, many universities offer remote positions for editing, particularly in academic fields and journals.
Additionally, Google is a great resource for finding editing jobs. Google Jobs also has functions to save job listings, stay updated on a job alert via email alerts, and more.
LinkedIn Jobs is another great job board resource – simply filter your search criteria and set your location to “Remote” or “Online” while searching for jobs, and apply to any open positions that seem interesting.
There are even more websites out there! Companies like Cactus Communications are great for remote editors to advance in their careers while still working from home. Remote editors are an asset to any company, and remote opportunities are steadily increasing as our world becomes more technologically advanced. From academic and scholarly journals to marketing content, editing is important to any field.
Interested in becoming a remote or freelance editor? Start researching and applying today, and work from your own home!