Who can become an editor?
Editor is one of those professions that are not for everyone. It would seem that since everyone can write, they should easily handle it. But there is more to this work. People with experience in this position may even say that it is an art form comparable to singing or painting. After all, anyone can sing a song that is on the radio or pick up a pencil and sketch any object. The problem is that the difference in the quality of this work will be visible after a few seconds. You have to be born with certain attributes and even an attempt to work on yourself successively may turn out to be insufficient for people who do not have the vocation and skills for a given profession. It's the same with writing. We acquire this art in the first years of education, but not everyone is able to use the written word in such a way as to attract attention among readers.
The editor's job is not easy
In the work of an editor, it is only one of the elements that guarantee the success of getting this job. You have to remember that polishing a writing style actually takes a lifetime and there will always be an opportunity to gain new experiences from a function. Punctuation, spelling and stylistics are one thing. In addition, there is a way of leading the recipient through successive strings of characters so as not to give him respite or lead to boredom. An editor's job, however, is not only about writing. It requires enormous general knowledge in various fields, text proofreading or the use of computer programs, which can make life much easier. So how do you become an editor? This question appears almost every day on thematic websites, forums or social networks. The road to success is by no means rosy. Before we decide to take this career path, it will be good to analyze all the advantages and disadvantages of this solution. First, you have to answer the question: who can become an editor - and why me?
Who can become an editor?
It may not be a rule, but the vast majority of people become an editor by passion or vocation. Have you been trying to write imaginary stories since you were a child, or maybe you wanted to become a poet by flipping nursery rhymes onto sheets of paper? Or maybe your texts are on a yellowed scroll covered with dust in the basement? If you add to this hobby of reading books or annoying your friends with correcting every other word spoken, then chances are that the editor's job is right for you.
Even before starting their professional career, young people are looking for their place on the labor market. From an early age, boys want to become policemen or firefighters, and girls dream of a model or princess life. Along with entering the labor market, life verifies our dreams, so writing in a drawer when young does not necessarily mean that we are fit to be an editor. In addition, there are other factors. Regularly polishing your tongue and submitting to major magazines or websites can be a good start. Before we move on to this stage, however, it is worth considering the additional features necessary for working as an editor.
Regardless of whether we plan to become an editor in a local newspaper, a national magazine or a website, it will be necessary to have a very good computer and internet service. What is meant by this? Since we write, it's mainly in a text editor, but just typing the next string of characters is not enough. We need to learn perfect text formatting, inserting hard spaces, generating a table of contents, creating multi-level bullet lists, matching appropriate styles, adding footers or headers. Contrary to appearances, not everyone has the knowledge about it right away. This, however, should come with time, because only perfect mastery of the indicated elements will allow for more efficient work.
The individual character of the candidate also has a great influence on starting work as an editor. You have to be perfectionist, be able to plan your tasks very well, and even be able to work alone. Yes, it is not an exaggeration, because the vast majority of working time consists in fully concentrating sitting at the text - both when formulating the next sentences before transferring them to paper / text editor, as well as during the correction, which requires even greater concentration. You also have to take an allowance for the type of work - we can work full-time in the office, where interpersonal contacts necessarily take place. In the case of remote work, some candidates may lack the presence of other people - as we know, a man is a herd unit and even motivation in the form of an attractive salary may turn out to be insufficient if we are not able to work alone.
There are also such cases that, despite strong efforts and awareness of our skills, we fail to catch the opportunity to gain experience. Long months pass, we regularly send texts to subsequent editorial offices, but our actions do not bring results. It does not necessarily have to be a sign of the "crisis in Poland" or the ignorant approach of recruiters to the incoming application documents. Maybe we're just not very good, and admitting it to ourselves could be a serious blow to our own ambitions. If, in fact, our intuition does not give us peace and we feel that the editor's work is what we love, then we should not give up further attempts. You have to read as many valuable materials as possible (books, scientific publications, magazines), write new texts and send them - each attempt makes us better and better. Adding to it passion and love for the job done, sooner or later we should reach the goal.
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The beginnings of working as an editor are not the easiest ones, as it takes a lot of determination in pursuing the goal to be noticed. Competition on the market is fierce, but it is not worth bothering about. Training your own writer's skills is one thing. As mentioned at the beginning, the work of an editor is associated with a very good knowledge of a wide range of knowledge. It seems logical - after all, you need to know not only how, but also what to write about. Here there is another important issue - in what field of knowledge should we turn to make writing a pleasure for us. You cannot become an editor who, despite good technique, describes matters that are not of interest to him or that he is unfamiliar with. In the next part of the series, we will look at equally important issues related to the editor's work. You will learn, among others about what skills should be acquired before starting a career and - finally - where to look for a job in your dream position.
