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Exploring the Essential Features of “Mindy McHorse – How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side Profit – AWAI”
How to Be the âSecret Weaponâ Behind Successful Copy
Let other writers land assignments⊠meet with clients⊠do all the research⊠and write the copyâŠ
While You Get Paid VERY WELL⊠Making Their âGoodâ Copy GREAT!
Hi, itâs RebeccaâŠ
Iâm here to share with you something completely newâŠ
Something Iâm incredibly excited aboutâŠ
And something thatâs âoutside the boxâ of what we normally talk about here at AWAI.
In short, itâs an opportunity to earn excellent money doing something a little âdifferentâ with your writing skills.
You hear us talk a lot about the value of becoming a skilled copywriterâŠ
And how you need to learn the formulas⊠practice your writing⊠grow your skills⊠and always be researching and coming up with new ideas.
But what I want to share with you today requires NONE of that.
Instead, itâs a way to become the âsecret weaponâ behind the best copywritersâŠ
The person whoâs brought in to put on the âfinishing touchesâ that turn âgoodâ copy into GREAT copyâŠ
Or to take ads, content, emails, and sales letters that are not quite âthereâ yet⊠and make them SINGâŠ
All without having to write a single line of original copy.
You see this kind of thing in many industries, where a specialist comes in at the end and âclosesâ the dealâŠ
Like in the film worldâŠ
The movie director is the visionaryâŠ
But to bring his vision to life, he relies on a great film editor to strategically âcutâ the filmâs scenes together so they have the best flow for maximum impactâŠ
This happens in real estate tooâŠ
The architect draws up the blueprints for a new house. And the builders construct the house from bottom to topâŠ
But then an expert comes in at the end to âstageâ the house, so it feels inviting and allows potential buyers to see themselves living in the house.
Same in professional golf.
The athlete develops the raw skills through years of training â but itâs the caddy who gives the information needed to make that âperfect shotâ at the right time.
And itâs also true in the world of copywriting.
The copywriter has an ideaâŠ
They are hired and given the go-ahead to write it.
Then they do all the work â planning, research, writing, and rewritingâŠ
And after weeks and sometimes months, submit a final draft.
But before the marketing team starts using the copy, they need to bring in their âsecret weaponâ to finish the job.
Thatâs where you come in!
Just like the movie editor cuts the film together just right â youâll make sure every section of copy âfitsâ together for maximum impactâŠ
Just like the home stager arranges the dĂ©cor after the house has been built â youâll make sure the copy is clean and inviting, getting rid of any errors that âsnuck pastâ the writerâŠ
And just like the caddy gives the golfer the info he needs to hit the perfect shot â your expertise will turn the copy into the writerâs âperfect shotâ!
Copywriters will LOVE you for it⊠because making their copy stronger and more cohesive puts more money in their pockets.
Clients will love you tooâŠ
Because putting that last âcoat of paintâ on the copy could make the difference between record sales and leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
Itâs far easier than writing any type of copy from scratchâŠ
Yet, youâll still get to use your creativity⊠your attention to detail⊠and what you already know about writing to take a writerâs copy to the next level.
Then thereâs the sheer demandâŠ
As a marketer myself, I can tell you that not one piece of consequential copy gets published here at AWAI without the expertise of this personâŠ
Not to mention the dozens of pieces of new content every day â from articles, to emails, to promotional letters and moreâŠ
And weâre a relatively small company!
I know companies that publish hundreds of pieces of online content day in, day outâŠ
Which means â once you have this amazing skill â your problem wonât be finding projectsâŠ
It will be keeping up with the backlog your clients keep sending you!
And the money â Iâll talk about that in a minuteâŠ
But let me just say right nowâŠ
Even though youâll work outside the spotlightâŠ
Even though youâll never have to come up with a breakthrough idea on your ownâŠ
Or write any original copyâŠ
EVERYONE will know how valuable your contributions are.
In fact, if you ask any marketing manager â or any top copywriter â theyâll tell youâŠ
A writer who can come in during the final phase and make âgoodâ copy GREAT is worth their weight in GOLD.
Which is why if you love the world of writingâŠ
Want your skills to be in high demand and appreciatedâŠ
Want to be paid very well while maintaining the freedom of the writerâs lifeâŠ
But you donât want the *pressure* that can sometimes come with writing new copy from scratchâŠ
This could be the PERFECT opportunity for you.
So let me explain how it all worksâŠ
The Hidden âMVPâ of Every Marketing Campaign
Writing is a solitary activityâŠ
This ability to be completely alone⊠anywhere in the world⊠and get paid to âcreate.â
Some writers are drawn to this romantic notionâŠ
While others â especially introverts â simply enjoy the solitude, and the freedom to work at their own pace.
But just because copywriters write alone, that doesnât mean they work alone.
Even the best copywriters rely on othersâŠ
Including a copy chief⊠marketers⊠and the hidden âMVPâ of the entire copy processâŠ
We call this person the copyeditor.
And even though copyeditors typically stay out of the spotlightâŠ
Thereâs a reason theyâre so valued by marketers and copywritersâŠ
And why theyâre trusted as the last person to âtouchâ the copy before it gets published.
Because without their âfresh eyesâ and attention to detailâŠ
Itâs impossible to be certain the copy is on target, free of errors, and ready to make the biggest impact.
So without their fine-tuning the final result, the copy that gets published is weakerâŠ
Sales, leads, and engagement fallâŠ
And the business suffers.
No Copyeditor = A Nightmare Scenario
A report from the BBC showed one company in the UK was losing HALF its sales â until it corrected a spelling error on its websiteâŠ
What a nightmare!
And to think how easily they couldâve avoided that situation with more careful editing!
Theyâll never recoup the money they left on the table.
On the other hand, Master B2B Copywriter Steve Slaunwhite has seen conversions DOUBLE thanks to skillful copyediting.
When a copyeditor âswoops inâ to lend their expertise before the copy is publishedâŠ
Everyone working on the marketing campaign gains peace of mindâŠ
Confident that every word is clearâŠ
AccurateâŠ
On target to the right audienceâŠ
And consistent with the companyâs style.
As a copyeditor, your superpower is taking the fruits of the copywriterâs labor â and making them even more POWERFUL!
Thatâs why the Crowd Content Blog saysâŠ
âInvesting in copyediting services is like supercharging your copywriter; their talents are suddenly magnified and, at the same time, given extra focus until your vision is expertly tailored for maximum connection, conversion, and engagement.â
Bottom lineâŠ
A great copyeditor is crucial for any serious business that wants to communicate effectively with their customers and prospects.
Weâve long understood that at AWAI.
Thatâs why I âmax outâ the bandwidth of the top copyeditors we work with.
We publish an extraordinary amount of copy and contentâŠ
And for skilled copyeditors I trust, Iâll fight tooth and nail to lock up as much of their time as theyâll give me â and pay them VERY WELL for it!
Once you establish yourself as a skilled copyeditor, clients rely on youâŠ
Because youâll own a valuable skill set most writers DONâT possess.
But what does a copyeditor actually do to have so much impact?
Let me show youâŠ
Deeper Than Surface Level
When you hear the word âcopyediting,â what bubbles up in your mind?
Let me guessâŠ
Fixing spelling errors and typosâŠ
Thatâs correct â but thereâs a LOT more to it than that.
Anyone with good attention to detail can spot and fix typosâŠ
And anyone with basic computer literacy skills can run spellcheck.
Someone who only fixes surface-level issues like those is considered a proofreader.
And donât get me wrongâŠ
Proofreading is important.
But itâs just the start for a copyeditor.
Your main job as a copyeditor is to bring as much clarity to the copy as you can.
This means focusing on organization and structureâŠ
Word choiceâŠ
Making sure the tone matches the messagingâŠ
That thereâs consistency throughout the copyâŠ
That itâs easy to read⊠with a consistent flowâŠ
And so much more.
I think youâll get a better idea if I show you how you might approach a copyediting assignmentâŠ
Imagine being handed this blog post to edit:
Okay, so where would you begin?
For starters, the first time you read the whole piece, youâll want to get a feel for the content without trying to make any edits.
This way, youâll know what youâre working with⊠youâll get a sense of the writerâs âvoiceâ (which you donât want your edits to change)⊠and youâll understand the overall message of the copy.
Next, youâll read the copy a few more timesâŠ
But instead of trying to make ALL the edits at once, divide them into different levelsâŠ
And on each read-through, focus on just one thing.
So on your first pass, youâll look for surface-level issues likeâŠ
- Is the headline accurate? (Are there actually FIVE reasons included â not four, not six?)
- Are there any spelling errors or glaring typos?
- Are all words used correctly? (You donât want to let âtheyâreâ slip through when it should be âtheir.â đ)
- Is there anything you need to fact check? (Like quotes, statistics, studies, or research thatâs referenced.)
Now this is where a proofreader would stop.
And like I said, proofreading is an important service. (You could certainly get hired as a proofreader if thatâs all you want to do.)
But youâre even more valuable as a copyeditor who sees the âbig picture.â
Copyediting is deeper and more involved than proofreadingâŠ
And if your first thought as youâre reading this is, âHey, can I get paid MORE as a copyeditor than just as a proofreader??â
Well first off, I LOVE where your head is atâŠ
And secondly, the answer is ABSOLUTELY!
So with that in mind, letâs get to those deeper editsâŠ
The #1: Most Important Job for Copyeditors
Do you know how short the average human attention span is nowadays?
EIGHT SECONDS!!
Weâre officially less able to focus than a goldfish. đ€Šđ»ââïž
Now I might be telling you this for laughs⊠but itâs important for you to keep in mind as you editâŠ
Because your #1 responsibility as a copyeditor is clarity.
And copy without clarityâŠ
Copy thatâs confusingâŠ
Copy that doesnât grab the readerâs attention immediatelyâŠ
Is copy that readers will click off of faster than you can say âplease donât go!â
So, after you finish your surface-level edits, youâll only focus on clarity when you go through the copy again.
Youâll ask yourself questions likeâŠ
- Is the copy well-organized?
- Is there clear structure to the argument?
- Does each point support the overall message?
- Are there any âlogic gapsâ?
- Is there enough proof to satisfy each claim made?
- You might want to rearrange paragraphsâŠ
Or delete extraneous informationâŠ
Or even leave a note for the writer suggesting they âbeef upâ a weak section.
This dog article weâre looking at here would be pretty simple to edit because it follows a basic formulaâŠ
Each point is numbered and gives a different reason why dogs make the best friends.
And there are plenty of writing projects â like emails, space ads, web copy â that will be just as simple and that you can bang out quickly.
But letâs say youâre editing a 40-page sales letterâŠ
Clarity is more important than everâŠ
Because clarity will help the copy achieve the best results â whether thatâs sales, signups, downloads, or whatever action it asks readers to take.
Now this part of the process takes the most time and thoughtâŠ
But itâs your chance to SHINEâŠ
Because this is when you use YOUR copyediting skills to put the copy in the most flattering lightâŠ
And to EMPOWER the writer to write even stronger, more persuasive copy that gets the best results.
Now after these big-picture edits, your next time through the copy is really fun!
Finish with StyleâŠ
Every company is uniqueâŠ
So they all have their own ways of âstylingâ their copy.
In fact, many even have their own âstyle guide!â
Some stuff they include in their guide is super basic, like whether to write out numbers below 10 or use numerals insteadâŠ
Or whether or not to put a space before an ellipsisâŠ
But thereâs also stuff each company makes part of their brandâŠ
Like product names that need to be capitalized a certain way or written with a trademark symbolâŠ
Or letâs say a company is all about great business practices⊠and their core values are honesty, integrity, and transparencyâŠ
Maybe every time they use one of those words on their website or in their marketing materials for any reason, they write the word in all caps.
Thatâs obviously not how most people would write those wordsâŠ
But itâs unique to their style and brandâŠ
It helps them stand outâŠ
And it makes readers take note of who they are and what theyâre about.
As a copyeditor, you have to be aware when your client does something like thatâŠ
And youâll use this pass through the copy to make sure everything in their style guide â the unique and the mundane â stays consistent.
(Oh, and when a company doesnât have a style guide⊠thatâs something YOU can create for them â for a handsome fee!)
⊠and Make Sure Nothing Snuck by You
Accuracy is one of the pillars of a copyeditorâs jobâŠ
So your last pass through the copy is to double-check that you didnât miss anything.
Think about it like thisâŠ
If youâve ever watched a baseball game, chances are you only notice the umpire if he blows a call.
But when he gets all the calls right, nobody pays attention.
The same is true for copyeditors.
When you do your job well and the copy is error-free, it lets the copyâs message shine throughâŠ
Which means readers wonât notice the outstanding job you did.
But thatâs okay!
This is what you want â because a persuasive message is what gets people to buyâŠ
And itâs your job to make sure nothing gets in the way of that message.
Even if readers donât know the impact you had on the copy (you are a âsecret weapon,â after all)âŠ
Your clients certainly willâŠ
And when they know they can count on you to get great results, theyâll be fiercely loyal to you!
So once youâve made this final pass through the copy, thatâs it.
Youâre ready to send it back to the client â polished up and fit for publication.
Easy-peasy!
And all the skills you need to become a well-paid and trusted copyeditor are easy to learn.
Iâm going to show you how you can get those skills in a few moments.
But first, you might be wondering who needs copyeditorsâŠ
Why the Demand for Copyediting Is Sky HighâŠ
This is where things get really excitingâŠ
Because ALL types of businesses use copyeditors!
Businesses of all sizes â from small ones with fewer than 50 employees to big ones with more than 10,000 employees â hire copyeditors, according to career resource site Zippia.
No matter what kind of copy or content they publishâŠ
They can expect better results when it goes through a copyeditor first.
This is also true throughout all industries and sectors, including media, government, Fortune 500, finance, healthcare, education, tech, and many more.
Just like copywriters can choose any niche theyâre interested inâŠ
So can copyeditors.
But the vast diversity of companies that use copyeditors isnât the only reason demand is soaringâŠ
Simply putâŠ
Thereâs more copy being published online today than ever beforeâŠ
Which means more copy needs to be edited first.
And the demand is still growingâŠ
Why?
A lot of it is due to the pandemic.
For over a year now, weâve been telling AWAI members about âThe LeapââŠ
The phenomenon that saw 10 years of projected e-commerce growth take place in just 90 days in 2020 when we were in a global shutdown.
Businesses that were already online doubled- and tripled-down on their digital marketingâŠ
And those businesses that were exclusively bricks-and-mortar had no choice but to move online in order to survive.
Copy and content flooded the internetâŠ
And it hasnât slowed down ever since.
So the best chance any of that copy and content has to stand out and succeed is by passing through a skilled copyeditor.
Thatâs why you WILL NOT struggle finding clients in need of copyediting.
In fact, when you specialize in copyediting itâs a win-winâŠ
Because youâll build your expertise, which will let you earn more in the long runâŠ
And youâll take a LOT of pressure off the writers you work with.
They can move from project to project faster when they donât have to edit their own work, freeing them up to get more copy published, and ultimately bring in more sales for their clients.
AND youâll help clear the âbottlenecksâ many companies face when all the copy that needs to be edited gets backed up.
We face this here at AWAI, tooâŠ
And weâre a relatively small company that maxes out our copyeditorsâ time.
Just think how many millions of other companies are dealing with this same issueâŠ
Thatâs why you can get paid a healthy five- or even six-figure income as a copyeditorâŠ
And still live whatever lifestyle youâre dreaming of.
Live The Writerâs Life⊠as a Copyeditor!
If youâre craving the freedom of the writerâs lifeâŠ
And you want to use copyediting as your path to get thereâŠ
Thatâs more than doable.
Itâs no different than it is for copywritersâŠ
You can land freelance copyediting clients and travel at will, without them ever knowing where you areâŠ
Or stay home and enjoy working from your patio, curled up in your favorite easy chair, or lounging by the poolâŠ
You can work whatever hours suit you best, morning or nightâŠ
Even if your ideal writerâs life is simply waking up every morning without an alarm, meditating or doing some yoga, pouring yourself a steaming cup of coffee, and starting your workday nice and relaxedâŠ
Itâs all possible.
And get thisâŠ
You can have great security as a copyeditor tooâŠ
Because copyediting lends itself perfectly to monthly retainer deals that pay you predictable income.
After all, any one client could have enough editing needs to fill your entire calendarâŠ
And once you earn their trust and learn their style, youâll make their life much easier if they can lock in your services on a steady basis.
Another possibility is charging an hourly rate.
This works to your benefit because youâll never have to worry about putting in too much uncompensated time on a projectâŠ
With an hourly rate, youâll always get paid for the time you put in.
But you can earn a very good living as a copyeditor no matter how you get paid.
The median annual income for copyeditors is nearly $59,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsâŠ
With the top 10% of copyeditors earning more than $114,000 a year!
And rememberâŠ
The better you getâŠ
The more your clients trust youâŠ
The more of their most important and highest-paying projects theyâll ask you to edit!
Introducing AWAIâs First-EVER Copyediting Self-Paced Training Program
Now that youâve seen why the demand for copyediting is skyrocketingâŠ
That thereâs no limit to the types of companies you can work with as a copyeditorâŠ
That youâll get to be the âsecret weaponâ who has a huge impact on the copy you editâŠ
That youâll empower and supercharge the copywriters you work withâŠ
That you can earn five or even six-figures and land income-predicting retainer contracts from clientsâŠ
And that you can still live your version of the writerâs life â even as a copyeditorâŠ
I want you to see something weâve put together for you.
For the first time ever, weâve created a training program that teaches you how to be a skilled copyeditorâŠ
And I canât wait to show you how to get started right awayâŠ
So youâre ready to begin landing clients in a matter of weeks!
Alright, let me introduce you toâŠ
How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side Profit: Simple Techniques to Elevate Your Writing Value and Your Income
The timing for this couldnât be betterâŠ
Copyediting is more vital now than ever beforeâŠ
Thereâs unprecedented demand for online copy and contentâŠ
And businesses NEED copyeditorsâŠ
So everything they publish is clear and consistent, free from errors, and looks professional.
Thatâs why we created this BRAND-NEW training programâŠ
To introduce AWAI members to this extraordinary path to living the writerâs life that they might not have thought about beforeâŠ
And to get them up and running with this skill FAST.
Guiding you along this path is one of AWAIâs most popular instructors â and biggest successes â Mindy McHorse!
Mindy is a six-figure-a-year copywriter and editor of Barefoot Writer magazine.
Sheâs also an exceptional copyeditor with more than a decade of copyediting experience.
Mindy has authored multiple programs in AWAIâs catalog⊠sheâs taught and shared her expertise on countless webinars⊠and she even got her start as AWAIâs first-ever âReality Bloggerâ for Digital Copywriter, where every week she let members follow her journey to reaching her goal of becoming a six-figure copywriter.
In this program, she will teach you some of the best practices for copyeditors that she uses herself and that sheâs picked up over the years in this industry.
Hereâs just a sampling of what youâll learn that will help you become a sought-after copyeditor who transforms âgoodâ copy to GREAT copy:
- A simple technique that will let you âhearâ any awkward phrasings or run-on sentences (best to do this when youâre NOT sharing an office with someone!)âŠ
- An unorthodox method for âtrickingâ your brain into making sure it doesnât âgloss overâ simple errors and typosâŠ
- An easy way to catch any accidental plagiarism before the copy gets published (this is a popular trick teachers use when they suspect a student might have plagiarized, and it takes less than 10 seconds to do)âŠ
- A great storytelling device you can suggest to a writer whose copy needs to be simplified and made more readableâŠ
- Why understanding the copyâs intended audience is just as important for copyeditors as it is for copywriters â and the practical ways it will influence your editsâŠ
- The three-word mantra you should always keep in mind as you edit copyâŠ
- How to edit and offer suggestions on copy in a tactful way so you maintain a good working relationship with the writerâŠ
And this is just a tiny bit of whatâs inside How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side Profit!
Youâll also get all the doâs and donâts of copyeditingâŠ
Examples of common mistakes youâre likely to run into, and how to fix themâŠ
Core principles that will help you ensure the clarity of the copyâs messageâŠ
Proven strategies for finding and landing copyediting clientsâŠ
Practice exercises to help you master the materialâŠ
And so much moreâŠ
Including one thing thatâs absolutely essential to getting better at any type of writing â or in this case, editingâŠ
Nothing will give you more confidence when talking with potential copyediting clients than having some experience under your belt and the proof of what you can do!
Now letâs take a deeper dive into the full programâŠ
What Youâll Learn
-  Lesson 1: The Exponential Opportunities Within the Copyediting World
Youâll kick things off by getting a 360-degree picture of what copyediting is â and what it isnâtâŠ
Including a full understanding of your responsibilities as a copyeditorâŠ
What kind of career you can have as a copyeditorâŠ
And your role in the copy process.
Plus, here are a few more things youâll learnâŠ
- The âTriangular Copy Creation Process,â where copyediting fits into this structure, and why itâs the backbone of the writing industryâŠ
- The five key skills copyeditors need to do their best work AND get paid what theyâre worthâŠ
- What âHouse styleâ is and why itâs something you can never lose sight of as a copyeditorâŠ
- Three questions youâll ask yourself as you consider the big picture of every piece of copy you editâŠ
- And much more!
Youâll have a great understanding of what it means to be a copyeditor and why youâll get paid so well.
Next, itâs time to start learning what youâll do as a copyeditor day in and day outâŠ
- Â Lesson 2:Â The Mechanics of Editing and Proofing
When learning to be a copyeditor, itâs natural to focus on the âmeatâ of editing â like what changes will strengthen the copy and help it get the best resultsâŠ
But part of your foundation is knowing â quite literally â HOW to make edits on the page so you can work effectively with writers.
Hereâs what youâll learn in this lesson:
- Time-saving shortcuts you can use when working with the Track Changes function in Microsoft WordâŠ
- How to easily leave notes, questions, comments, and critiques for the writer when using Track ChangesâŠ
- Hacks for keeping documents and online folders organized, so you can quickly find what youâre looking for and always come off as professionalâŠ
- Seven tips to follow on EVERY editing assignment to guarantee you do your highest quality workâŠ
- Popular editing resources to try â just see which are most intuitive and useful for you, and youâll be off to the races!
And much more!
Building this foundation from the start will make every editing assignment you take on that much easier⊠giving you speed and the ability to earn more money, faster.
With these basics in place, itâs time to move on to the fun parts of copyeditingâŠ
- Lesson 3: Understanding the Style Game
Your clientâs style guide will be your best friend on every editing project.
Every company has slight stylistic variations⊠including some that are unique to their brand. Itâs your job to be aware of them, so you send back edited copy exactly how they want it.
Hereâs a look at what youâll learn:
- A broad overview of the most prominent style guides youâll need to be familiar with on top of each clientâs individual âHouse styleââŠ
- A quick and easy trick to find out how a client styles a specific word or phrase if itâs not in their style guideâŠ
- Examples of style guides from different companies you can explore to see how much they differ from one anotherâŠ
- How to create your own style sheet (and use it as an upsell for your services!)âŠ
- A list of common issues addressed by a style guide (so you know what to look for when working with a clientâs âHouse styleâ AND to serve as a starting point if you create a style guide from scratch)âŠ
- And much more!
As I mentioned earlier, you can get paid extra to create these for clients, too. So, weâve also added two valuable bonuses to make sure you can create top-notch style guides with easeâŠ
Bonus #1: The Most Popular Style Guides for Professional Copyeditors
Some of your clients will have their own style guide⊠some will rely on a popular style guide that already exists⊠and some will have you use your professional judgment.
This makes it critical that you become familiar with the most common style guides out thereâŠ
That you know what type of writing and audience each style guide is most suited forâŠ
And that you know how to access the style guide you need, when you need it.
With this in mind, Mindy has created a handy reference resource that introduces you to the 10 most popular style guides for copyeditors.
Youâll get a brief description of what makes each style guide so popular, so you know when it makes sense for you to turn to that guide as you edit.
Youâll also get links that show you how to get your hands on each style guide. (You can access some for free online, while others are available for purchase through the organizations that produce them.)
No matter what youâre editing, a style guide is one of your most important tools.
And when your client doesnât hand you their own style guide, itâs up to you to know which style guide will be most helpful as you edit â so you can hand in the strongest possible copy to your client.
Bonus #2: The Ultimate Blueprint to Create-Your-Own Style Guide
You might come across clients that donât have their own in-house style guide â but that would benefit from having one.
This is your chance to give them the direction they need by helping them establish trust and consistency in their messaging â and earn an extra paycheck in the process!
To make it easy, weâve created a 12-step blueprint that walks you through the entire process.
Youâll learn how to begin each style guide by crafting a compelling brand storyâŠ
How to develop a brand âpersonaâ of the clientâs typical reader, making all copywriting and copyediting for them more targetedâŠ
Four questions to ask yourself that will help you identify the right tone of voice to use in their copyâŠ
How to handle the formatting and visual guidelines in the style guideâŠ
And much more!
Remember, youâre not just earning an extra paycheck when you create an in-house style guide for a clientâŠ
Youâre creating an asset.
An asset you can use again and again if you continue to work with that client…
And help all the copywriters and copyeditors they work with in the future.
So itâs a great idea to offer this service as an upsell to every client you work with that doesnât have their own style guide already.
But the training doesnât stop here âŠ
- Â Lesson 4:Â Copyediting in Practice
In this section, youâll get a clear breakdown of the different types of editing services you can offer that fall under copyediting â including proofreading, line editing, fact-checking, rewriting, content refreshing, and SEO copyediting.
Then itâs time to dive into the nitty-gritty of copyediting!
Youâll get a list of common errors to be on the lookout for that will make your editing much easierâŠ
Plus some broad mistakes writers often make, and the big-picture edits that will serve you well.
Once you start working as a copyeditor, youâll come back to this section again and again to make sure you never miss any âred flagsâ in the copy you edit.
Hereâs some more of what this section coversâŠ
- The one copyediting service you can charge extra forâŠ
- The differences between mechanical and substantive editing, and why itâs essential to be able to do bothâŠ
- A good ârule of thumbâ for deciding whether or not to include those pesky commas that drive writers crazyâŠ
- A âgo-toâ fix that never fails to make writing more concise and efficientâŠ
- How to amplify the writerâs voice with your edits, rather than overpowering it so the copy sounds like youâŠ
- An easy six-step overview of the editing processâŠ
- And much more!
Plus, to make sure youâre able to cover all the bases right out of the gate, weâve put together an incredibly valuable resource that jumps you ahead when it comes to experienceâŠ
Bonus #3: The Most Common English Language Mistakes Even Smart People Make
Some writing errors and mix-ups happen all the timeâŠ
Like compliment and complementâŠ
Ensure and insureâŠ
Effect and affectâŠ
And so many more.
So to make your job a little easierâŠ
To save you timeâŠ
And to make sure you always get this âtrickyâ situations rightâŠ
Weâve created an easy-to-use checklist you can keep handy while youâre working.
Even if you save just a few minutes on each piece you editâŠ
That saved time adds upâŠ
Letting you take on extra assignments.
Even one or two extra assignments in a month can mean a couple hundred extra dollarsâŠ
Over the course of a year, that could mean an extra thousand dollars or moreâŠ
And over the long run, this checklist could be worth thousands of dollars to you.
But this next lesson is where your personal value REALLY starts to skyrocketâŠ
-  Lesson 5: How to Improve Any Writing (Basic Edits)
Here youâll get into the principles of professional copyeditingâŠ
And youâll dive even further into the different types of edits youâll make on the copy â both the surface-level grammar issues AND the deeper big-picture issues.
Hereâs a look at what youâll learn:
- The risk you need to avoid when you look at each sentence separate from the whole pieceâŠ
- Two things you should do with every piece of copy you edit before submitting it to make sure you donât miss anythingâŠ
- How to make your own âcheat sheetâ for any piece of copy so you steer away from continuity errorsâŠ
- The different tasks associated with light, medium, and heavy copyediting, and when each level of copyediting makes the most senseâŠ
- A list of common clichĂ©s to keep OUT of the copy you edit â at all costsâŠ
- Why knowing the intended audience is crucial in order to know what industry jargon is acceptable and what needs to be tossed outâŠ
- The most common word mix-ups, sentence mix-ups, and punctuation mix-ups that should always be on your radarâŠ
- Why perfect clarity is much more important than perfect grammar, and how to determine when to leave the writerâs intentional ârule-breakingâ intactâŠ
- And of course, much more!
Now once you understand the âbasicâ edits, itâs time to move into the high-level editsâŠ
- Â Lesson 6: How to Improve Any Writing (Higher-Level Copy Edits)
Now youâll really get into the big-picture edits youâll be making as a copyeditor.
These edits go beyond adding a comma⊠replacing a complex word with a simpler one⊠or breaking a long sentence into two shorter ones.
This is where you edit with an eye toward making sure the copy is logical⊠persuasive⊠and appropriate for the intended audience.
This deeper editing calls for either more involved rewrites or clear and specific suggestions to the writer about how to make improvements.
This is where copyediting can get really fun â and where you can have the greatest impact on producing great copy that gets results.
Hereâs what youâll learn:
- Why the intended audienceâs demographics and psychographics are just as important for the copyeditor as they are for the writer â and how to get that information before you begin editingâŠ
- A list of sneaky tactics that instantly make the copy more readableâŠ
- How the audience plays into your decisions of which grammar mistakes to fix and which to keep as isâŠ
- How the Power of One can be your ânorth starâ that guides your editsâŠ
- The influence and simplicity of the âbarstool testââŠ
- Why itâs important that you âdetachâ from the copy after youâve submitted your editsâŠ
- And much more!
Next is a topic that doesnât get talked about enough, but that should be a consideration for every copyeditor.
Get this right and youâll stand above the crowd as a true professionalâŠ
- Â Lesson 7: Accessibility
An often-overlooked aspect of copywriting â and copyediting â is accessibility.
Itâs important that copy is easy to read and understand for as many people as possibleâŠ
And that would include anyone with disabilities or different learning styles.
You never want to lose potential buyers, especially when there are simple ways to accommodate their needs.
Youâll set yourself apart as a superior copyeditor when you ensure all the copy you work on is user-friendly for ANYONE who reads it â including those readers with ANY disabilities.
Hereâs what youâll learn in this section:
- What accessibility is and why itâs importantâŠ
- Practical examples of what accessible copy and content looks like and how it gives users with disabilities a far richer experienceâŠ
- How to capture the spirit of an image and distill it into useful âalt textâ so visually impaired users donât miss outâŠ
- A valuable resource that will help you develop empathy for users with disabilities, so you can make the best decision regarding accessibility in every situationâŠ
- The number one way to make content more accessible as a copyeditorâŠ
- A simple checklist of best practices, including recommended changes that will make copy and content more accessible for users with different needsâŠ
- And much more!
Alright, weâre getting close to the end hereâŠ
But your training wouldnât be complete if we didnât explore the business side of copyeditingâŠ
- Â Lesson 8: Life as a Freelance Copyeditor:
How to Set Yourself Up for Success
Learning the skills it takes to be a professional copyeditor who can make anyoneâs copy better is a lot of funâŠ
But you know what else is a lot of fun?
Getting paid for it!
In the first seven lessons, you learned all about the opportunity for copyeditors, along with the skills that will make you a superior copyeditor.
Now itâs time to handle the business side of copyediting⊠and frankly, itâs a lot easier than you might think â as long as you make the necessary decisions up front.
Hereâs what youâll learn:
- The fees and salary ranges you can expect â whether you land an in-house copyediting position, work on retainer, or charge on a per-project or hourly basisâŠ
- How to determine the business structure that makes the most sense for you and your goalsâŠ
- Best practices when it comes to signed contracts with new clients â and the seven basic elements to spell out in every contract you write upâŠ
- How to deal with âscope creepâ professionally but firmly, so you never do added work without getting paid for itâŠ
- Why itâs imperative to address ârush feesâ up front â and when to consider making an exception for a client who comes to you with a last-minute requestâŠ
- Five telltale signs that itâs time for you to raise your fees â and how best to share that news with your clientsâŠ
- Seven smart strategies to build your copyediting business through referral marketing â with minimal time or effort on your partâŠ
- And much more!
And of course, thereâs another topic that goes hand in hand with the business side of thingsâŠ
- Â Lesson 9: Where to Find Clients
As a freelance copyeditor, youâre going to need some basic strategies to land the type of clients you want to work with.
And when the time comes to put yourself out there, remember thisâŠ
Your job as a copyeditor is to make others look better.
Your skills will make their copy stronger and more effectiveâŠ
⊠and youâll keep their mistakes from being seen by the world.
Clients WANT and NEED copyeditors!
So when youâre ready, hereâs how weâll help you land themâŠ
- Resources to help you set up your LinkedIn profile and freelance website, and position yourself as a skilled copyeditorâŠ
- How to decide if choosing a copyediting niche is right for youâŠ
- Creating and presenting proposals with confidence â PLUS an example proposal you can freely swipe and useâŠ
- How to prepare for a copyediting test â and pass with flying colors! â if a potential client asks you to take one before hiring youâŠ
- Four easy ways to build a portfolio of copyediting samples before ever landing your first clientâŠ
- Where you can gain real-life experience as a copyeditor (outside of directly connecting with freelance clients)âŠ
- Five more ways you can market yourself as a freelance copyeditorâŠ
- And much more!
Finally, youâll finish your training by learning to make the most of your new skillsâŠ
- Â Lesson 10:Â The Advantages of Life as a Copyeditor
With copyediting in greater demand than ever before thanks to the flood of online copy and content, youâll have every chance to experience long-term success as a copyeditor.
In this final section, youâll get tips that will keep you in demand and in control of your own writerâs life as a copyeditor for years to come.
Hereâs what youâll learn:
- Nine proven time, focus, and productivity tips to improve both the quality and efficiency of your workâŠ
- Where you can go to become a certified copyeditor, making it easier to market your credentials to potential clientsâŠ
- How to stay motivated and avoid burnout long after you start succeeding as a copyeditorâŠ
- A âthree-bucketâ daily routine to make sure you always meet your deadlines, continue honing your craft, market your business, and remain a perpetual learnerâŠ
- How to smoothly navigate your communications with all members of your clientsâ team â including marketers, graphic designers, and writersâŠ
- And much more!
There you have it!
10 lessons that will teach you everything you need to know to be a skilled, well-paid, in-demand copyeditor.
Youâll get proven strategies for finding, landing, and working with clientsâŠ
And for building a freelance copyediting business.
So now that youâre fully caught up on this awesome opportunityâŠ
You probably want to know how much itâs going to cost to get your hands on How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side ProfitâŠ
So you can start learning this exciting skill and be up and running, landing clients in just a few weeks.
And hereâs where it gets even more exciting.
We wanted to keep this program affordable for ANYONE who wants inâŠ
And considering the huge demand for skilled copyeditors to edit all that copy flooding the internetâŠ
Todayâs price is a bargain â especially since you can likely cover the full cost of it with the first few copyediting assignments you land.
But thereâs still one more bonus I havenât mentioned yet that I want to highlight for youâŠ
- Â Bonus #4:Â The Professional Copyeditorâs Checklist
Want your clients to love you?
Want them to be super impressed that you almost never miss anything?
Thereâs an easy way to make that happenâŠ
Use a checklist!
Even professionals who work with life-or-death stakes, like doctors and pilots, rely on checklists because theyâre so effective.
Checklists help reduce errors and omissionsâŠ
And they help ensure nothing slips by you.
This is perfect for copyediting, where you look for the same things over and over again.
With this checklist in hand, youâll always know what youâre looking for⊠you wonât have to rely on memory⊠and your editing will stay consistent.
Plus, this checklist is conveniently broken down into different sections, like âinitial fixes,â âbasic edits,â and âedits for voice and toneââŠ
So you can make multiple passes through the copy youâre reviewing and focus on just one type of edit each time.
A checklist is one of the tools of a professional copyeditor.
And this invaluable resource â along with your three other bonuses â is yours for FREE when you sign up today!
And thatâs on top of the brand-new core program, where youâll learn to tap into this incredible copyediting opportunityâŠ
Land clients who need your servicesâŠ
And become their âsecret weaponâ who turns every piece of âgoodâ copy you edit into great copy.
So what will it take for you to get started on this exciting path?
Hereâs Everything You Get
You can learn the lucrative skill of copyediting and become the âsecret weaponâ behind great copywritersâŠ
Confident that as e-commerce continues to skyrocket and the demand for more copy and content soarsâŠ
The demand for skilled copyeditors will soar alongside it.
Youâll have plenty of options when it comes to getting paid, including the possibility of landing lucrative retainer contracts that pay you dependable monthly incomeâŠ
You can work with any type of company imaginable, no matter how big or small, or what industry theyâre inâŠ
You can still live the writerâs life of your dreams as a copyeditor, with total freedom over where you work, the hours you keep, and who you work withâŠ
Hereâs what youâll get access to:
- The core 10-part learning program, How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side Profit â THE definitive guide for becoming a skilled copyeditorâŠ
- Tools, resources, and examples throughout the program that will speed up your learning curveâŠ
- A quiz at the end of every lesson to ensure youâre mastering these copyediting skillsâŠ
- Videos from Mindy to further explain and demonstrate the concepts youâre learningâŠ
- Written feedback and direction on your final copyediting assignmentâŠ
- A polished copyediting sample to add to your portfolioâŠ
â â
- Bonus #1: The Most Popular Style Guides for Professional CopyeditorsâŠ
- Bonus #2: The Ultimate Blueprint to Create-Your-Own Style GuideâŠ
- Bonus #3: The Most Common English Language Mistakes Even Smart People MakeâŠ
- Bonus #4: The Professional Copyeditorâs ChecklistâŠ
This is as complete and thorough an education in copyediting as youâll find in the industry todayâŠ
And with the demand for copyeditors rising all the time as more companies publish more copy and contentâŠ
Thereâs never been a better time to immerse yourself in this skill, so you can be the hero who gets paid very well to make âgoodâ copy, great.
START NOW!
To your future as a âsecret weapon,â
Rebecca Matter
President, AWAI
P.S. Itâs a rare thingâŠ
To learn a life-changing skill that could set you up to be in demand and make great money for the rest of your career.
So if copyediting sounds like a great path for you to live the writerâs lifeâŠ
If you love the idea of coming in during the final phase of the copy process and taking every project over the finish lineâŠ
Or if you just want to learn a financially valuable skill that could lead to retainer deals, dependable income, and clients who will do anything to hold onto youâŠ
Then go here to get started today.
Please see the full list of alternative group-buy courses available here: https://lunacourse.com/shop/