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What does a copy editor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Bradley Shreve
What does a copy editor do

The primary job of copy editors is to check for misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and consistency in typography, words, and style. They also act as fact-checkers, proofreaders, and project managers, overseeing the workflow and communicating with other departments. A copy editor's other duties and responsibilities include checking content for readability and compliance with editorial policies, rewriting text to improve readability and clarity, and arranging page layouts of articles, photos, and advertisements. Formal training is not required for this role, but copy editors generally have a firm grasp and love for the English language's proper usage.

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Copy editor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real copy editor resumes:

  • Manage copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.
  • Collaborate with managing editor and editor-in-chief to develop and post news coverage and multimedia projects.
  • Supervise editorial services and manage workload for multiple complex projects offering professional development training for educators via online and classroom delivery.
  • Compile NHL, NBA, NFL, golf and college roundups, and laid out the scoreboard page.
  • Call upon to produce special pages for NHL and NBA previews.
  • Serve as lead copy editor for NASCAR, college football, college basketball and NFL sections.
  • Proofread and copyedit manuscripts to prepare them for publication.
  • Proofread copy for accuracy, grammar, spelling and style.
  • Read, copy edit, proofread every aspect of the newspaper.
  • Highlight URLs, email addresses, and twitter addresses to be link to hypertext.
  • Top poster of items on Facebook that would drive users to the KPHO site.
  • Design newspaper pages using QuarkXPress, edit news copy, write headlines and captions.
  • Proofread, copyedit and line edit the works of authors, researchers, screenwriters and journalists.
  • Prepare and post daily web features on legal topics for EducationDaily.com, including editing and HTML tagging.
  • Develop daily showbiz column; recognize for headline writing; learned design software system to assume design role.

Copy editor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Copy Editors are proficient in Proofreading, House Style, and Digital Publishing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Detail oriented, and Good judgment.

We break down the percentage of Copy Editors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Proofreading, 12%

    Managed copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.

  • House Style, 8%

    Edited customer-provided copy for readability and adherence to in-house style standards.

  • Digital Publishing, 6%

    Managed summer editorial intern and provided expertise on digital publishing and content development.

  • Fact Check, 6%

    Comprehended, fact checked, and edited multidisciplinary research journal written by faculty-mentored undergraduate students.

  • SEO, 5%

    Conducted comprehensive SEO audit and brought organic search in-house leveraging existing resources.

  • Web Content, 5%

    Reviewed web content for accuracy and functionality.

Most copy editors use their skills in "proofreading," "house style," and "digital publishing" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential copy editor responsibilities here:

Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a copy editor to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what copy editors do because "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." Additionally, a copy editor resume shows how copy editors use creativity: "reviewed press releases, creative briefs, communications strategies and deliverables. "

Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling copy editor duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." According to a copy editor resume, here's how copy editors can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "edited and distributed press releases electronically through this national, politically oriented wire service. "

Good judgment. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of copy editors is good judgment. This skill is critical to many everyday copy editor duties, as "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "reviewed newsletter galleys for proper formatting, exercising editorial judgment to cut overrun when needed. "

Interpersonal skills. A big part of what copy editors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to copy editor responsibilities because "in working with writers, editors must have tact and the ability to guide and encourage them in their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical copy editor tasks: "coordinated interpersonal relations between editorial staff, artists, writers and judges. "

Writing skills. A commonly-found skill in copy editor job descriptions, "writing skills" is essential to what copy editors do. Copy editor responsibilities rely on this skill because "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." You can also see how copy editor duties rely on writing skills in this resume example: "advise reporters on journalistic writing and edit articles for print. "

All copy editor skills

The three companies that hire the most copy editors are:

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Compare different copy editors

Copy editor vs. Publisher

A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication. They distribute promotional catalogs to libraries and booksellers. They set the commercial and editorial direction for businesses publishing newspapers, digital content, magazines, and books. It is their duty to make decisions on the markets that their firms will serve as well as the type of content that they will give to their audience.

The annual salary of publishers is $8,940 higher than the average salary of copy editors.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between copy editors and publishers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like digital publishing, seo, and web content.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, copy editor responsibilities require skills like "proofreading," "house style," "fact check," and "style guides." Meanwhile a typical publisher has skills in areas such as "customer satisfaction," "strategic thinking," "client facing," and "publishing industry." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Publishers tend to make the most money working in the telecommunication industry, where they earn an average salary of $69,908. In contrast, copy editors make the biggest average salary, $86,935, in the finance industry.publishers tend to reach similar levels of education than copy editors. In fact, publishers are 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Copy editor vs. Editing internship

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts. They also assist in planning promotional strategies and marketing campaigns, such as monitoring press releases, posting on social media platforms, and developing marketing materials. An editorial intern must have excellent organizational skills, most importantly, a fast-learner to understand complex tasks and perform assigned duties under minimal supervision.

On average, editing interns earn a $27,564 lower salary than copy editors a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both copy editors and editing interns have skills such as "house style," "web content," and "adobe indesign. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real copy editor resumes. While copy editor responsibilities can utilize skills like "proofreading," "digital publishing," "fact check," and "seo," editing interns use skills like "video footage," "photography," "youtube," and "adobe premiere pro."

Editing interns earn similar levels of education than copy editors in general. They're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for copy editors in the next 3-5 years?

Bradley ShreveBradley Shreve LinkedIn profile

Editor, Tribal College Journal

If you plan to teach, focus on becoming familiar with, and understanding how to use, different learning management systems. You should also know where to find various digital historical sources, whether in online archives or on the web. It is also crucial to be adept at using a variety of apps and social media platforms.

Copy editor vs. Editorial internship

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial team in publishing digital and media content, writing articles, and managing readers' reviews. Editorial interns must have excellent knowledge of the industry they work for, suggesting the latest trends and featured topics, taking notes of the tenured employees' advice and observations, and actively joining brainstorming sessions. An editorial intern must be detail-oriented and take constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn. It is also crucial to have outstanding communication and proofreading skills and keep all the materials confidential until release.

An average editorial internship eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of copy editors. The difference in salaries amounts to editorial interns earning a $30,243 lower average salary than copy editors.copy editors and editorial interns both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "digital publishing," "seo," and "web content," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a copy editor is likely to be skilled in "proofreading," "house style," "fact check," and "style guides," while a typical editorial internship is skilled in "fact-check," "editorial intern," "instagram," and "administrative tasks."

Editorial interns make a very good living in the media industry with an average annual salary of $33,508. On the other hand, copy editors are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $86,935.Most editorial interns achieve a similar degree level compared to copy editors. For example, they're 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Copy editor vs. Production assistant/editor

Production assistants/editors are individuals with skills in communication, adaptability, organization, and administration. They also possess a healthy dose of enthusiasm and perseverance and the ability to work well under pressure. This career choice calls for assisting directors of film and television in collecting and organizing elements needed to edit the film, and overseeing the various lists and instructions needed for putting the film into its final form.

Production assistant/editors typically earn lower pay than copy editors. On average, production assistant/editors earn a $11,840 lower salary per year.While both copy editors and production assistant/editors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like adobe indesign, news stories, and powerpoint, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between copy editors and production assistant/editors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a copy editor might have more use for skills like "proofreading," "house style," "digital publishing," and "fact check." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of production assistant/editors require skills like "photography," "audio board," "video production," and "teleprompter. "

The average resume of production assistant/editors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to copy editors. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.

Types of copy editor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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