Book publisher to copy editor
A book publisher already meets 39% of what the copy editor role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
58/ 100
1 How much of what a copy editor is expected to do is already part of a book publisher’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the copy editor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A copy editor role treats 5 of its required skills as things a book publisher already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply grammar and spelling rules
- consult with editor
- copyright legislation
- grammar
- spelling
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A copy editor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a book publisher background worth leading with.
- already held read manuscripts information skills
- already held consult with editor communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held literature arts and humanities
- already held desktop publishing information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held apply desktop publishing techniques working with computers
- already held spelling arts and humanities
All 11 carried skills, including the 5 the copy editor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn suggest revision of manuscripts required
- still to learn follow a brief required
- still to learn track changes in text editing required
- optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
- optional, not held rewrite articles optional
- optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
- optional, not held write headlines optional
- still to learn typography required
- still to learn writing techniques required
- still to learn use dictionaries required
- optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
- still to learn digital journalism required
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- still to learn follow work schedule required
- optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
- optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a copy editor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 digital journalism study this
- 02 suggest revision of manuscripts practise this
- 03 follow a brief practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 11 skills that carry over
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held consult with editor skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held desktop publishing knowledge
- already held literature knowledge
- already held proofread text skill
- already held read manuscripts skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held office software optional
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
- optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
- optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional
- optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
- optional, not held rewrite articles optional
- optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
- optional, not held write headlines optional
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- optional, not held office software optional
28 held skills the copy editor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply social media marketing skill
- not needed by the target role assess financial viability skill
- not needed by the target role attend book fairs skill
- not needed by the target role brand marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role check correctness of information skill
- not needed by the target role conserve new media skill
- not needed by the target role content marketing strategy knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role digital marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute marketing plan skill
- not needed by the target role graphic design knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role manage distribution channels skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role marketing principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
- not needed by the target role perform project management skill
- not needed by the target role plan event marketing for promotional campaigns skill
- not needed by the target role plan marketing strategy skill
- not needed by the target role present publishing plan skill
- not needed by the target role project management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role publishing market knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales activities knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales argumentation knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales strategies knowledge
- not needed by the target role select manuscripts skill
- not needed by the target role supervise sales activities skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn digital journalism required
- still to learn typography required
- still to learn writing techniques required
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- optional, not held office software optional
Common questions about this move
Can a book publisher become a copy editor?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A book publisher already covers 39% of what a copy editor is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 5 of which the copy editor role treats as required.
What skills does a book publisher need to become a copy editor?
8 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is digital journalism.
How hard is the move from book publisher to copy editor?
Its learning distance is 58 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.