book editortocopy editor
A book editor already meets 46% of what the copy editor role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
This move: 51.3 of 100 · moderate
1 Share of the copy editor role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the book editor profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 13 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 editor background worth leading with.
- already held suggest revision of manuscripts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held rewrite manuscripts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held read manuscripts information skills
- already held literature arts and humanities
- already held writing techniques arts and humanities
- already held desktop publishing information and communication technologies (icts)
All 13 carried skills, including the 6 the copy editor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.
- required, not held consult with editor required
- required, not held follow a brief required
- required, not held track changes in text editing required
- optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
- optional, not held rewrite articles optional
- optional, not held write headlines optional
- required, not held use dictionaries required
- optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
- required, not held digital journalism required
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- required, not held typography required
- required, not held 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 knowledge · sector specific
- 02 consult with editor skill · cross sector
- 03 follow a brief skill · cross sector
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 13 skills that carry over
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held suggest revision of manuscripts skill
- already held writing techniques 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
- already held rewrite manuscripts skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held office software optional
8 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 write headlines optional
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- optional, not held office software optional
19 held skills the copy editor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse texts to be illustrated 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 check correctness of information skill
- not needed by the target role conserve new media skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
- not needed by the target role implement marketing strategies skill
- not needed by the target role interpret illustration needs skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role network within the writing industry skill
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
- not needed by the target role provide support to authors skill
- not needed by the target role publishing market knowledge
- not needed by the target role select illustration styles skill
- not needed by the target role select manuscripts skill
- not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
- not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- required, not held digital journalism required
- required, not held typography required
- optional, not held editorial standards optional
- optional, not held office software optional
Other moves recorded from book editor
- book publisher 55% covered · moderate
- proofreader 48% covered · moderate
- speechwriter 40% covered · substantial
- fact checker 40% covered · moderate
- writer 38% covered · substantial
- lexicographer 34% covered · substantial
- magazine editor 32% covered · substantial
- publishing rights manager 31% covered · substantial
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.