Just curious . . . do copy editors do that little point to God thing like athletes do when they make a touchdown or score a goal?
Cuz that would be cool.
It’s “separate”, you twit. points to God
Your ideas intrigue me, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Do you think a minor in English or Journalism, coupled with maybe a few summers of volunteer or intern work, would do the job? (Asked the college freshman who makes some pizza money proofreading papers.)
I have a degree in French. Hmmm… maybe I should take some journalism classes.
D’oh! I meant to say I’m getting a degree in French. Jumping the gun a little, I am.
I couldn’t say for sure. Mind, I’ve only been at this job since graduating last summer, so I’m not ready to speak from the lofty position of veteran yet. 
But from what I recall during my job hunt, there were several jobs that didn’t absolutely require a Bachelor’s, but those were more often than not simply temp gigs.
Still, if you can turn your proofreading on the side into something that sounds like you gained real experience from it, and you emphasize your minor, you might be able to find a job where you’re liked well enough to overcome the requirements obstacle. I think half the reason I got hired was the fact that I click very well with my coworkers. We’re all a bunch of snarky elitists here – best environment for a proofreader to work in. 
[On preview] If you’re getting a degree in a foreign language, instead of copy editing I’d strongly advise considering translation instead. You get to indulge in the same sorts of nitpickery, it’s a lot more fun (IMO) than simply proofreading, and like matt_mcl said, the chances of getting paid better are good.
Hell of a Pit thread this turned out to be, huh?
Cite? :dubious:
I like this recruitment strategy! I would love to nitpick for fun and profit. I’m just doing it as a hobby now. Oh, how my fingers ache to point out everyone’s spelling and grammar errors here, but I rein myself in, reminding myself that no one loves a pain in the ass.
So, copy editor, eh? I may have to look into this. I don’t have a degree in anything - just putting “Really good speller” on my résumé probably won’t cut it, will it?
We still need that animated “raspberry” smiley, Jackmannii.
I know I babbled a few times about how I got started; a search on my username and “copyeditor” should turn up some useful info to add what others have said.
(I’m too busy editing today to look it up or type it all out again myself!)
Because no-one cares?
One reason many people spell poorly is the use (overuse) of spell-check. They come to rely on it, although it truely isn’t reliable. It will ignore homophones, for obvious reasons, but the writer still appears foolish. [ex] If one means to write sense, but instead types cents, spell-check doesn’t correct it.[/ex]
I was a poor speller when I was young. In college I learned to keep a good dictionary close at hand. I still use it, rather than spell-check. I think it makes me more alert to questionable words.
Just my take…
No one cares about spelling? Really?
It’s been firmly established here on the Dope that some people DO really care about spelling.
I do quite a bit of online dating, and bad spelling on someone’s profile immediately discounts them for me. I always notice bad spelling, at work, on signs, etc.
A couple weeks ago I wrote in a post “horde” instead of “hoard” and I’m still cringing about it.
I care about spelling!
Why would want to become only LIKE a freelance speller? Why not become a real freelance speller? And, like, then you can, like, flunk all the, like, subliterates, who put, like, “like” in front of, like, words. I’m like cringing every time I hear what I just said. Like, aaarrrrrghhhh.
How about you put the word “something” in the offending sentence, smartass? “Can I become something like a freelance speller?” In that particular sentence, the use of “like” was not superfluous.
Weird, I’m the same way. Spelling has always been natural to me, but not much else has. Kind of like Charlie Brown, I guess.
(On an unrelated note- I had a dream a few nights ago that you were actually Lou Reed. I think I read too much of the SDMB and my Lou Reed book)
The minor would probably be a good start, but in addition to proofreading papers you might want to offer your services to your college newspaper, and if your college has a writing center they may be looking for peer tutors.
I’ve had a number of copyediting and proofreading jobs over the years. For most of them my English major got me in the door; this became easier once I got some teaching experience (started out by tutoring in the writing center). Almost every place I worked hired me only after giving me a copyediting test (including proofreading).
Eventually I got into technical copyediting as a freelance, and the money wasn’t bad. In my current job I’m the local authority on grammar, spelling, and word processing–not exactly cutting-edge science (which is what my coworkers do), but a nice little niche.
Great minds?
AHHH!!! MY COVER’S BLOWN!!!
Ignatz, my use of the colloquial “like” in my OP was an attempt at demonstrating its light tone, and contrasting the correct (I hope) grammar of the rest of it. It may have been too subtle, I agree.
Nah, just one great mind.