Last Updated
Oct 2025
Level
Beginner
Students
Course includes:
Who is this course for?
Aspiring Book Editors who want to succeed as Freelance Trade Book Editors.
Overview
Turn your love of books into a rewarding part-time or full-time career as a freelance book editor. Nearly 2 million books were self-published in 2018 – and that doesn’t include books that were published traditionally.
With more books than ever being published, editorial services are in demand. Thousands of titles appear on real and virtual bookshelves every day: thrillers, fantasy, romance, science fiction, memoirs, nonfiction about health and wellness… you name it.
Whether you want to edit books all day every day, or you prefer to work only on the weekend while you keep your main job or just work part-time, freelance book editing is a smart career move.
Here’s what you get in Freelance Book Editing 101:
- Go at your own pace from home with an Internet connection.
- 9 lessons
- 15 videos (9 slide presentations with voiceovers, 5 direct-to-camera with Susannah and Nancy, 1 over-the-shoulder editing demonstration)
- Moderated forum on Slack
- 6 examples of different kinds of editing
- An over-the-shoulder editing demonstration of line vs. copyediting
- Book Editor Profile Quiz – learn what kind of editor(s) you are
- Ebook: Begin Your Editing Journey: A Guide to the Best Resources for Aspiring Freelance Book Editors
- Roadmap to Editing Success
- Course quiz
- Course Completion Certificate
By the end of this class, whether you are new to the field, or you have worked in other kinds of editing, you will have the foundational knowledge you need to choose which of the 7 editorial roles are best for you.
You will know exactly how to start working toward your freelancing goals, and you’ll have insider tips on how to succeed in today’s marketplace as a freelance book editor.
What You'll Learn
Understand the World of Freelance Book Editing (and the 7 Editorial Roles).
Take a Book Editor Profile Quiz – learn which role(s) are best for you.
The Business of Freelance Book Editing: How to Set Up Your Home Office.
Watch an Over-the-Shoulder Video Demo of Line Editing vs. Copyediting.
Acquire samples of many different kinds of editing done on actual manuscripts.
Course Content
About the instructor
Susannah Noel & Nancy Marriott
Since the mid-1990s, Susannah Noel and Nancy Marriott have enjoyed successful careers editing fiction, nonfiction, genre titles, self-help, and everything in between. Susannah specializes inline editing, copyediting, and proofreading for fiction, and Nancy’s expertise is in book coaching, developmental editing, and line editing for nonfiction. Both have worked with major New York publishers, small presses, and self-published authors, and Nancy also teaches editing courses through the Editorial Freelancers Association.
Learn more about Susannah NoelNo reviews yet.
About the instructor
Susannah Noel & Nancy Marriott
Since the mid-1990s, Susannah Noel and Nancy Marriott have enjoyed successful careers editing fiction, nonfiction, genre titles, self-help, and everything in between. Susannah specializes inline editing, copyediting, and proofreading for fiction, and Nancy’s expertise is in book coaching, developmental editing, and line editing for nonfiction. Both have worked with major New York publishers, small presses, and self-published authors, and Nancy also teaches editing courses through the Editorial Freelancers Association.
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