Find a writer who needs some help with an essay, short story, or other document (if you’re in doubt as to whether it’s appropriate, talk to me). It might be a fellow student writing for a class (this is low-hanging fruit, though); it might be a fellow student writing for Cogitare, The Quad, or The Echo; it might be a professor writing for a journal or online publication; it might be an acquaintance from your home. If you have trouble, talk to me, but remember part of being an editor, at least a freelance editor, is finding work!
You will turn in two versions of this document. The first is an edited document with developmental edits. The second is a copyedited version of a more polished draft. In addition, turn in a style sheet you created for this document and all your correspondence with the writer: introductory email, cover letter with your developmental edits, final cover letter with the copyedited version, and an invoice (though you won’t actually charge for your services in this case). Finally, include a cover letter addressed to me where you reflect on how you approached the task and how successful you think you were in helping the author realize their rhetorical aims.
- Midterm–Editing a small document (3-5 pages, single-spaced)
- Final–Editing a longer document (15-25 pages, single-spaced)