Copy Editor Resume Examples

Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Agnes Whitmarsh, a news copy editor at a regional news organisation publishing about 60 stories a day. This example shows newsroom evidence: about 25 stories a shift, corrections cut 46%, and headlines that lifted click-through 12%.

Agnes Whitmarsh

(860) 555-0127 ◇ Hartford, CT

agnes.whitmarsh@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/agnes-whitmarsh ◇ agneswhitmarsh.com

Objective

Copy editor with 7 years in news publishing, currently editing for a regional news organisation that publishes about 60 stories a day online and in print. Edits about 25 stories a shift, cut published corrections 46% with a pre-publication checklist, and writes headlines that lifted average click-through 12% in tests. Protects accuracy, clarity, and the reader trust that comes with them.

Education

B.A. in Journalism, Connecticut River Crown University 2015 – 2019

Coursework in News Editing, Media Law, Reporting, and Data Journalism. Copy chief of the student newspaper.

Certificate in Editing, Charter Oak Line Editing Institute 2021

Advanced grammar, style, fact-checking, and headline writing.

Skills

Editing

Line editing, copy editing, AP style, house style, fact-checking, trimming to length, clarity and tone edits, legal and ethics checks

News Production

Headlines and subheads, captions, SEO titles and summaries, breaking news editing, print page proofs, corrections process

Collaboration

Working with reporters and editors on deadline, query writing, style guide upkeep, training new editors

Tools & Platforms

Arc XP, WordPress VIP, AP Stylebook Online, Google Docs, Adobe InCopy, Chartbeat, Slack

Experience

Copy Editor 03/2022 – Present

Capitol Crown News Group Hartford, CT

Edit about 25 stories a shift for a news organisation publishing about 60 stories a day.
Cut published corrections 46% in 2 years with a 12-point pre-publication checklist.
Write headlines that lifted average click-through 12% in A/B tests over 6 months.

Copy Editor and Page Designer 07/2019 – 02/2022

Naugatuck Line Daily Waterbury, CT

Edited and designed about 6 print pages a night for a daily paper with 30,000 readers.
Edited about 20 stories a shift, including breaking news on 2 major storms.
Updated the house style guide with 80 new entries used by 25 newsroom staff.

Copy Chief, Student Newspaper 09/2017 – 05/2019

Connecticut River Crown University Hartford, CT

Led a copy desk of 6 student editors for a weekly paper with 12,000 readers.
Cut errors in print issues by about half with a 2-read system for every story.
Won 2 regional student press awards for headline writing in 2018.

Projects

Pre-Publication Checklist. Built a 12-point checklist covering names, numbers, quotes, links, and legal risks, trained 30 reporters and editors on it, and tracked corrections monthly, which cut published corrections 46% in 2 years.

Headline Testing Programme. Ran headline A/B tests on about 400 stories in 6 months and shared what worked in a 1-page guide, which lifted average click-through 12% without clickbait.

Style Guide Update. Added 80 entries to the house style guide on local names, inclusive language, and digital terms, adopted across 2 newsrooms with about 60 staff.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Member of a national editors association, attending its yearly conference since 2020.
Volunteer editor for a community literacy newsletter, editing 4 issues a year.
Judge for a high school journalism contest, scoring about 40 entries each spring.

Leadership

Train new copy editors at the newsroom, about 3 a year, on style and the checklist.
Serve as night desk lead 2 nights a week for a team of 4 editors.
Led a student copy desk of 6 editors for 2 years at university.

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Senior Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Thea Morrow, a senior copy editor at a trade publisher releasing about 140 titles a year. This example shows publishing evidence: more than 160 books edited including 9 bestsellers, 100% on schedule, and 18 freelancers managed.

Thea Morrow

(212) 555-0168 ◇ New York, NY

thea.morrow@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/thea-morrow ◇ theamorrow.com

Objective

Senior copy editor with 12 years in book publishing, currently copy editing fiction and nonfiction for a trade publisher that releases about 140 titles a year. Has copy edited more than 160 books, including 9 national bestsellers, keeps 100% of manuscripts on production schedule, and manages a pool of 18 freelance copy editors and proofreaders. Respects the author voice while making every sentence work.

Education

B.A. in English and History, Empire Crown University 2010 – 2014

Coursework in Literature, Historiography, Linguistics, and Editing for Publication.

Professional Certificate in Book Publishing, Manhattan Line Publishing Institute 2014

Editorial, production, and marketing across the book publishing cycle.

Skills

Book Copy Editing

Chicago Manual of Style, style sheets, consistency of characters and timelines, fact-checking for nonfiction, permissions flags, author queries, sensitivity flags

Production

Production schedules, first and second pass proofs, index review, cold reads, typesetter markup, e-book checks

Freelancer Management

Freelancer recruitment and testing, assignment matching, quality reviews, budget tracking, feedback and training

Tools & Platforms

Microsoft Word with tracked changes, PerfectIt, Adobe Acrobat, Chicago Manual of Style Online, Merriam-Webster Unabridged, Excel

Experience

Senior Copy Editor, Managing Editorial 02/2020 – Present

Gramercy Crown Books New York, NY

Copy edit about 15 books a year for a trade publisher releasing about 140 titles a year.
Keep 100% of assigned manuscripts on production schedule across 6 years.
Manage a pool of 18 freelance copy editors and proofreaders handling about 90 titles a year.

Copy Editor 06/2016 – 01/2020

Chelsea Line Publishing New York, NY

Copy edited about 22 books a year across fiction, history, and memoir.
Copy edited 9 titles that reached national bestseller lists between 2016 and 2024.
Built 40 series style sheets that kept multi-book series consistent across editors.

Editorial Assistant 07/2014 – 05/2016

Chelsea Line Publishing New York, NY

Supported 3 senior editors with manuscripts, contracts, and schedules for about 50 titles a year.
Proofread about 30 books a year and wrote reader reports on 100 submissions.
Moved into a copy editor role after 2 years based on proofreading accuracy.

Projects

Bestselling History Title. Copy edited and fact-checked a 600-page narrative history with 1,400 endnotes, checking dates, names, and quotations against sources and raising 320 queries, which shipped on schedule and spent 11 weeks on national bestseller lists.

Freelancer Quality Programme. Introduced a copy editing test, scored quality reviews, and a feedback cycle for 18 freelancers, which cut proof-stage corrections by about 35% across 90 titles a year.

House Style Sheet Library. Built a library of 40 series and imprint style sheets in a shared folder, which cut setup time for new books and kept 6 long-running series consistent.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Teach an evening book copy editing course at a publishing institute 2 times a year.
Member of an editorial freelancers association, mentoring 2 new editors a year.
Read for a book prize committee, reviewing about 80 titles a year.

Leadership

Manage a freelance pool of 18 editors, assigning work and reviewing quality.
Train new in-house copy editors and editorial assistants, about 3 a year.
Lead the managing editorial style committee of 6 that updates house style each year.

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Lead Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Garrison Pike, a lead copy editor running a desk of 5 for a software company content team. This example shows leadership evidence: 400 pieces a month, turnaround cut from 3 days to 1, and post-publish errors cut 60%.

Garrison Pike

(206) 555-0141 ◇ Seattle, WA

garrison.pike@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/garrison-pike ◇ garrisonpike.com

Objective

Lead copy editor with 10 years in editorial and content teams, currently leading a copy desk of 5 for the marketing and content team of a software company publishing about 400 pieces a month. Cut average review turnaround from 3 days to 1, built a style guide adopted by 220 writers, and cut errors found after publishing 60%. Sets clear standards and keeps a high-volume content machine both fast and correct.

Education

B.A. in English, Minor in Communication, Puget Crown University 2012 – 2016

Coursework in Advanced Composition, Editing, Rhetoric, and Technical Writing.

ACES Certificate in Editing, ACES: The Society for Editing 2019

Also completed a content design course on plain language and accessibility in 2022.

Skills

Editing Leadership

Copy desk management, editorial standards, style guide ownership, workload planning, quality reviews, editor coaching

Content Editing

Marketing and technical content, blog posts, white papers, product pages, email, UX copy, brand voice, plain language, accessibility

Workflow and Tools

Editorial workflow design, automated style checks, content operations, review service levels, reporting

Tools & Platforms

Writer, Grammarly Business, Google Docs, Contentful, WordPress, Asana, Jira, Chicago Manual of Style

Experience

Lead Copy Editor, Content 04/2022 – Present

Elliott Bay Crown Software Seattle, WA

Lead a copy desk of 5 editing about 400 marketing and product pieces a month.
Cut average review turnaround from 3 days to 1 with a tiered review system.
Cut errors found after publishing 60% with automated style checks for 220 writers.

Senior Copy Editor 05/2019 – 03/2022

Capitol Hill Line Agency Seattle, WA

Edited copy for 20 agency clients across web, print, and video, about 150 pieces a month.
Caught 3 legal and claims issues in client ads before launch, avoiding costly recalls.
Built 12 client voice guides used by about 40 agency writers.

Copy Editor 07/2016 – 04/2019

Rainier Crown Media Seattle, WA

Edited about 30 articles a week for 2 regional lifestyle magazines and their websites.
Wrote about 120 headlines and dek lines a month for print and web.
Proofread 24 magazine issues a year with 0 printed corrections needed in 2018.

Projects

Company Style Guide. Wrote a company style guide with 300 entries on product names, voice, inclusive language, and accessibility, built into an automated checker, adopted by 220 writers across marketing, product, and support, which cut errors after publishing 60%.

Tiered Review System. Split content into 3 review tiers by risk and reach, with service levels and checklists for each, which cut average turnaround from 3 days to 1 without lowering quality scores.

Plain Language Rewrite. Led a plain language rewrite of 180 help centre articles with the support team, which cut average reading level from grade 13 to grade 8 and cut related support tickets 15%.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Speaker on editing at scale at 2 content strategy conferences since 2023.
Volunteer editor for a local food bank newsletter and grant applications.
Member of an editing society, mentoring 2 early career editors a year.

Leadership

Lead a copy desk of 5 editors, setting weekly priorities and running quality reviews.
Train about 40 new writers a year on the style guide and review process.
Chair the content standards council of 8 leads from marketing, product, and support.

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Freelance Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Imelda Corrales, a bilingual freelance copy editor serving about 35 academic, nonfiction, and nonprofit clients. This example shows freelance evidence: 48 university press books and 120 articles, 99% of deadlines met, and 70% repeat work.

Imelda Corrales

(520) 555-0174 ◇ Tucson, AZ

imelda.corrales@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/imelda-corrales ◇ imeldacorrales.com

Objective

Freelance copy editor with 9 years editing academic, nonfiction, and nonprofit content, running an independent editing business with about 35 active clients. Has edited nearly 200 projects, including 48 university press books and 120 journal articles, meets 99% of deadlines, and earns about 70% of work from repeat clients. Bilingual in English and Spanish and comfortable switching between Chicago, APA, and house styles.

Education

M.A. in English, Rhetoric and Professional Writing, Sonoran Line University 2015 – 2017

Coursework in Editing, Scholarly Publishing, Rhetoric, and Translation Studies.

Certificate in Copyediting, Saguaro Crown Extension Programme 2017

Holds a B.A. in Spanish and English from Santa Cruz Line College (2015).

Skills

Editing Services

Copy editing, line editing, proofreading, reference and citation checks, style sheets, Spanish and bilingual editing, permissions checks

Styles

Chicago Manual of Style, APA, MLA, AP, university press house styles, journal author guidelines

Business

Client intake and quotes, project scheduling, invoicing, contracts, repeat client relationships, referral partnerships

Tools & Platforms

Microsoft Word, PerfectIt, Zotero, Adobe Acrobat, PDF annotation tools, QuickBooks, Trello, Google Workspace

Experience

Freelance Copy Editor 01/2020 – Present

Saguaro Line Editorial Services Tucson, AZ

Edit for about 35 active clients, including 4 university presses, 6 journals, and 10 nonprofits.
Edited 48 university press books and 120 journal articles since 2020, meeting 99% of deadlines.
Earn about 70% of work from repeat clients and grew yearly revenue from $38,000 to $96,000.

Editorial Associate 08/2017 – 12/2019

Sonoran Crown University Press Tucson, AZ

Copy edited about 12 scholarly books a year in history, anthropology, and border studies.
Managed production schedules for about 25 titles a year with freelancers and typesetters.
Edited 4 bilingual Spanish and English titles, building the press first bilingual style sheet.

Writing Centre Consultant (Part Time) 09/2015 – 05/2017

Sonoran Line University Tucson, AZ

Held about 15 writing sessions a week with undergraduate and graduate students.
Supported about 40 theses and dissertations with citation and style reviews.
Ran 6 workshops a year on academic writing and citation for about 200 students.

Projects

Bilingual Oral History Collection. Copy edited a 500-page bilingual oral history for a university press, keeping speaker voice in both languages and building a 30-page style sheet, which won a regional book award in 2023.

Journal Copy Editing Contract. Took on all copy editing for a quarterly social science journal, about 30 articles a year, with reference checks against 3,000 citations, which cut author query rounds from 3 to 1.

Nonprofit Report Editing. Edited annual and grant reports for 10 nonprofits, aligning tone and data across documents, which helped 3 clients win grants worth about $1.2M in total.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Member of an editorial freelancers association, co-leading its local chapter of about 60 members.
Volunteer translator for an immigrant legal aid group, about 4 documents a month.
Write a monthly blog on editing tips with about 2,500 readers.

Leadership

Co-lead a local editors chapter, organising 6 professional development events a year.
Subcontract overflow work to 3 trusted editors and review their work before delivery.
Mentor 2 new freelance editors a year on rates, contracts, and client care.

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Entry Level Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Sami Kahananui, a 2025 journalism graduate copy editing part time for a statewide news site. This example shows entry level evidence: about 15 stories a shift, a 96% editing test score, and a student copy desk that halved print errors.

Sami Kahananui

(808) 555-0151 ◇ Honolulu, HI

sami.kahananui@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/sami-kahananui ◇ samikahananui.com

Objective

Entry level copy editor and 2025 journalism graduate, now a part-time copy editor at a statewide news website while seeking a full-time role. Edits about 15 stories a shift, scored 96% on a newsroom editing test, and led a student newspaper copy desk that cut print errors by about half. Careful with facts, fluent in AP style, and comfortable editing on deadline.

Education

B.A. in Journalism, Minor in Hawaiian Studies, Manoa Crown University 2021 – 2025

GPA 3.7. Coursework in News Editing, Media Law, Feature Writing, and Digital Journalism.

Editing Residency Training, Pacific Line Journalism Programme 2024

2-week intensive editing residency with daily tests and newsroom simulations.

Skills

Editing

Copy editing, AP style, fact-checking, grammar and punctuation, trimming stories, headline and caption writing, proofreading

Digital News

SEO headlines, story summaries, social posts, content management systems, updating live stories

Language

Hawaiian place names and diacritical style rules, inclusive language, local usage, clear writing

Tools & Platforms

WordPress, AP Stylebook Online, Google Docs, Adobe InDesign, Canva, Slack

Experience

Copy Editor (Part Time) 09/2025 – Present

Aloha Crown News Honolulu, HI

Edit about 15 stories a shift for a statewide news website with about 1.5 million monthly readers.
Scored 96% on the newsroom editing test, the highest of 8 candidates in 2025.
Wrote about 300 headlines and summaries in 12 months, with 0 corrections needed.

Editing Intern 06/2024 – 08/2024

Waikiki Line Daily Honolulu, HI

Edited about 10 stories a shift on the night desk during a 10-week internship.
Caught 2 factual errors in front-page stories before print, confirmed by editors.
Helped update 40 entries in the newsroom guide on Hawaiian names and places.

Copy Chief, Student Newspaper 09/2023 – 05/2025

Manoa Crown University Honolulu, HI

Led a copy desk of 5 student editors for a weekly paper with about 8,000 readers.
Cut print errors by about half with a 2-read system and a short checklist.
Trained 12 new student reporters on AP style basics each autumn.

Projects

Hawaiian Names Style Update. Helped research and update 40 entries in a newsroom style guide on Hawaiian place names and diacritical marks, checked with 2 language advisers, now used by about 30 newsroom staff.

Student Copy Desk Checklist. Built a 2-read system and 8-point checklist for the student newspaper, which cut print errors by about half over 2 years.

Election Night Live Desk. Edited live updates for student election coverage with a team of 6, publishing 45 updates in 5 hours with 0 corrections.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Member of an editing society, completing 4 online style workshops a year.
Volunteer editor for a Hawaiian language school newsletter, 6 issues a year.
Paddle with a canoe club that races in about 8 regattas each summer.

Leadership

Copy chief of the student newspaper for 2 years, leading a desk of 5 editors.
Trained 12 new reporters each autumn on AP style and the copy checklist.
Led a 6-person live desk for student election night coverage in 2024.

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Assistant Copy Editor Resume Example

Meet Bea Ortolani, an assistant copy editor at a food and travel magazine with 600,000 readers. This example shows assistant evidence: about 45 articles a month edited and fact-checked, 12 issues proofread a year, and late changes cut 50%.

Bea Ortolani

(312) 555-0129 ◇ Chicago, IL

bea.ortolani@example.com ◇ linkedin.com/in/bea-ortolani ◇ beaortolani.com

Objective

Assistant copy editor with 3 years in magazine publishing, currently supporting the copy desk of a monthly food and travel magazine with 600,000 print and digital readers. Copy edits and fact-checks about 45 articles a month, proofreads 12 print issues a year, and built a fact-checking tracker that cut late fact-check changes 50%. Detail-focused, fast, and eager to grow into a full copy editor role.

Education

B.A. in English, Minor in Italian, Lakeshore Line University 2019 – 2023

Coursework in Editing, Magazine Writing, Literary Analysis, and Italian Language.

Fact-Checking Course, Windy City Crown Journalism School 2023

Verifying sources, quotes, names, and claims in magazine and long-form writing.

Skills

Copy Editing

Copy editing to house style, Chicago style, proofreading page proofs, headline and caption checks, recipe and travel detail checks

Fact-Checking

Source verification, quote checks, business and place detail checks, recipe testing notes, fact-check tracking

Production Support

Proof routing, issue schedules, writer queries, style sheet upkeep, digital article checks

Tools & Platforms

Adobe InCopy, Adobe InDesign, WordPress, Google Docs, Airtable, Chicago Manual of Style Online

Experience

Assistant Copy Editor 08/2023 – Present

Wicker Park Crown Magazine Chicago, IL

Copy edit and fact-check about 45 articles a month for a magazine with 600,000 readers.
Proofread 12 print issues a year, each about 120 pages, with the 2-person copy desk.
Built a fact-checking tracker in Airtable that cut late fact-check changes 50%.

Editorial Intern 01/2023 – 05/2023

River North Line Publishing Chicago, IL

Proofread 6 city guidebooks and checked about 1,200 business listings for accuracy.
Found about 90 closed or moved businesses in listings before print.
Wrote 20 short listing descriptions that ran in the spring guides.

Student Editor, Literary Magazine 09/2021 – 05/2023

Lakeshore Line University Chicago, IL

Edited about 25 student stories and poems for 4 issues of the university literary magazine.
Set up a 60-entry style sheet that cut copy editing time per issue by about a third.
Managed the submission inbox of about 300 student entries a year.

Projects

Fact-Checking Tracker. Built an Airtable tracker linking every article to its sources, contacts, and check status, shared with 6 editors, which cut late fact-check changes on print pages 50%.

Italy Travel Issue. Copy edited and fact-checked a 30-page Italy travel feature, checking 180 place names and businesses with help from Italian sources, which ran with 0 corrections.

Recipe Style Rules. Wrote 25 recipe style rules on measures, temperatures, and ingredient order with the food editor, adopted across print and digital recipes.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Member of an editing society, attending its yearly conference since 2024.
Volunteer proofreader for a neighbourhood arts newsletter, 10 issues a year.
Speak Italian and English and take an advanced Italian class 1 evening a week.

Leadership

Train each magazine editorial intern, about 3 a year, on fact-checking and style.
Led the student literary magazine editing team of 4 for 2 years.
Keep the magazine style sheet of about 400 entries up to date for the editorial team.

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