Alternative Jobs for TEFL Teachers: Editor

TEFL teaching is a wonderful job, but sometimes we need a change.  teflhub is going to look at different occupations that TEFL teachers might consider.  Here we interview an English former TEFL teacher, Simon, who now works as an editor based in Dublin after a three year spell in Germany, but with a global reach as an editor through his website, www.simonsolomon.ink .

1.  What drew you to Germany?

Strong intellectual, cultural and ancestral ties – I’d also just done a PhD in German poetry. And two job offers teaching [at the Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart and the University of Tübingen], after a longish period of under-employment in a stagnant England, made it a not too terrifying leap of faith.

2.   How did you make the transition from TEFL teacher to editor?

I’m still making it, I think! I’ve been doing a number of editing and translating jobs over the years since my graduate days, and am just professionally focussing more on the latter now in terms of solicited (and, happily, unsolicited) work I take on, ongoing networking efforts, and building up a portfolio.

3.   Was it easy to find an editing job?

I wrote a lot of speculative letters to psychoanalytic journals to land my current part-time role with Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society – and struck lucky! My new website has supported the process, too, but you still have the problem of attracting people to it – a lot of freelance editing work comes through word of mouth or referrals from happy clients.  However, I do feel I have some kind of base to progress further in the field now – a rolling stone does pick up moss (and momentum), hopefully!

4.  What are the challenges of being an editor?

You have to be really meticulous, concentrated and focused on the work you do, as both the god and the devil really are in the detail – literally down to every crossed t and dotted i. If you’re not a proper pedant, you’ll only go so far. But, for me, the creative or ‘developmental’ part of the work – helping authors to evolve their ideas – is what gives me the greater kick.

5.   Were there any transferable skills from teaching that helped you with your editing position?

I’d say my specialisation in EAP reading/writing skills during my recent stints of work for Loughborough University has been a definite help, but the focus with editing is more on texts than people, even though of course an editor may have to work diplomatically with writers, too.

6.   Any recommendations for any TEFL teachers looking at becoming an editor?

Take on a few small proofreading-type projects to see if it’s for you (possibly through your students – anything from CVs to job applications could be a starting point). Talk to colleagues and your management team in case anyone has any leads or tips. There may even be opportunities in your school e.g. editing a college magazine.

7.   May I ask how the pay compares?

As a freelancer, there’s certainly a degree of negotiation involved, though it can also depend on whether you’re working for an academic or commercial client, a student or a businessman, so it’d difficult to generalise. A full-time editor might earn around £30K+ working for a publishing house, but guidelines can also be sought from professional editors’ societies in one’s specific country of work. You won’t necessarily get rich in this field, but you can make a decent income too, given time and a few breaks.

8.   Would you go back to being a TEFL teacher?

I still do a bit of selective language school work (mostly Cambridge Advanced classes) in Dublin, and I materialise periodically as an EAP university lecturer. But I aim to pick and choose now – a lot of language schools don’t really offer me work that appeals to me anymore, and it’s as an editor, writer and translator that I really want to flourish going forwards.

9.   Any funny or unusual stories from your time working in Germany or Ireland?

Oh  - the Germans are a barrel of laughs, haven’t you heard? J Much as I’ll always love them, I find Dubliners a more congenial crowd as a whole.

10.   Any tips for thrifty teachers or editors? 

I’m horribly impecunious – so I may not be the best person to ask, I fear!