Job Discussion Forums

grahamcito · Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 90 Location: Guadalajara

Does anyone know of English-language copy-editing or proofreading work that's available in GDL? Or can you suggest good ways to find it?

I'm teaching English here in GDL, but would like to boost my meagre income with editorial work - in a previous incarnation, I was a sub-editor for the Financial Times.

Thanks for all suggestions!

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

You are probably going to have to promote yourself as a freelancer in this case. Language schools might have sub-contract work at best, or piece work, but they won't pay much. Drop an ad in the paper perhaps and see what flies. You could always hang around notaries or get to know some business types...word of mouth is good too.

richtx1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 115 Location: Ciudad de M�xico

... you've been a copy editor, and know how business copy should read. Even if your Spanish is not the best, you can translate things like corporate brochures and websites (or, if you have the skills, develop the English-language websites for corporate clients). It's probably more important to know what the text should be saying in the target language than making a literal translation for these kinds of publications.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Keep in mind that things that need to be legally translated from English to Spanish usually have to be done by licensed translators.

Universities are good places to pick up proofreading and editing work in English. Many graduate programs require major research papers to be written in English. Also, there are often professors who want to submit papers to English-language professional journals for publication. I've done these types of proofreading and editing before. If you have access to APA and MLA style handbooks, some experience writing these kinds of papers, and extra time, you can pick up some rather decent pesos on the side by doing this type of work.