Start editing

Do you love working with words, have an eye for detail and think you have what it takes to be a professional editor? The best way to find out is to join CSE, attend our meetings and invest in some training. An interest in editing is all you need to be accepted as a CSE associate member. Our members enjoy access to mentoring opportunities and receive discounted fees for training courses.

We welcome you to join us at our next meeting (attendance is free) to find out how CSE can help you with your editing career. Until then you can visit our resources section for more information on editing practice and standards.

If you live and work somewhere other than Canberra and its immediate surrounds, we also encourage you to contact your own state Society of Editors (there is one in each state, and you can find them listed on the IPEd website).

Get some training

There is no set path to becoming an editor. Most editors have at least one university degree. A few have a qualification in language, linguistics, writing or editing. Many of the best editors are accredited under the national accreditation scheme.

The Canberra Society of Editors runs training programs including day and half-day courses on topics such as proofreading, copyediting, web editing, on-screen editing and accessibility. Courses are run in response to demand from members, so the actual content varies from one year to the next. Join CSE today to take advantage of discounted members rates for these professional development opportunities.

Formal training, leading to a recognised qualification, is also a great pathway to a career in editing. The IPEd website provides useful information on formal editing courses available in Australia and New Zealand. You should approach these institutions directly for more details. CSE will not recommend any one course or another: it is up to you to choose a course that suits your own circumstances. You are always welcome to attend our general meetings (free to attend) and talk to practicing editors for their experience with these providers.

IPEd accreditation

Accredited editors (AEs) have demonstrated their skills as an editor by passing the IPEd Accreditation exam. They have been assessed as competent against the Australian Standards for Editing Practice. If you are serious about being a professional editor, you should consider applying for accreditation. It provides professional editors with formal recognition of their skills. Visit the IPEd wesbite for detailed information on sitting the exam.

CSE is a proud sponsor of the IPEd accreditation exam. This enables CSE's professional members to sit the accreditation exam and renew their accreditation without the need for a separate membership with IPEd. Please contact us if you would like more information on this arrangement and how we can support you to sit the exam.

Visit the IPEd website for detailed information on sitting the exam.


  1. Accreditation is the industry standard Everyone’s expertise will eventually be measured by whether (or not) they are accredited.
  2. Recognition of a level of expertise You may not hold a formal editing qualification in the form of a degree or diploma. Accreditation affirms the standard of your work to others.
  3. Reinforcement of confidence in one’s own ability If you are a freelancer, working in a vacuum, you can be confident that your skills and knowledge are on a par with those of your peers.
  4. Improved standing in the industry Public recognition of your abilities and standards means the confidence of workmates and employers in you is increased.
  5. Employer recognition of your strengths and capabilities Formal recognition of the competence of in-house editors can lead to greater workplace responsibilities and advancement which, in turn, can progress your career and lead to promotion. Employers can be confident that freelance editors have the skills they are seeking; and accredited freelancers stand out to prospective clients when competing for business.
  6. Ability to charge industry rates confidently You can argue confidently for appropriate rates of pay and put paid to the days of working for peanuts.
  7. A reason for employers to pay appropriately Clients employing a freelance editor are guaranteed editorial competence and can be confident they will get value for money.
  8. Appearance on the IPEd accredited editors list If you so choose, your name will be listed along with just over 200 accredited editors Australia-wide already electing to appear on that list.
  9. Some (or more) letters after your name Accreditation entitles you to add the postnominal AE to your name – indicating immediately, wherever your name appears, that the standard of your work meets the Australian standards for editing practice.
  10. And you’re doing it for the profession The specialist skills of the editing profession have been undermined by unskilled, untrained, self-proclaimed editors. Anyone can call themselves an ‘editor’, so how do clients know who to choose? Increasing awareness of the accreditation system brings with it the potential to eliminate from the marketplace incompetent people who bring the profession into disrepute. As more good editors who elect to sit the accreditation exam and add their names to those of the accredited editors appearing on the IPEd list, the better the profile of the industry and the more respected the profession. It’s in the best interests of us all!