Various Roles

Job Description

Freelance - Various Roles

The Production Editorial department of Penguin Publishing Group is seeking freelancers for copyediting, proofreading, cold reading, and indexing our books. Freelancers will work on a variety of adult fiction and nonfiction books for imprints across Penguin. To apply, please read the description below and email PenguinFreelancers@prh.com. Do not apply through the PRH portal.

Copy Editor Responsibilities:
• Copyedit manuscript text in Microsoft Word using track changes
• Follow The Chicago Manual of Style rules, specific imprint styles, and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary spellings/capitalizations
• Create a style sheet for the title that maintains consistency throughout the text
• Fact-check and verify all proper nouns, dates, places, etc.
• Ensure that the timeline is correct
• Be respectful of author's voice and show sensitivity when querying
• Deliver projects on time

Proofreader Responsibilities:
• Proofread typeset text and mark any errors electronically using Adobe Acrobat's commenting tools
• Currently all proofreading is done in PDF form, but familiarity with hard copy proofreading and proofer's marks is a plus
• Check page proofs against copyedited manuscript in Word to see if any errors have been introduced during typesetting
• Verify that text follows the style sheet created by the copy editor, as well as The Chicago Manual of Style, specific imprint styles, and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary spellings/capitalizations
• Check running heads, design, and chapter titles and numbers against Contents and look for inconsistencies
• Check for bad breaks and stacks
• Fact-check and verify all proper nouns; ensure that the timeline is correct
• Maintain author's voice and style; query instead of changing anything that is not an outright error
• If proofreading a book with notes, check all note numbers, trailing phrases, and sources; if proofreading blind endnotes, fill in page numbers

Cold Reader Responsibilities:
• Closely read/review typeset text and mark any errors electronically using Adobe Acrobat's commenting tools
• Follow book style sheet, The Chicago Manual of Style rules, specific imprint styles for marking changes, and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary spellings/capitalizations
• Check running heads, design, and chapter titles and numbers against Contents and look for inconsistencies
• Check for bad breaks and stacks
• Maintain author's voice and style; query instead of changing anything that is not an outright error
• If cold reading a book with notes, check all note numbers, trailing phrases, and sources; if cold reading blind endnotes, fill in page numbers
• Occasionally you may be asked to check first-pass changes against second pass to verify that changes were input correctly

Indexer Responsibilities:
• Create index for title in Microsoft Word following The Chicago Manual of Style and specific design/page count specifications for the book
• The ideal indexer sees the work as a whole, understands the emphasis of the various parts and their relation to the whole, and knows-or guesses-what readers of the particular work are likely to look for and what headings they will think of

Essential Requirements/Qualifications:

PRH freelancers should be on time in meeting deadlines and able to read at a pace of around 10 pages per hour for copy editors and proofreaders, and approximately 10–20 pages per hour for cold readers, although this can vary, depending on the book. All potential freelancers will be required to take a copyediting and/or proofreading test. This is not a guarantee of work and is a freelance position with no benefits. Freelancers who do well on the test will be added to our database and contacted about projects by individual production editors on the team. The current PRH rate for copyediting is $36/hour and $31/hour for proofreading/cold reading. This is subject to change, depending on the title and the schedule.

To apply: Email PenguinFreelancers@prh.com with your résumé and a list of titles you've worked on, and indicate whether you are interested in copyediting, proofreading, cold reading, or indexing work, as well as any genre preferences you have. You will be contacted to take a copyediting and/or proofreading test.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r71n68-216-73-216-3-42 in your application.