Open Call for Copyeditors and Proofreaders

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Oct. 7, 2021 UPDATE: We have completed the first round of our selection process and will not be considering further applications at this time; however, we welcome additional responses to this open call and can keep your resume on file for future opportunities.

Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) is looking for copyeditors and proofreaders to assist with editing various types of documents related to our climate change mitigation and adaptation work. 

Background

Currently, SSG carries out the majority of its copyediting and proofreading internally. We are looking to build a network of external professionals to carry out a greater portion of this work. We hope to find between three and five individuals or firms to create a “preferred vendor list” for copyediting and proofreading services.

The Work

Typical documents that require copyediting and/or proofreading include: 

  • Research briefs,
  • Climate action plans for different levels of government and other institutions, and
  • Other components of climate action plans, including stakeholder engagement reports. 

Some representative examples of our work can be found here, here and here.

A typical job will involve receiving a report of 30-100 pages for copyediting. The report will consist of a combination of text, tables, and graphics. However, since we have a wide range of documents, we expect a wide range of work.

Turnaround Time

SSG often works on very tight timelines. We target a lead time of 3-5 business days; however, it is not out of the ordinary to have rush requests with a next-day turnaround required. We will not expect all copyeditors to be able to meet rush requests in all instances. However, the flexibility to be able to work with rush requests from time to time will be an important factor in our choice of providers.

Required Qualifications and Attributes

  • Previous copyediting and proofreading experience. 
  • Flexibility to work with various lead times, including occasional rush work.

Desired Qualifications and Attributes

  • Professional certification. 
  • Relevant education in science communications, journalism, climate science, etc. 
  • Previous experience working with documents about climate change mitigation and adaptation. 
  • Previous experience working with policy documents and reports for various levels of government. 

Vendor Selection Process

Please write to work @ ssg.coop and submit:

  • A brief cover letter (max. 1 page) and resume, 
  • Your standard rates (either per page, per word, or per hour),
  • Your typical required lead times, and
  • Your rates for rush work, if applicable.

If SSG sees a potential fit, we will request a brief (~15-minute) interview with vendors. Vendors who pass the interview step will be engaged to perform a copyediting test, using a real-world example. SSG will pay copyeditors an honorarium for this work. 

Vendors who are successful in this test will be added to SSG’S preferred vendors list, with a simple standing offer agreement being put in place. The Standing Offer Agreement will not guarantee any work for the vendor, but give them preferential status when work is needed. 

Continuous Improvement 

SSG maintains several tools to help improve the quality of our written work. This includes a copyediting checklist and a style guide discussion board. We will provide these tools to our chosen vendors and hope to work together to continuously add to and improve the tools. 

Timelines

There is no deadline for application. SSG will keep this call-out open until we are confident that we have the roster of copyeditors that we need. 

ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS GROUP

SSG is a worker co-operative founded in 2001 to do creative, challenging, and values-based work. Our vision is decarbonized, healthy, equitable communities for everyone. Our purpose is to create meaningful work for our members. We work in:

  • Energy and emissions modelling and planning for communities and local governments;
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation planning;
  • Community engagement;
  • Community and health planning;
  • Neighbourhood planning and design;
  • Energy systems planning;
  • Research, and 
  • More.

In collaboration with our partners at whatIf? Technologies, we have evolved a leading practice in creating decarbonization pathways for cities.