Course program

Two mandatory assignments

We’ll introduce you to Scribbr editing and to working in our editor environment. With these two orders, we’ll identify your strengths and weaknesses, so we can focus your training on the key areas that need improvement, and train you to perform Scribbr’s services.

  • Core Competencies
  • Structure & Clarity Training

Personalized training options

If necessary, we’ll send you additional simulation orders to help you dial in specific skills and knowledge you’ll need to edit for Scribbr:

  • Grammar & Editing
  • Punctuation
  • Scribbr & Academic Style
  • Editing for Students
  • Technical Editing

How long does the Academy take?

That depends on you! After the application and first two simulation orders, our Academy coaches will determine how fast you can advance through the Academy. Are you an experienced editor and are your first edits flawless? Then you can complete the Academy after the first two simulation orders.

  • Experienced academic editors: 4–6 hours
  • Experienced editors in a different field: 6–12 hours
  • Editors with less than two years of experience: 8–16 hours

The process

Ping! Your first simulation order

You will receive a text message and email notification. After accepting, you will have 24 hours to complete the simulation order. Good luck!

You edit the simulation order

Questions? No problem! You can always reach out to our support team, contact an Academy coach, or post on #editors-english for advice. Mind that we are located in Amsterdam so there might be a delay in our response when your question comes in over night. When you’re finished, simply upload your work via our online editor environment.

Your work is done! We'll take it from here

After every order, you will receive personalized feedback from our Academy coaches. The feedback is designed to help you take your skills to the next level as efficiently as possible.

Get the most out of your feedback

We encourage you to get in touch with our Academy coaches to discuss your feedback via Slack. They are happy to offer advice and answer any questions you might have. We’ll give you some time to process the feedback and to get ready for the next training order! :)

Our Quality Management team has years of experience in academic editing and tutoring and, more importantly, years of experience in helping others to become better editors!

The instructors

Patrick

Patrick has been editing for Scribbr since 2016. After a somewhat meandering and enjoyable academic career, he earned a master’s degree in English literature and has been working as a writing coach, editor, and general language enthusiast for eight years. When he’s not editing, he keeps himself occupied with travel, languages, books, and, predictably, writing.

Kristin

Kristin started editing for Scribbr in July 2014. She has a master’s degree in public policy and more than a decade of experience as a writer, editor, researcher, and teacher. A true digital nomad, she proofreads and edits from all over the world.

Neshika

Neshika has worked with Scribbr since 2016. She studied marketing communication at Bond University and creative brand communication at Vega School, South Africa. For over a decade, the power of words has been at the heart of her colorful career in advertising, personal development, and wellness. When she’s not poring over a thesis, you’ll find her pouring paint onto a canvas.

Congratulations!

If you successfully complete the Scribbr Academy, then we will officially welcome you as a qualified Scribbr editor!

Certificate of Qualification

You will receive the Scribbr Academy certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn page.
certificate

The Scribbr Academy

Direct contact

Receive one-on-one feedback from our instructors (Academy coaches)

scribbr-academy
Certificate

Earn a certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile

presentation
Our training program

Personalized training program based on your needs

support
We are here to help

Receive live support from our office team

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Flexible

Freedom to complete the training on your own time

apply
Become part of a community

Active Slack community so you can tap into the Scribbr network

editors
Contribute to our mission

Become a qualified editor and help students!

Editors share their experience

“When I joined, a colleague told me that Scribbr was the best company they’d worked with, and two years later, I wholeheartedly agree. E.V.E.R.Y. day since then (not even exaggerating), I’ve felt tremendous gratitude for finding such a warm, supportive, understanding, and accepting group of people to work with. Not one bad experience. Scribbr’s truly a gift that keeps on giving.”

Raina, Scribbr editor since 2021review-raina

“I got back from a week’s holiday yesterday and found a thank you card and gifts from Scribbr in my post box! Such a lovely surprise. Scribbr is a fantastic agency to work for and I feel very, very blessed. Thank you for being awesome!”

 

 

Katherine, Scribbr editor since 2018  https://www.scribbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/review-katherine.jpeg

Check out more reviews on Glassdoor

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Questions?

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem. We are always here for you.

Frequently asked questions

See all
What kind of orders do I get in the Academy?

All incoming editors complete the first two Academy orders:

  • Core Competencies Check (3,000 words). The aim of the first Academy order is to introduce you to Scribbr’s style of editing and make sure you have the baseline knowledge needed to edit for Scribbr.
  • Structure Check & Clarity Check Training (900 words). With the second Academy order, you’ll learn how to perform the Structure Check and Clarity Check.

After each mandatory Academy order, you’ll receive tailored feedback from an experienced Academy coach.

Other Academy orders are assigned on an as-needed basis if extra training is necessary in a particular area. We offer follow-up training in the following areas:

  • Grammar and editing
  • Punctuation
  • Scribbr and academic style
  • Editing for students
  • Technical editing

New editors who would like to receive additional feedback in one of these areas are also welcome to request these optional orders.

What competencies does Scribbr expect editors to demonstrate in the Academy?

In the Academy, we expect editors to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Core language editing skills. Academy editors must consistently apply grammar and language rules.
  • Knowledge of Scribbr’s style guidelines. Incoming editors must also demonstrate an ability to consistently apply Scribbr’s style guidelines.
  • Ability to preserve each student’s unique writing voice. Incoming editors must strike an appropriate balance between editing thoroughly and avoiding overediting.
  • Ability to provide meaningful feedback. Advice for students should be clear, polite, relevant and constructive.
  • Ability to perform the Structure Check and Clarity Check. In addition to the basic editing and proofreading service, Scribbr offers two add-on services: the Structure Check and the Clarity Check. In the Academy, you’ll learn what these services include and how to perform them.

Additionally, during the Academy period, you’ll become familiar with Scribbr workflows, resources, and expectations. This knowledge will help you to work more confidently.

Why do we only work with native speakers?

All Scribbr editors are native speakers, which means that they have spoken English since early childhood. We only work with native speakers because these editors understand the cadence of the language and have mastered its idiomatic forms.

It is difficult for non-native speakers to acquire these traits, even if they are fluent and have spoken the language throughout their adult lives. Since our customers wish to work only with native speakers, we have no flexibility in this requirement.

We don’t rely solely on nativeness. Our editors are vetted through a rigorous application process, through which they are asked to demonstrate technical grammar knowledge, familiarity with academic writing, and an understanding of editing principles. All successful applicants also complete our Scribbr Academy training program, where they learn how to edit for students.

Editor application process

Are the simulations comparable to real orders?

Yes. Since our customers are students, the quality of the papers we receive varies to some degree, and the simulation orders reflect this variation. However, they should give you a clear idea of the level of editing we expect from our editors.

Our quality management team will provide personalized feedback to help understand and align your own editing practice to Scribbr’s style of editing.

How long does the Academy take?

Based on the first two simulation orders, our quality management team will determine how fast you can advance through the Academy.

Are you an experienced academic editor? You’ll likely become qualified in two weeks.

This is how many hours we estimate the work in the Scribbr Academy to take on average, based on the editor’s experience:

  • Experienced academic editors: 4–6 hours
  • Experienced editors in a different field: 6–12 hours
  • Editors with less than two years of experience: 8–16 hours
How do I benefit from completing the Academy?

Scribbr specializes in academic editing for students. In the Scribbr Academy, we’ll coach you to perform our services, edit in Scribbr’s distinct style and provide constructive feedback.

The training also focuses on practical skills and personal development:

  • Efficiency. We’ll help you meet our customers’ expectations efficiently and prevent complaints.
  • Speed. You’ll receive access to tools and resources intended to help you increase your editing speed, which will help you earn more per hour.
  • Feedback. You can take advantage of personalized coaching from our Academy coaches, who can help you take your skills to the next level.
Why do I have to go through the Academy?

Editing for students is different from other kinds of editing. The Scribbr Academy is the last step of your application process, but it comes with some benefits. During your time in the Academy, we will train you on how to perform Scribbr’s services and edit in the Scribbr style. The training also features practical elements, such as one-on-one coaching, that are beneficial to you. In this way, we will prepare you to face real-life student orders and jump start your editing career at Scribbr.

In order to become a qualified editor at Scribbr, you will need to apply the learnings from the Academy and pass 2 – 5 simulation orders (the exact number depends on performance).

What style guide should I use?

Scribbr is style agnostic. Student papers follow a variety of style guides, and Scribbr editors must be able to adapt their editing style accordingly.

We don’t expect applicants to know the ins and outs of Scribbr’s specific style of editing right away. As long as your sample edits are appropriate for an academic context (and consistent, of course), that will suffice.

If you do have questions about a specific grammar or style point, Scribbr’s Knowledge Base, the Purdue OWL, and the APA Style Blog are all excellent resources.