The Concierge (Blog)

In my years of teaching editing to aspiring editors, I’ve noticed that taking the step between training and actually asking for pay is the hardest one for many people. In fact, a lot of people put it off for years, thinking there are just a few more things they need to do to get ready….

“Waiting for a hare to appear” is an old Taoist story. Taoism is a philosophy of the middle way, of not forcing effort, of observing nature and trying to stay in tune with it. Sometimes people take the wrong message away from Taoist teachers, and the hare story is an example. The story goes like…

As one who teaches editors, recently I’ve been encountering revision letters (sometimes called editorial or edit letters) that run twenty, thirty, and even forty single-spaced pages. I can’t imagine how an author would react to an opus like this landing in their inbox. Actually, I can imagine. Panic, tears, anxiety, overwhelm, and probably shutdown. Please…

I’m sharing success stories from newer editors. The following is from Zainab Mirza. – Jennifer Lawler A few weeks ago, you asked folks to share their success stories. I have a couple of wins I’d like to share. Story #1:When I first moved back to Kuwait after college in 2012, I built relationships with a…

One of the perennial challenges freelance editors face is the need to fill their schedules with client work. No client work? No bills are getting paid – and that’s a road to financial disaster. But you don’t need me to tell you that. How to Get More Editing Business The best way to keep your…

Sometimes it can be difficult to focus on work. The world is on fire or your brother just died; you’re struggling with your health or your spouse just lost their job. Here are some simple things you can do to help make it through tough times: It’s difficult to focus when the news is bad…

The other day, I went to an expat gathering here in Spain, and one of the people in the group, an American who retired here a few years ago, confided that she was worried about her retirement savings. What with all the drama happening in the US (not to mention in other hotspots around the…

If you’ve been in love with stories for a while, you’ve probably thought about making them the center of your working life. But if you’re also a realist, you know how unlikely it is to make a living from the stories you tell. And since you like to eat (or so I assume), you may…

I’ve been featuring the success stories of newer editors on the website. This is Leanne Wickham’s story. I wanted to include it because it illustrates the power of networking and referrals – Jennifer Lawler The nonfiction developmental course I did a few years ago with Club Ed was so helpful in my editing journey. I…