Here’s my best advice on networking for editors: Having contacts can absolutely help you succeed in your editing business! Basics of Networking for Editors In any profession, having contacts can help you succeed. Yet most of us don’t start off knowing anyone who can help us get our editing careers off the ground. I’ve often…
When a new book editor is just learning developmental editing, I offer this advice for how to get editing experience. How to Get Editing Experience as a New Editor “I feel a little overwhelmed,” editing students tell me from time to time as they learn the craft. Mostly they’re worried that this means they’re not…
Here’s a quick overview of the publishing process for authors and editors to gain a better understanding of how traditional publishing works. Basic Information about How Traditional Publishing Works You’re an author who is interested in publishing the traditional route—getting an agent, landing a book deal, seeing the book on the shelf in the local…
I didn’t realize so many people did not know how to respond to rejection in a way that helped them to learn and grow from the experience. How to Respond to Rejection Positively I recently solicited proposals for a project, and what I found enlightening about the whole process was how badly most of the…
Where I share the basics of how to write a novel synopsis and what exactly it is—plus a novel synopsis example for show-and-tell. What Is a Novel Synopsis? A novel synopsis is a description of the characters and storyline of an author’s manuscript. A brief synopsis runs two or three single-spaced pages, while a longer…
Using partnerships to expand your reach is a successful way to grow your freelance editing business with a high ROI. My Best Ideas for Using Partnerships to Expand Your Reach One way to broaden your marketing reach is to work with other freelancers to mutually market your work. In other words, you can create a…
As we learn the craft, we go through stages of learning how to edit—I’ve decided there are four stages. When you’re first learning how to edit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the learning curve and to wonder when it would be realistic to start charging for your services. The answer is at Stage #3….
Both editors and authors need to learn query letter basics to help with the best possible chance of book publication. Query Letter Basics For Editors & Authors If your author-client is interested in trying to have their novel published by a traditional publisher, you may be asked to look at the author’s query letter (also…
Here are my top tips for an effective manuscript assessment without having to read the entire manuscript to provide a quote. Use these questions to help you assess a manuscript in order to provide an editing quote—without having to read the entire manuscript first. In general, a developmental editor may be able to edit five-to-ten…
Here’s a rundown of basic editorial terms and their meanings to help you understand editing terminology. When I talk about the author’s work of addressing areas of concern, I call it revision to distinguish it from what an editor does, which is editing. Most people writing and speaking on the subject don’t distinguish between the two but since…