Being Realistic about Earnings
In April, I made $4500 in one day. Ten years ago or so, I made $30,000 in one month.
Wouldn’t it be nice if that meant I earned $1.6 million a year? Or even just $360,000 a year?
When people throw earnings around to impress you with how much you can make if only you follow their advice, you’re often not being shown the context.
The month I earned $30,000, I received a check for the first part of an advance on a book contract, plus some income from editing a few manuscripts. That’s important context because while I was working on the book, I stopped doing as much other work, and so for several months afterward, my income was probably more like $1,000 a month.
What Editors Really Earn
Most freelance editors earn a pretty average income. That’s the reality. But for most of us, the benefits of freelancing are about more than just the money. It allows us to live our complicated lives. To have time for our children and our hobbies, to be in control of our own destinies, to walk away from toxic work environments.
I think you can make a good living as a freelance editor, but I would urge you to be skeptical of claims about income.
