Many freelance editors work for indie authors, but some of us also work with (or only work with) publishers. Occasionally I get an email from a freelance editor who wants to know if you actually can make a living freelancing for publishers. Here’s an excerpt from a recent one: “I’m finding it really, really hard…
I’m frequently asked for help by editors trying to get established as freelancers. Not surprisingly, many people want to know how to get editorial projects from publishers, as obviously this could be a good source of ongoing work. So when I received the following question, at first I thought of it as a “how to…
Developmental editing is the art of looking at a manuscript to identify big-picture concerns. For nonfiction, this would include helping an author make a clear argument; showing an author how to reorganize disorganized material; pointing out where they need to support the points they make with data, examples, and/or case histories; making sure terms are…
I’m Katherine Kirk, and I proofread, copyedit and line edit fiction and tabletop role-playing game content (like fanzines, game modules, and kickstarter copy). I started editing at the beginning of the pandemic, and I threw myself into learning as much as I could, as fast as I could, so I could build it into something…
Amy Acosta is a professional reader, writer, and editor of fiction who specializes in Adult and YA queer romance. In the pursuit of craft knowledge, they completed a Writing Popular Fiction MFA with a focus on YA Lit, and later became a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, volunteering with their Diversity Initiative. While wrangling…
Siobhán is a freelance developmental editor who spends her life reading children’s books, watching scary films and drinking unicorn gin. She lives in Surrey, England, with her graphic designer husband and four-year-old son who wants to be a Pokémon when he grows up. Siobhan works directly with authors of middle grade and YA genre fiction, specialising in…
Where do freelance editors get work? Who is the market for freelance editors? If you’re interested in freelance editing, these are probably the top questions on your mind. The answer is that freelance editors work (1) directly with authors (usually called indie authors if they’re self-publishing) and (2) with publishing companies and book packagers. For…
Hello! I am Erica Ellis, owner of Ink Deep Editing. I started freelancing nine years ago and never looked back! Most of my work is directly with authors looking to self-publish or to submit to agents and publishers, but I also do some editing for a self-publishing company and a publisher of children’s books. I…
It’s that age-old conundrum: if you don’t have editing experience and all the editing jobs require experience how do you get experience? First, and most important, almost any kind of job you have or have had almost certainly has transferrable skills if you think about it in the right way. So, for example, if you’re…
If you’re interested in learning how to become a freelance book editor, you’re probably wondering what kind of person thrives in the environment—what kind of skills and aptitudes are needed. Freelance editors have some characteristics in common. For one thing, they’re self-starters: no one is going to be watching over your shoulder to see whether…