If you have clients who offer ongoing work, such as publishers and packagers, there will occasionally come a time when you have to fire them. Sometimes this is because you ignored a red, red flag. Other times it’s because you’ve moved on to higher-paying clients, less demanding clients, more fulfilling work. Don’t Burn Bridges with…
Setting client expectations at the very beginning of a working relationship is necessary to provide the best editing services when working with authors. Setting Client Expectations: What Does the Client Want? Because editorial functions can go by different names, the first rule of freelance editing (whether developmental or otherwise) is to figure out what your…
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…
Do you need to figure out how to make money fast as a freelance book editor? It happens to all of us from time to time: work slows down, and we need to generate quick income. Note that this is not a blog post about how to start your business as a freelance book editor…
A top tip is to use a letter of introduction for book editors to make a connection with potential clients. Making a Connection with a Letter of Introduction for Book Editors I’m a big fan of reaching out to potential clients directly to let them know you exist. The letter of introduction (LOI) is a…
I think it’s important for editors to understand the differences in editing for indie authors and publisher clients in order to make a thoughtful decision on which type of cient to pursie, or perhaps to attain both types of clients. Here are some of the most helpful tips I’ve gathered in my experience to help…
One thing new editors often ask me is how to find their niche(s), and my short answer is to let your niche find you. How to Let Your Niche Find You I don’t want to be all zen and say your niches will find you, but that’s kind of true, or at least it has…
Let’s talk about when to raise rates for book editors. How do you know when it’s the right time? I have a few tips for this. Is it Time to Raise Your Rates? It’s common for freelancers to get stuck on a low-paying treadmill. They take a few poorly paying gigs to get some experience…
Newer editors are often unsure of how to stand out from other editors. So they’ll do things that are the equivalent of wearing a fedora or a monocle. “Notice me!” these efforts say. But I have a tip to share for how to stand out as an editor! My #1 Tip to Stand Out as…
This case study is courtesy of Kat Thomas, a book editor I’ve known for many years. She agreed to share her experience of building her freelance business. She is the author of this post. – JL The Road to a Freelance Book Editing Career I’m a freelance book editor with experience in developmental editing, line…