The Concierge (Blog)

Starting and running a freelance business costs money, and you need to know how to build your editing business on a budget. This is an unfortunate irony at a time when many people have lost their jobs and would like to freelance to earn income but don’t have much spare change to invest in it….

As a developmental editor, you need to know how to create defensible edits of a manuscript to help authors put out their best work. Tips for How to Create Defensible Edits When you’re doing a developmental edit—looking at the big-picture overview of a novel—you’ll generally be expected to provide two main services: The editing on…

Managing client expectations is necessary for a successful business so here are my tips for effective client communication for book editors. My Top Tip for Effective Client Communication for Book Editors One way to avoid an unhappy client is to communicate all relevant information from the very beginning of your relationship with them. Clearly stated…

The basics of developmental editing can be shared in a set of do’s and don’ts for editors. Here Are My Basics of Developmental Editing I generally begin any developmental edit with a quick read-through intended just to familiarize myself with the story. I make developmental notes for myself as I perform that first read-through, including…

Using all five senses in creating a scene will make it more vivid. Here are tips for helping authors use the five senses in the setting of a book rather than relying solely on visual descriptions. How to Use the 5 Senses When Writing the Setting of a Book Authors often visualize their stories as…

These basics of a book editor contract will help ensure you cover a few important considerations when setting up your editing business. Just the Basics of a Book Editor Contract I’m not going to get into the ins-and-outs of contracts, since I’m not a lawyer and crafting a legally binding contract is best left to…

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…

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…