I've been asked a number of times by aspiring editors, "How can I start freelance editing?"
If you've ever wondered as well, here's what I tell them.
If you've ever wondered as well, here's what I tell them.
I've been a freelance editor for about ten years now, editing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts in multiple genres and at all stages of the process, from developmental edits to copy editing, to the final proofread before it goes to print.
There are numerous ways to run your freelance operation - from going all in and creating a full service professional editing agency, or taking on projects on a part time basis and keeping it as only a small part of your portfolio and lifestyle.
Personally, I love variety, so I keep my freelance editing as only one piece of my varied offerings.
(The thought of committing myself to any single kind of work kind of makes me want to run away. Even if it's something I love to do. I love editing, but to do it all day every day? That's not for me. I mean, also love pizza, but I WILL get sick to death of it if I eat it every day, you know?)
So. Start there, just having an idea of who you are, what you like, and what direction you'd like to have your shoes pointing.
How do I Start Freelance Editing?
It's tough to answer this all in one post, because I don't know you. I don't know if you want to edit blog posts or fantasy books or curriculum. I don't know what aspects of editing will drive you nuts, or which you'd find most fit you. For me, for example, editing technological manuals or fact-checking data-laden texts is the kind of editing I will gladly refer to others. Developmental editing I consider on a case-by-case basis. My best and most common work is line-editing, and my great passion is for excellence in storytelling.
I don't know any of that about you. Maybe you don't either. So, let's go straight to the beginning and look at what it takes.
Let's say you want to turn your computer on tomorrow and discover an editing job there.
How do you get that to happen, right?
That's really the question, isn't it?
So let's go there.
Here's what I recommend:
.
There are numerous ways to run your freelance operation - from going all in and creating a full service professional editing agency, or taking on projects on a part time basis and keeping it as only a small part of your portfolio and lifestyle.
Personally, I love variety, so I keep my freelance editing as only one piece of my varied offerings.
(The thought of committing myself to any single kind of work kind of makes me want to run away. Even if it's something I love to do. I love editing, but to do it all day every day? That's not for me. I mean, also love pizza, but I WILL get sick to death of it if I eat it every day, you know?)
So. Start there, just having an idea of who you are, what you like, and what direction you'd like to have your shoes pointing.
How do I Start Freelance Editing?
It's tough to answer this all in one post, because I don't know you. I don't know if you want to edit blog posts or fantasy books or curriculum. I don't know what aspects of editing will drive you nuts, or which you'd find most fit you. For me, for example, editing technological manuals or fact-checking data-laden texts is the kind of editing I will gladly refer to others. Developmental editing I consider on a case-by-case basis. My best and most common work is line-editing, and my great passion is for excellence in storytelling.
I don't know any of that about you. Maybe you don't either. So, let's go straight to the beginning and look at what it takes.
Let's say you want to turn your computer on tomorrow and discover an editing job there.
How do you get that to happen, right?
That's really the question, isn't it?
So let's go there.
Here's what I recommend:
.
How to Start Freelance Editing
1. Love Reading & Naturally Gravitate to Editing
The very first thing a freelance editor needs to have is a natural love of reading. The closer this is to obsession, the better. The more varied your reading, the better too, for you'll have a broad reference of what makes excellent writing in multiple genres, eras, and styles.
Coupled with a natural love of reading you'll also gravitate toward editing. You'll notice plot holes, spelling and grammatical errors, and perhaps even observe philosophical inconsistencies. You're probably the kind of person who either corrects people a lot, thus provoking eye rolls or silent annoyance in others, or you have bitten your tongue so often just to keep those corrective comments to yourself that you can no longer properly enjoy soup.
2. Practice Editing (Note: You'll Have to Talk to People)
Before getting freelance jobs, you'll need to develop your skills. This may come in the form of your first freelance job, or, more likely, it may be volunteer work.
A great way to get your start is by offering to edit for an organization your'e already a part of
Ideas of where to get opportunities to practice:
PLACES: Churches, sports teams, health clubs, charity, gym, school, PTA, workplace, garden club...
EDITING OPPORTUNITIES: blog posts, emails, sales letters, ad copy, white papers, meeting minutes, newsletters, web copy
Also, if you happen to know someone who writes (blog posts, short stories, books,) you can definitely approach them too!
Heads-up: approaching people is scary.
Do it anyway. (You can do it!!!)
I'd encourage you to approach some people as a volunteer and others as a paid editor.
Even if you don't get hired right away (which is the most likely outcome), you'll be accomplishing two very important things by asking them for work:
1) You're getting practice with asking, which grows confidence and ability. Let's face it: if you're planning to freelance, you'll be asking a lot of people for work, and a lot of them will not hire you, so you may as well get good at that bit.
2) You're making others aware of you. When they think of you, they'll think about editing. That's good. That's advertising. Keep doing it
The very first thing a freelance editor needs to have is a natural love of reading. The closer this is to obsession, the better. The more varied your reading, the better too, for you'll have a broad reference of what makes excellent writing in multiple genres, eras, and styles.
Coupled with a natural love of reading you'll also gravitate toward editing. You'll notice plot holes, spelling and grammatical errors, and perhaps even observe philosophical inconsistencies. You're probably the kind of person who either corrects people a lot, thus provoking eye rolls or silent annoyance in others, or you have bitten your tongue so often just to keep those corrective comments to yourself that you can no longer properly enjoy soup.
2. Practice Editing (Note: You'll Have to Talk to People)
Before getting freelance jobs, you'll need to develop your skills. This may come in the form of your first freelance job, or, more likely, it may be volunteer work.
A great way to get your start is by offering to edit for an organization your'e already a part of
Ideas of where to get opportunities to practice:
PLACES: Churches, sports teams, health clubs, charity, gym, school, PTA, workplace, garden club...
EDITING OPPORTUNITIES: blog posts, emails, sales letters, ad copy, white papers, meeting minutes, newsletters, web copy
Also, if you happen to know someone who writes (blog posts, short stories, books,) you can definitely approach them too!
Heads-up: approaching people is scary.
Do it anyway. (You can do it!!!)
I'd encourage you to approach some people as a volunteer and others as a paid editor.
Even if you don't get hired right away (which is the most likely outcome), you'll be accomplishing two very important things by asking them for work:
1) You're getting practice with asking, which grows confidence and ability. Let's face it: if you're planning to freelance, you'll be asking a lot of people for work, and a lot of them will not hire you, so you may as well get good at that bit.
2) You're making others aware of you. When they think of you, they'll think about editing. That's good. That's advertising. Keep doing it
3. Turn Practice Into Pay
Let's say you've got some practice projects behind you. You edited the last ten blog posts for your gym, and the PTA newsletter has never looked more pristine. The people you have helped will now, ideally, help you. Here's how.
* Get Endorsements
Ask your first clients (yes, volunteer clients are still clients) for an endorsement that you can publish on your social media or website. You can include those high praises in the conversation with potential clients as proof of your high quality work, for example.
* Ask for Referrals
Now that your practice clients are greatly pleased with you, do they know someone else who might benefit from the kind of work you do? Ask them. Follow up on any leads given.
* Upsell
And, since your practice clients are so pleased with you, perhaps they have more work for you to do. Paid work.
3. Find Writers Who Need Editors
And finally, after approaching all the people and organizations you're connected with and leveraging all you can, you'll reach the end of that shallow pool and find need to swim out into the great big world of strangers.
You need to find where writers congregate.
And not just any writers, but the kind you want to work with.
Business people? Humor bloggers? Medical organizations? Horror authors?
When you know who you're looking for, they're a lot easier to find, am I right?
Places to find writers include:
* Writing conferences
* Online writing groups
* Writing classes
* News conferences / media events
* Industry conferences / events (Ie: if you want to meet renovation company management, you could find them at trade shows)
* Complimentary services (For example, if you offer editing, a small publishing house might be willing to outsource to you. Or maybe a ghost writing company has clients who don't know where to go for that next step in the process. You can offer to be that next step.)
That's the basic process.
I know it doesn't answer all your questions.
Like "But don't I need a degree or something?" (Short answer: That depends who you want to work for.)
But mostly, that's really all you need to kickstart your freelance editing career.
I know not because I read it in a book but because that's how I got started.
You can do it!
The biggest obstacle isn't accreditation, competition, or even your abililties.
The biggest obstacle you'll discover, is your own fear.
Fear of approaching people.
Fear of asking for money.
Fear of over charging
Fear of under-charging
A desperate fear of making a mistake (because egads, of all the people who make mistakes, an editor should certainly not make one! ... except we do. You've seen traditionally published books with typos, right? ;) )
And a fear of calling yourself an editor
which is really just a fear of someone finding out you're not as awesome and professional and perfect as you feel like you're claiming to be. They call that Impostor Syndrome.
These are your biggest obstacles.
But all those fears get smaller when you look them in the eye, tell them to buzz off, and then you do the thing anyway.
That's how I roll, anyway.
With trepidation and terror, I do the thing anyway.
I haven't died from it yet. Not once.
Got questions?
Email me! I reply. And I'm glad to help.
Let's say you've got some practice projects behind you. You edited the last ten blog posts for your gym, and the PTA newsletter has never looked more pristine. The people you have helped will now, ideally, help you. Here's how.
* Get Endorsements
Ask your first clients (yes, volunteer clients are still clients) for an endorsement that you can publish on your social media or website. You can include those high praises in the conversation with potential clients as proof of your high quality work, for example.
* Ask for Referrals
Now that your practice clients are greatly pleased with you, do they know someone else who might benefit from the kind of work you do? Ask them. Follow up on any leads given.
* Upsell
And, since your practice clients are so pleased with you, perhaps they have more work for you to do. Paid work.
3. Find Writers Who Need Editors
And finally, after approaching all the people and organizations you're connected with and leveraging all you can, you'll reach the end of that shallow pool and find need to swim out into the great big world of strangers.
You need to find where writers congregate.
And not just any writers, but the kind you want to work with.
Business people? Humor bloggers? Medical organizations? Horror authors?
When you know who you're looking for, they're a lot easier to find, am I right?
Places to find writers include:
* Writing conferences
* Online writing groups
* Writing classes
* News conferences / media events
* Industry conferences / events (Ie: if you want to meet renovation company management, you could find them at trade shows)
* Complimentary services (For example, if you offer editing, a small publishing house might be willing to outsource to you. Or maybe a ghost writing company has clients who don't know where to go for that next step in the process. You can offer to be that next step.)
That's the basic process.
I know it doesn't answer all your questions.
Like "But don't I need a degree or something?" (Short answer: That depends who you want to work for.)
But mostly, that's really all you need to kickstart your freelance editing career.
I know not because I read it in a book but because that's how I got started.
You can do it!
The biggest obstacle isn't accreditation, competition, or even your abililties.
The biggest obstacle you'll discover, is your own fear.
Fear of approaching people.
Fear of asking for money.
Fear of over charging
Fear of under-charging
A desperate fear of making a mistake (because egads, of all the people who make mistakes, an editor should certainly not make one! ... except we do. You've seen traditionally published books with typos, right? ;) )
And a fear of calling yourself an editor
which is really just a fear of someone finding out you're not as awesome and professional and perfect as you feel like you're claiming to be. They call that Impostor Syndrome.
These are your biggest obstacles.
But all those fears get smaller when you look them in the eye, tell them to buzz off, and then you do the thing anyway.
That's how I roll, anyway.
With trepidation and terror, I do the thing anyway.
I haven't died from it yet. Not once.
Got questions?
Email me! I reply. And I'm glad to help.
