The Modern Editor - Editing Tips for Freelance Editors

It’s my anniversary month (October 2022)! This month marks ten years I’ve been in business as a freelance editor. Ten years! To celebrate, I’m doing a podcast series on lessons I’ve learned, pulling back the curtain on the freelance editing industry, and sharing all the things—the good, the bad, and everything in between. So, grab a coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage is) and let’s jump rig...

I attended the ACES Accelerate conference for editors, and it got me thinking about whether or not attending editing conferences (or business conferences in general) is beneficial for your business. The short answer is: absolutely! Of course, there are many variables at play for every individual and why you may or may not be able to attend a conference. However, with the pandemic and the rise of v...

How do we know when we should be investing our time to accomplish a task or investing our money to have someone else complete it for us? Since we can always make more money, but we can’t make more time (at least as far as I know), we often hear that we should invest our money in order to save time. BUT this isn’t always possible for everyone. In this episode, we’ll talk about the following: 04:50...

It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game when starting and running a business—whether it’s comparing our beginning to someone else’s middle or feeling like we should be running our business in a way that aligns with how others are running theirs. We have to remind ourselves that everyone is different, and each person is on their own path. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, I’d l...

When we think of boundaries, we often think of borders, gates, or walls—something to keep people out. But when it comes to our business or personal lives, boundaries are more of a safety net—something to protect us, our businesses, and our reputations. We need to have clear boundaries that set the expectations within our business. If we let these boundaries go unenforced (and let too many people c...

As we grow up, we internalize certain stories about ourselves. I’m too short. I’m not creative. I can’t start a business because I’m not smart enough. I’m too loud. I’m bad at networking because I’m too introverted. In actuality, these are just thoughts and beliefs that we’ve said to ourselves so many times that we don’t even think about them anymore. We just accept them as fact. But are they true...

Freelancers wear many hats—we’re the accountant, the marketer, the employee, and the CEO. In order to be able to manage each of these positions (and maintain our mental health), it’s important we know how to work both *on* and *in* our businesses. I talk about the differences between each and why they’re important, plus I share my tips on how to maintain “balance” at any stage of your business. In...

Words are powerful, and the words we use affect others. As a modern editor, it’s our responsibility to stay educated on current language trends—not only to best assist our clients, but also when advertising our business and for use in our everyday lives. In this episode, we’ll talk about the following: 03:25 – Three words that set unrealistic expectations in the editing industry 06:39 – Why I don’...

We’re talking about one of my favorite things to talk about when discussing business. And that is MINDSET! When I first started my business 10 years ago, mindset was not even a blip on my radar. No one was talking about it. And if they had talked about it, I would’ve thought it was ridiculous. I would have thought mindset has nothing to do with running a business. How wrong was I! Nowadays, mindse...

So you’ve decided that this freelance editing journey is something you want to pursue. Where do you start? What do you need to learn on how to edit books? And for those who have been editing for a while—how do you elevate your skills? There is no one way to become a freelance editor, but I do have recommendations on where to find quality education and how to vet the organizations and educators you...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Modern Editor Podcast! Have you ever thought of becoming a freelance editor? Wondering what it takes to start your own editing business? Perhaps you’ve started your editing journey but are missing a key component—community! If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place. In my new podcast, The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m talking about all things r...