Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor

Have you ever felt like no matter how much you give to academia, it will never be enough? In this deeply personal episode, I share—for the first time in such raw detail—what finally pushed me to leave my tenure-track job. From relentless burnout and institutional gaslighting to one unforgettable phone call with my provost, I walk you through the moment I knew I couldn’t stay in academia any longer...

In this week's podcast episode, I chat with Nata Salvatori, Doctor of Physical Therapy, who left academia and never looked back. She turned a side-hustle photography gig into a multi-six-figure business—and now, as the founder of Accidental CEO, she helps entrepreneurs scale sustainably through delegation. We dive into: 📣 How Nata made the leap from academia to entrepreneurship 📣 Why academics a...

Ever wonder what really shifts when you go from “professor” to “business owner”? In this week’s episode of Leaving Academia , I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes replay of a recent live call where I talked candidly about my transition out of academia and into freelance editing—and answered all the juicy questions about AI, marketing, and starting an editing or coaching business. 🎙️ You’ll hear: ➡️ The...

Want to get found by the right clients—without spending all day on social media? This episode breaks down exactly how. In this episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, I talk with Laura Jawad, PhD, a former oceanographer, about how she teaches people to use SEO (search engine optimization) to grow their businesses without burning out. Laura shares the exact strategies she uses to...

What’s keeping talented editors stuck at $20/hour—or worse, in feast-or-famine cycles that drain your energy and confidence? If you’ve been editing for 6 months or more, this episode is your wake-up call. We’re digging into the two main reasons most freelance editors don’t reach their income goals: editing speed and marketing. If you’ve been feeling stuck, unsure how to grow, or scared to raise yo...

Are you an academic editor or coach struggling to show up online without feeling salesy? You're not alone — and today's guest has the solution. Jennifer van Alstyne, founder of The Academic Designer, helps faculty and researchers around the world craft powerful online presences — from strategic websites to clear social media marketing. In this episode, Jennifer explains how she turned an unexpecte...

What if your sabbatical wasn’t just a break from academia — but your way out? I was recently a guest on Sabbatical 101 with Bethany Wilinski, PhD, and I’m re-airing that episode today. Bethany is an associate professor at Michigan State who also runs a business helping academics plan the sabbatical of their dreams. During the conversation, I share how I left academia, started working as a freelanc...

🎧 Wondering how to build a business after burnout? In this special coaching episode, I sit down with Katrien Deroost — a former malaria researcher who left academia and is now launching her career as an academic editor. Together, we dive deep into the real challenges of starting over: ✅ How burnout wrecks your confidence — and how to rebuild it ✅ Why a website alone won’t bring clients (and wha...

What if your natural talent for editing could become a thriving, 6-figure business? In this week’s Leaving Academia episode, I chat with Catie Phares—a brilliant academic editor who shares how she built her private client base, raised her rates with confidence, and created an editing agency just for business professors. You’ll discover:  💡 Why undercharging hurts more than your bank account...

This week on Leaving Academia, I’m joined by former professor turned brand messaging expert Jen Liddy. She’s breaking down exactly how to market your work without losing your unique voice. We talk about: 💬 Why most new business owners overthink their messaging 💬 How to mirror what your audience actually needs to hear 💬 The power of brand voice (and why it shouldn’t sound like your professor per...

What do you do when the academic job you worked so hard for starts to cost you too much ? In this week’s episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor , I’m joined by Jenn McClearen, PhD , a former assistant professor who walked away from a nearly complete tenure application and moved to the Netherlands to build a business that honors her values. Jenn is now a writing coach and developm...

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a freelance editor but wondered, “Do I really have what it takes?”—this week’s episode will show you that you DO. 💪 My guest, Katherine Wiley, is a former academic who made the leap into full-time freelance editing... and she’s thriving . In this episode, she shares why faculty members are uniquely qualified to be excellent editors (even if they don’t realize...

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s really possible to leave academia and make a living as a freelance editor, you need to hear this week’s episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor. My guest, Meg Toth, was a tenured professor who walked away from her academic career, joined my program, Becoming an Academic Editor, and built a successful editing business in just a few months. In th...

If you’ve ever wanted to work as a freelance editor for academic presses and journals—but weren’t sure how to get started—this episode is for you. ✅ This week on Leaving Academia, I’m talking to Laura Poole, a freelance editor with 28 years of experience working with university presses and academic journals. In this episode, Laura reveals: 🚀 The best way to land freelance work with academic publ...

Many editors and coaches struggle to attract clients, and they wind up in the dreaded “feast or famine” cycle. 😱 They create a website, spend HOURS trying to make it perfect… and then get frustrated because they don’t get much traffic or, if they do, the people who visit their page don’t hire them. I’ve been there and I get it. BUT, I have good news. There are some very easy tweaks you can make t...

What if you could make more money as a freelance editor—without working more hours? That’s exactly what we discuss in this week’s episode of Leaving Academia. My guest, Lori Paximadis, is an experienced book editor who has built a thriving freelance business. She shares her inspiring journey from in-house editor to full-time freelancer and reveals: 💡 The systems she uses to keep projects organize...

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a freelance academic editor really looks like? No filters, no fluff—just the honest, unvarnished truth. In this week’s episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my $100+/hour workday. From balancing family life to deep-focus editing sessions, I’m sharing it all. Tune in to hear: 💻 A real look at m...

How do you start an academic coaching business–while you’re STILL in academia? On this episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, my guest, Bethany Wilinski, PhD, explains how she started her business, Sabbatical Coaching for Academics. We discuss: 🌎 how a spark of an idea during her sabbatical led to a fully booked coaching business, 🌎 what Bethany did to define her niche and ide...

How do you transform an academic book into one that non-academic readers will enjoy? That question is the specialty of Caroline Malloy, PhD, my guest on today’s episode. Caroline is a former high school world history teacher who earned her PhD in art history in 2013. After serving as an adjunct professor for a few years, Caroline learned of an opportunity to work as the Resident Historian on Vikin...

This week is a good one, folks. I've got 5 tips to help you GTFO of academia. 😲 We're living in strange and dangerous times. Life is enough to deal with in a normal week, and now the US government and higher ed are crumbling around us. 🔥 If you're extra burned-out these days, you are not alone. I'm active in the Facebook group Academics Say Goodbye, and I was asked by the admin to write a featur...

🚀 Fiction editors, this one’s for YOU! This week on Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, we cross the border between academic and fiction editing. My guest, Andrew Hodges, PhD, is a cultural anthropologist who uses his academic expertise in studying societies and culture to analyze not only academic manuscripts, but also aspects of worldbuilding in fiction texts. 🌍 After working in aca...

Here’s one question that people ask me all the time: “Can I become an academic editor without a PhD?” Absolutely! 🥳 This week my podcast guest, Ellen Morgan, shares her journey from teaching middle school English to running an academic editing and coaching agency: Wise Oak Consulting Collaborative.  Ellen spills the tea on: 🍵 how she started out editing dissertations, 🍵 what she did to sta...

Once you’ve started professional editing, how can you maximize your time and earn as much money as possible? 🧐 Let’s get one thing straight: there is NO shame in wanting to earn more money.  Especially given your skills and the value you provide to your clients, academic editors should feel confident charging rates that equate to $100 per hour… or more! One of the best ways to reach this goa...

It’s the spring semester and, if you’re unhappy in academia, you’re probably dreading facing down another 15 weeks–let alone another whole YEAR–of dealing with administrators, AI, and burnout in general. In today's episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor , I give you four easy steps you can take to dip your toes in the waters of editing and coaching to see if it feels right for yo...

In this episode I talk with developmental and line editor Ellen Tilton-Cantrell, PhD. After serving as a visiting assistant professor at a local college for a year, Ellen decided that she wanted a more flexible career that would allow her to be at home with and available for her children. A mentor recommended that she try editing, so she enrolled in an editing certificate program and some other ed...