The Modern Editor - Editing Tips for Freelance Editors

There is a fine line we walk when we approach burnout in our editing business. I know this all too well, which is why today’s episode is our first release in seven months. After facing my own spout of burnout and still actively recovering from it, I knew I had to ask for help in my business and it has made all the difference. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a little about that journey and what you...

With so much turmoil going on in the world, it can be hard to stay focused and find the motivation to continue with business as usual. Recently, I’ve often found myself asking, What’s the point? Who cares where this Oxford comma goes? None of this matters when atrocities are happening every day. We can feel helpless and hopeless. So, how do we keep moving forward?  In this episode, I’m sharing som...

As a coach for freelance editors, one of the most common questions I get asked is about how many hours a day editors should be editing. And the answer is one of my favorites—it depends!  In this episode, we’ll dive into specific questions you need to ask yourself that’ll help you figure out how many hours you should be editing in a day. Because (surprise, surprise!) it varies greatly for everyone....

Are you booked out in your editing business? In this short-and-sweet episode, we’re going to talk about what “booked out” means to you as a freelance editor and if it’s something you even want to work toward (it might not be!). I want to stress that being booked out is not bad or wrong. And for anyone new here, when one of us succeeds, we all succeed! In this episode, I’ll touch on the following:...

*Content warning: This episode discusses depression, anxiety, and eating habits.* When you’re a freelance editor and wear all the hats in your editing business, you can get too much on your plate very quickly. It accumulates fast, sneaks up on you, and suddenly you’re stretched way too thin. Your energy, motivation, and capacity quite literally burn out. In this episode, I talk about my recent exp...

It’s the million-dollar question: Where does all our time go? To help answer that question, I’m going to walk you through my process for figuring out where our time goes, what we spend our time doing, and how we can “earn” some of our time back. Here’s what we’re going to cover: What’s a time audit, and how I use it to see where my time is spent Getting real with the results of your time audit. Is...

Are you constantly moving in your editing business and forgetting to take the time to reset? It’s time to put on your CEO hat so that you actually review your business as a freelance editor! Listen in as I walk you through my monthly process of how I review my business in order to stay organized and wrap up each month. We’re going to cover a lot in this episode, but keep an eye out for these highl...

Tax season—that time of year dreaded by most. And while filing your taxes as a freelance business owner is a much different ball game than doing them as a W2 employee, if you get organized, stay organized, and follow my tips, tax time will go smoother than you think. In this episode, you’ll learn the following: 04:37 – My number one tip to keep your finances organized from the beginning 08:07 – Wh...

It’s always helpful to get a glimpse into how others approach their editing projects. No two editors are the same, and there isn’t one right way to get the job done. So whether it’s for new tips, things you haven’t thought of, or just to make your process more efficient, I’m sharing ten prechecks I do at the beginning of every copyediting project I take on. In this episode, you’ll learn the follow...

Whenever a new type of technology emerges, there’s always an initial surge of panic, followed closely by people worrying it’ll take over their jobs and their livelihoods are in jeopardy. Usually, once the panic has worn off, we can see a little clearer and be able to do our due diligence and learn more about the new trend. Some juicy highlights from the episode are below: 04:55 – What the heck is...

As a follow-up to Episode 17,  Goal-Setting Part 1: Reflection , this episode will take you through my process of creating intentional goals but with a slight twist (hint: it’s not actually about the goals).⁠ I’ve found this process incredibly effective, and it’s completely changed how I approach goal-setting in my editing business. My hope is that these tips will take the ick out of goal-setting...

Trends in business are constantly changing, especially in the online business world and in freelance editing. It can sometimes be hard to keep up as a freelance editor. Based on current trends I’m seeing in the editing industry, I’ve created a short list of my predictions and hopes for freelance editors for 2023 and what you can expect to see more (or less) of. In this episode, you’ll learn the fo...

Around the end of every year, this buzz phrase starts getting tossed around in abundance: “word of the year.” If you’ve never heard this buzz phrase before and are starting to freak out, don’t sweat! In this episode, I talk all about choosing a word (or words), why it can be important for your business, and how to do it in a way that will actually help you reach your goals.  Check out some highlig...

Reflection, no matter when it’s done, is an important tool when it comes to prioritizing and setting goals. After reviewing the reflection process, I share some thought-provoking questions to help you pause, reflect, and analyze before you start setting new goals. Grab a pen and paper for this episode! In this episode, we’ll talk about the following: 01:50 – Why there’s no perfect time to reflect...

Defining your editing business’s purpose and values will make your decisions that much easier to come to terms with. Your purpose and values are two key components in making business decisions and keeping your goals in alignment with what you truly hold dear as a freelance editor. In this episode, you’ll learn the following: 01:49 – How to determine your purpose and values 06:06 – Some examples of...

The number of decisions we have to make daily seems to keep going up…and up…and up… So in this episode, we’re talking about the one simple question you can ask yourself to help you stay intentional in your business and your life. We’re channeling our inner three-year-old today and learning to ask ourselves “Why?” Here are a few things you’ll hear in the episode: 03:11 – How asking ourselves “Why?”...

With the growing instability of social media platforms, it’s become even more apparent than ever that we shouldn’t rely solely on social media for marketing our editing business. There are many ways to market your business outside of social media, and we’re going to look at eleven ways to market your freelance editing business. In this episode, you’ll learn the following: 01:34 – A friendly remind...

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...

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...

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...