Written by Ken Walker

Whether ghostwriting or substantive editing, one of your most essential tools is research. It will enliven stories, correct factual errors, and avoid problems like copyright infringement.

I have discovered this by helping authors with ghostwriting, editing memoirs, and editing teaching material.

Recently, I completed the memoir of a Vietnam War-era veteran who wanted to leave a record of his experiences for future generations. He had a most compelling personal story, but I had to fill in numerous gaps in the historical record.

At first, it seemed like I was spending an inordinate amount of time checking details. But as the project progressed, I became fascinated with facts I uncovered that refined his recollections or added additional information.

In several instances, details I uncovered brought a fuller historical perspective to parts of his life and helped create more than a “just the facts” account.

Another memoir I worked on involved a retired businessman. He had spent years in various aspects of the automotive business.

His was a most colorful story; it included a short-lived stint with a well-established auto dealer in Southern California. The veteran sales staff had numerous repeat customers—meaning a newcomer like the author couldn’t make many sales.

He talked about this dealership being “just down the street” from a well-known racetrack. On race day, the sales crew often took off for the track. The manager went too, tossing the author the shop keys and calling, “You’re in charge.”

The only problem with this story was the author’s description of the track’s location. One day while researching other points, in an automotive archive I came across the address for this defunct dealership.

Curious, I Googled the distance from the address to the racetrack: 6.2 miles. Or, as any long-distance runner knows, the length of a 10-K. A bit further than “down the street.”

When I mentioned this vast difference between what he wrote and the facts, the author chuckled and said, “Oh, that was just off the top of my head.”

“Well, you can’t do that,” I told him, “especially when it involves details that can be easily checked. Get this kind of fact wrong and readers can doubt everything else you write.”

Another time I helped a man who me wanted to revamp a life skills course he had taught at his church for a wider audience. I wound up identifying seventy-five footnotes lacking proper attribution or needing more information to avoid copyright infringement.

The most serious involved him quoting from a best-selling book—one I had read several months earlier. I noted that the author’s characterization of a key point sounded suspiciously like one in the best-seller, although he insisted it was his.

“You may want to rethink that,” I told him. “If you retain what you have in print, you could be looking at a lawsuit.”

So it is with many authors. They don’t know what they don’t know. That’s why they have you.

Ken Walker is an experienced ghostwriter, coauthor, and book editor who has written, edited, or contributed to more than 90 books. They include a number of professionally published books in the fields of health, personal experience, and teaching, and self-published memoirs—the latter a growing niche in the publishing world. Ken is also an experienced freelance writer, having written for a variety of national publications. He is still a regular contributor to websites of two denominations. Ken enjoys using his writing and editing skills to help others relate what God has done in their lives. Samples of his work are available on his website, www.KenWalkerWriter.com, or you can email kenwalker33@gmail.com.

Written by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes

Since my parents passed away, I’ve considered how much I miss them. I remember how they were always there for me, correcting my mistakes, showing me care, and encouraging me. I miss them for countless reasons, but what stands out the most is the impact they made as my first mentors. Their memory is something I treasure deeply.

As a parent, I am inspired by the wisdom of my parents and often ask myself, “What would Mom or Dad do in this situation?” I believe in the power of mentorship and actively seek guidance from mentors in my journey as a parent and industry professional. Moreover, I am honored to mentor fellow authors, educators, and editors to help them achieve their goals and fulfill their purpose.

Have you ever relied on trusted relationships for guidance like I have? It’s important to find individuals who can give sincere correction, care, and support that help us validate our growth. If you have not found that kind of support, consider seeking mentorship.

The Gift of Being Mentored

Having a mentor by our side can be a great asset to help us achieve our professional goals. With their guidance, advice, support, and knowledge, we can reach new heights and unlock our full potential. A good mentor is passionate about helping us succeed and will consistently be there for us.

To find a great mentor, looking for someone who is a good listener and can give feedback with respect and understanding is essential. Additionally, they should possess a wealth of knowledge and skills in a specific field. Keep these critical indicators in mind when searching for a mentor.

Discovering the perfect mentor to guide us may seem daunting, but there are key characteristics to remember.

A great mentor:

• Works with a Christian worldview
• Listens attentively
• Eager to assist in reaching our objectives
• Treats us with respect
• Provides truthful feedback
• Gives candid feedback
• Has industry expertise
• Is authentic

As a mentee, it’s vital for us to be amicable to work alongside. People in a mentoring role often are already busy. It’s beneficial for us to use introspection and cultivate the attributes of a great mentee.

A great mentee:

• Works with a Christian worldview
• Honors the time and input of others
• Is respectful and considerate
• Is consistently and openly thankful
• Adheres to deadlines
• Follows through on commitments
• Doesn’t abuse the partnership

The Gift of Mentoring 

Being a mentor is rewarding as it allows us to solidify our knowledge while sharing it with others who can benefit. As mentors, we develop a customized plan that caters to our mentees’ individual needs, talents, skills, and aspirations, guiding them toward self-improvement instead of trying to mold them into copies of ourselves.

An excellent mentor is continuously learning and willing to share that passion with mentees. Mentors need to acknowledge that, despite their expertise, they don’t have all the answers. Being open to new approaches is crucial in the editing industry. Gaining insights from experienced industry professionals can inspire and provide invaluable knowledge.

A mentor who is comfortable admitting, “I don’t know, but I’ll help you find the answer,” is someone we should strive to be like.

As mentors, we should be enthusiastic about sharing our knowledge with others and stay open to the idea that mentees may have insights or solutions we haven’t considered. Being open to different perspectives and engaging in debates can lead to personal growth and valuable insights.

When mentoring, we should be willing to learn from our mentees. They, too, deserve our admiration and attention.

Mentoring demonstrates our commitment to leadership, allows us to lead by example, and shows our mentees what effective leadership and decision-making look like in practice. As a mentor, we can provide valuable advice to mentees when they face new challenges, drawing from both successful and unsuccessful experiences to guide them. Reflecting on past experiences to provide better guidance can help reinforce leadership skills.

Building trusted relationships improves our professional network. Mentors can benefit from networking by reconnecting with old contacts and establishing new ones for unique opportunities and perspectives.

Being a mentor brings personal satisfaction as we watch the mentee progress. It also provides opportunities to explore alternative solutions and offer simple suggestions that make a significant difference.

The Bottom Line 

Mentoring can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience on both ends. It’s essential to choose a partnership that suits our needs and work toward making it fulfilling.

We can discover our true potential through mentoring and develop lifelong friendships and supporters.

Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, EdD, is a writer/content editor. She works for Iron Stream Media as a book coach/editor. She’s a sensitivity reader for Sensitivity Between the Lines and an editor/contributor for Inkspirations. She is the board’s vice chair for the 540 Writers community. Her writing has been published in Guideposts.

Written by Rebecca Faith

Some people have the idea that working from home is a perpetual comfort fest. Wear your pajamas or boxers all day; get up late and work whenever and however much you feel like; catch up on your favorite YouTube videos or scroll your social media in the afternoon. Family members may assume that because you are your own boss and work from home you are available to take Grandma to her doctor’s appointment or watch your sister’s kids for an hour. After all, you’re the one with the luxury of working from home. You have time, don’t you?

In my previous post, “Roadblocks to Productivity,” I described five hindrances to productivity that freelancers may experience. In this and subsequent posts, I’ll be discussing each in more detail.

My first freelance gig required me to work thirty hours a week at my own pace and on my own schedule. However, I was expected to produce a certain volume of work each week.

Before my first day, I received a piece of advice: Dress the part.

You’ve heard the phrase, dress for success, but social psychologists have shown that the clothes we wear may influence productivity. Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky studied productivity related to how we perceive certain types of clothing, such as a lab coat or a painter’s jacket, as well as the behavioral effects when the clothing was worn.[1] Their series of three experiments showed that participants who wore a lab coat, the typical attire of doctors and scientists that signifies a scientific focus and careful attentiveness, performed with sustained attentiveness and at a higher rate than participants who wore their own clothes.

In addition, they showed that the sustained attentiveness only happened when the participant was actually wearing the coat, not when wearing the same coat that was called a painter’s coat nor when simply viewing the lab coat. They coined the term enclothed cognition to designate the “systematic influence of clothes on the wearer’s psychological processes and behavioral tendencies.” In simple terms, wearing certain types of clothing triggers something in the wearer because of the symbolic meaning attached to the clothing.

What we wear triggers our brains to what it is time to do, what Adam and Galinsky called “the importance of symbolic meaning.” The soft and stretchy fabrics of loungewear cue our brains that it is time to relax. Wearing business attire or a uniform tells our brains to get the game face on and get to work. Workout clothing preps us to hit the track or gym and burn a few calories. Pajamas get us ready to climb in bed and go to sleep.

I’m not suggesting that you buy a business wardrobe and sit in your home office in a power suit every day, but I am suggesting that you devise your own dedicated business attire. In other words, give yourself a dress code. Help your brain transition from nighttime rest to daytime work by retraining it to understand your work attire.

Is it possible to be productive while dressed in the “wrong” attire for work? Well, yes, of course. Who hasn’t worked in pajamas because you had a cold and still had a deadline? But if this is your usual get-up and you struggle to be productive in your freelancing, perhaps consider making some changes. The afternoon cup of coffee may not be the only answer to a wandering attention span.

Adam and Galinsky concluded their study by saying that although “clothes do not make the [person], our results suggest that they do hold a strange power over their wearers.”

Rebecca began editing engineering papers in 2010 through a providential set of circumstances that taught her to never underestimate what God can do. Although she still edits for the engineering client, she also edits nonfiction Christian material for individual clients, an independent publisher, the Truth For Life radio ministry, and a wide variety of nonfiction topics for university presses, PhD students, a laboratory press, and independent authors.

Rebecca lives in northeast Ohio and is active in her church and rural community. You can contact her at rebecca@faitheditorial.com.

[1] Hajo Adam, and Adam D. Galinsky, “Enclothed Cognition,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 48, no. 4 (July 2012): 918–925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.008.

Written by Jayna Baas

Welcome to our bimonthly blog series for “newbie” editors. You’ve finally taken the plunge into professional editing—congratulations! Or perhaps you’re still testing the waters. In either case, you may be wondering, Where do I start?

To build a good foundation as an editor, familiarize yourself with the essential resources professional editors use every day. Knowing these resources inside and out will give you a tremendous advantage in furthering your freelance career.

In the book publishing industry, the standard style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), currently the 17^th edition. The 11^th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (MW) or Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged online subscription are the gold standard for proper spelling in the book industry. If Christian content is your focus, consider making space beside these resources for The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style (CWMS)—currently the 4^th edition, although a new edition is in the offing.

If you are interested in editing articles, you’ll want access to the Associated Press stylebook (AP). Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association Stylebook (APA) are the standard style guides for academic work from students or industry work, such as doctoral theses, journals, and academic books.

You can find a linked list of these and other references on our Reference Resources page.

PENCON audio and video recordings can give you insight into a specific topic in under an hour. As you grow your business, you may want to purchase these PENCON audio and video recordings:

• Starting Your Freelance Editing Business, Christi McGuire, 2018 and 2019
• Grow Your Business, Rebecca Miller, 2020
• Tax Tips for Freelancers, Chris Morris, 2020
• Business of Editing, Deb Haggerty, 2022

New recordings from PENCON 2023 will be available soon!

Many editors also benefit from using editing software such as PerfectIt, which can help catch style inconsistencies and other small errors. PEN Silver and Gold members receive discounts on PerfectIt, and all levels of PEN membership can receive discounted subscriptions to The Chicago Manual of Style. Join us today to access these benefits and more.

As you continue to grow as a new editor, these resources will give you the perspective and confidence to offer new services and explore new avenues. In many ways, editing is an open-book test, and having the right books open makes all the difference.

Thank you for subscribing to PEN Tips, and we hope you continue to enjoy the education, tips, and inspiration we offer.

Jayna Baas is the current PEN Director and has been in love with words ever since she learned to use them. As a freelance editor, she specializes in copyediting and proofreading for a polished reading experience. As a Christian fiction author, she is passionate about helping fellow writers present Christ-honoring messages with confidence and excellence. Jayna lives in northern Michigan, where she enjoys gardening, good coffee, and time with family.

By Martin Wiles

Let’s face it. Not all of us have the luxury of editing full-time. I’m one.

Five days each week, I teach writing and English to 120 rambunctious, less-than-focused middle schoolers—most of whom would rather be elsewhere. Over the past decade, I cannot calculate how often I’ve been asked, “Why do I need to learn this?”

On Sunday mornings, my wife and I travel forty-five minutes to a small country church that I pastor bi-vocationally. Although I am only “part-time,” I still must do the typical pastor things: prepare sermons, keep in touch with the sick and shut-ins, visit the hospital, teach Sunday school, and keep things running at the church.

And did I mention I have a wife who occasionally needs my attention? Our kids are grown and gone, but we still must make time to keep up with the ones who live twelve hours away and the ones who live only one hour away.

Far be it from me to brag about how much I can do in a day. In the past, that led to a bleeding ulcer. But I do have a Type-A personality and am very organized, but that doesn’t mean my plate can’t get overloaded quickly. In fact, it’s more likely to.

Presently, I manage two websites—plus my personal one—and edit for a few small publishing houses. And did I mention that I write monthly for several places and am a contracted writer for a few more annually?

I am quite out of breath—but I imagine I am not the only one. I have a feeling many who read this have too much on their plates too. As with any diet, we must reduce our amounts and watch what we eat more carefully to ensure we eat healthy foods. And hopefully, we have too much on our plates because we have more food choices (opportunities) that we can say “yes” to.

So, how do I make time to edit and do life? I’ll admit my sleep numbers suffer, but I strive for seven hours. Since I’m not a night owl, I’m in bed by 9:15. This means I rise at 4:15 in the morning. Not all of us can do the morning thing, but whatever works, do it. For our eyes to see what they need to see through the editing process—and for our brains to remember all the ins and outs we must recall—we need rest (adequate sleep plus other periods of down time). The early morning hours provide the time I need to do editing before I head to my day job.

I’ve also learned by trial and error to say no. I wish I could say yes to every editing opportunity—especially those that pay well—but I can’t. None of us can. Trying to can entail skipping out on needed sleep and rest, neglecting our families, avoiding opportunities to serve, and most importantly, skimping on our time with God and other believers.

And we should never lose sight of why we edit. God has gifted and called us to this profession—full- or part-time. Doing free edits or some at a reduced cost for the person who truly can’t afford to pay what we’d typically charge helps us maintain our perspective. Although I’m now paid an honorarium for managing two websites, I wasn’t when I initially took the position.

As you make time to edit, make sure you don’t neglect sleep, don’t overload your plate, and don’t neglect God.

Martin Wiles is an author, pastor, English teacher, and editor who resides in Greenwood, South Carolina. He is the administrator/assistant editor for VineWords: Devotions and More, the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions, and the Senior Editor for Inspire a Fire. He is the founder/editor of the internationally recognized devotion site, Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). He also serves as a freelance editor with several publishing companies. His most recent book is Don’t Just Live … Really Live (Ambassador International). He has also been published in numerous publications.

Written by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes

When I started freelancing a few years ago, I wasn’t sure where to start. Coming from working as a school administrator, I didn’t know the first thing about finding new clients. I didn’t know my way around the publication world. Determined, I attended conferences, read books and articles, sought expert advice, and took classes to develop my understanding of the business. Now I do very little traditional marketing. I’m fortunate to have consistent and loyal clients. Here are ten tips I’ve learned through my experiences for creating loyal clientele. Hopefully, they can help you too.

1. Create a professional image: Remember that our appearance, website, and social media platforms represent who we are. These days it’s best to consider everything public, even our private pages. Our websites, business cards, and email signatures should establish our credibility. We should refrain from posting material deemed divisive. Our image should ooze inclusiveness and professionalism. When meeting clients virtually or in person, our image should reflect that we are professionals.
2.  Create goals: Studies conclude that successful people create, write, and revisit their goals. We should be specific regarding the type of projects and clients we’d like to work with. The more precise we are in setting goals, the more apt we are to achieve them.
3.  Network: When we intentionally develop genuine connections, the work will follow. Attending conferences, groups, and organizations intending to meet and connect with others without strings will attract clients who sense our authenticity.
4.  Work hard: We’ll usually do great work when we treat our client’s projects as ours. Nothing inspires repeat business and referrals like an excellent job.
5. Be helpful: Sometimes, we have clients who need assistance outside the job we were hired to do. Often, it will pay dividends if we take the time to give more attention to helping them solve other problems.
6. Exercise patience: Listening and handling clients patiently goes a long way in ensuring they feel cared for. Sometimes it takes our willingness to take the time to understand a client’s problems and needs thoroughly.
7. Develop clear communication skills: Communicating clearly when working with clients is crucial because miscommunication can result in disappointment and frustration. Learn how to keep communication with clients simple, leaving nothing to doubt.
8. Exercise resourcefulness and creativity: There will be times when clients need assistance with titles, tech support, marketing, brainstorming ideas, and many other things we might not cover. However, connecting them to the right professional shows that we care about their entire project, not just the portion we may be working on.
9. Use positive language: Effective customer service means having the ability to make minor changes in our conversational patterns. This can go a long way in creating happy repeat customers. Language is a crucial part of persuasion, and clients create perceptions about us based on our language. Giving feedback and responding to questions with positive language can significantly affect how clients hear our responses.
10.  Develop time management skills: On the one hand, it’s good to be patient and spend a little extra time with clients to understand their problems and needs. On the other hand, the amount of time we can dedicate to each client is limited, so their needs must be met efficiently. Creating schedules for ourselves and our clients helps us manage our time and achieve our goals.

Excellent work ethic and a willingness to do what needs to be done are crucial when providing the kind of service people repeatedly desire. Increasing our knowledge about editing and running a business are great tools to develop a loyal clientele base. However, as editors who are servants of Christ, we can also radically impact our clients by serving them with agape love.

Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, EdD, is a writer/content editor. She works for Iron Stream Media as a book coach/editor. She’s a sensitivity reader for Sensitivity Between the Lines and an editor/contributor for Inkspirations. She is the board’s vice chair for the 540 Writers community. Her writing has been published in Guideposts.

Written by Janyre Tromp

A developmental (or substantive) edit can be one of the most nebulous and contentious of edits. There are few hard-and-fast rules and more than a few confusing marketing concepts involved, all of which can make the waters murky and authors and editors nervous.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult or combative. Here are three steps to take before you start your nonfiction developmental edit to make a project go more smoothly.

1. Define your role

The job of an editor is to facilitate purposeful, clear, creative, consistent communication between the author and the audience. Basically, your job as a developmental editor is to ensure a positive reader experience.

That means looking at book-length issues of organization, argument, tone, etc. to ensure that it doesn’t interrupt what the reader is supposed to learn. It’s also your job to point out inconsistencies, inaccuracies, missing front or back matter, and major concerns in permissions, citations, and overarching grammar—anything that is problematic in the message presented.

But it’s hard to do that if we don’t know who the reader is or what they’re supposed to experience.

2. Define the author’s purpose and expectation

Does the author expect to self-publish or publish traditionally? Self-publishing gives them greater latitude while traditional publishers are much more stringent in expectations. An author will often have a murky definition of their desired outcome or lack the knowledge of the market to know where their place is. Part of your job as an editor is to define that.

What genre are they intending to publish in? Bible study, Christian living, memoir, etc.? This knowledge allows the editor to judge whether the genre expectations are being met for chapter length, content, and feel. But it also defines the author’s purpose. Do they intend to entertain, tell a story, change a behavior, instruct? It allows the editor to know what tone the book should take.

3. Define the target market, felt need, and promise

We generally encourage authors to think of a target market as a psychographic (someone with a particular need or desire: women with young children who want their kids to see God through nature) rather than a demographic (women aged 20–35 with young children). And marketers often ask authors to think of a specific real person they’re writing to.

What is the hurt or problem the author helps a reader through (felt need)? And what is the end result or promise once the reader finishes the book?

For example, Eryn Lynum’s book, Rooted in Wonder, examines how parents can help their children reengage with God’s world, which is full of amazement, creativity, and love. The felt need is that parents are concerned about kids who are glued to screens missing out on one of the biggest ways God reveals himself to humans: nature. The market is parents whose kids are glued to the screen. Lynum is a certified master naturalist, Bible teacher, and mom, and her book promises to help parents instill an unshakable faith in their kids through the lens of nature and the Bible.

Having this definition of intent will help you, as the editor, filter whether the book as a whole and each chapter as a part accomplishes the goal.

With these three steps taken, you will be well equipped to delve into a developmental edit that satisfies both reader and author expectations.

Janyre Tromp is a twenty-five year veteran book editor by day and writer of historical novels with a healthy dose of intrigue at night. She’s the best-selling author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and co-author of both O Little Town and It’s a Wonderful Christmas. And that all happens from her unfinished basement when she’s not hanging out with her family, two troublesome cats, and slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog.

You can find her on social media and her website, http://JanyreTromp.com, where you can grab a copy of her FREE novella, Wide Open.

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Written by Liz Tolzma

I love getting requests for editing from new clients and getting to know them. Turning that client into a repeat customer is another trick. How can you build client relationships and turn one-time requests into returning customers?

Professionalism

It may be as obvious as a peacock’s tailfeathers, but handling yourself professionally is the best way to retain clients. Though you may work from home in your pajamas, this is still a business, and the relationships you develop start on a business level.

1. Meet your deadlines. Whether working for a publisher or an indie-pub author, don’t delay your clients. Some authors will want their edits back yesterday, and sometimes unexpected events happen, but as much as humanly possible, turn your work in on time. If they can rely on you, they’ll continue to hire you.
2. Communicate effectively. Always be clear when you speak with your clients, no matter in emails or on the phone. Make sure that you understand each other. Ask for clarification on any points you’re unsure about.
3. Do your best work. As Christians, we’re called to do our best as if working for Christ. Nothing impresses a client more than when you are meticulous and go above and beyond. When they know they’re going to get quality edits, they’ll continue working with you.

Kindness

Whether editing for a multi-published author or a first-time writer, it’s a privilege that they have entrusted you with their work. It’s scary for them to put out their words to be combed through and critiqued. Kindness goes a long way in helping maintain client relationships.

1. In all your communication, always speak the truth in love, whether it’s in writing an email or in the suggestions you make in the edit itself. Highlight the positives so when you do need to critique, the client is more open to what you have to say. A spoonful of sugar, as the saying goes.
2. Be appreciative. They’re paying a great deal of money for the edit. When you return a manuscript or start a content edit letter, thank them for the privilege of editing their work. Thank them for anything you learned or for the enjoyment you had in reading their words.
3. Listen to clients’ concerns. Being dismissive is the fastest way to lose a client. No matter what their questions are, answer them patiently and clearly. Be thorough in your explanations and willing to reword them if the client doesn’t understand.

After the Edit

If your clients know you care about them and their work, they’re more likely to develop a good relationship with you. That makes follow-up an essential part of the job.

1. A few days to weeks after returning the manuscript, reach out and ask if they have any questions. Going above and beyond is one of the most appreciated little touches. Be willing, however, to limit how much more you’re willing to do.
2. If you have clients fill out satisfaction surveys or if they voluntarily offer feedback, examine it objectively. See what you can glean from it to make your editing or your interactions with clients even better. Learn and grow, no matter how long you’ve been editing.

The key to building good client relationships that will continue for years is to follow Jesus’s command. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 ESV).

How can you improve your relationships with your clients?

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a U.S. Marine, and her oldest daughter is a recent college graduate. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. Please visit her website at www.liztolsma.com. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

Written by Denise Loock

“Americans report having fewer close friendships than they once did, talking to their friends less often, and relying less on their friends for personal support,” says the Survey Center on American Life. In other words, even though the pandemic demonstrated how much we need one another, fewer Americans prioritize connecting with friends.

The same survey revealed that “Americans are now more likely to make friends at work than any other way, including at school, in their neighborhood, at their place of worship, or even through existing friends.” So if you work from home in a solitary profession such as editing or proofreading, where do those friendships germinate?

The seeds are often planted at PENCON. Here’s what attendees say:

• The live chat was wonderful because it allowed for fun, connection, camaraderie, and relationship with other attendees.
• Thanks to PENCON, I got to know other editors a little, and I feel like I’m part of a wonderful community now.
• “Ask a Question” and “Chat” features of Crowdcast allowed us to interact with each other and the speaker in real time.
• Even a mega-introvert like me felt a sense of community and belonging.
• The fellowship helped me to not feel so isolated.
• Writing is usually lonely work. Freelance editing can be even more disorienting because you are now a solo-preneur. PENCON helps us connect with others who understand the joys and stresses of a life focused on shaping words as Jesus’s people. Rarely have I experienced the kind of comradery we instantly have just knowing we are working in the same field.
• I loved having the chance to fellowship with and learn from other editors.
• Online conferences are great for people like me who have difficulty walking into a roomful of new faces, and a much harder time walking up to someone to introduce myself! Behind my computer screen, I could be bold, with so much to gain and nothing to lose.
• PEN members are funny, real, and honest. I appreciate you all.
• I absolutely loved the fellowship times. It was wonderful to meet and talk shop with the other editors and just get to know one another. This was one of my favorite parts of the conference and totally unexpected.
• PENCON is the only conference where the other attendees get me. It’s so refreshing to be among like-minded editors who do what they do because they see it as a calling and a gifting rather than a job.
• I was impressed with how well the team worked to provide avenues to network—almost better than a live conference! Even the chat was beneficial. Ideas were flowing!
• If you are an editor or are considering becoming an editor, I say this with my whole heart: you need this conference.

Come to PENCON 2023. We want to meet you, laugh with you, learn with you. And maybe the connections you make will be the seeds of a lifelong friendship.

Denise Loock is the owner of Lightning Editing Services. She teaches Editing Devotionals 101 and Sentence Diagramming 101 for The PEN Institute and is the director of PENCON, the only annual conference for Christian proofreaders and editors.