By Rachel E. Newman On May 30, 2016, my husband and I welcomed Maximus Newman into the world of the air breathers. How excited and happy and exhausted I was. We were as prepared as we could be for something we both knew we could never truly be prepared for. But boy, how unprepared I…
By Kathy Ide Editors, have you ever given writing or self-editing tips to your clients or potential clients? The following article by Kathy Ide is a resource you can share to help writers clean up their manuscripts before sending them to editors! Did you know that even “little” mistakes in your manuscript—typos, inconsistencies, and errors…
By Dori Harrell Closing the sale depends on more than delivering a dynamite sample edit—it begins with forming a relationship with an author before he or she even contacts the editor. An editor forms that early relationship by ensuring his or her online presence reflects editorial professionalism, choosing a tone when communicating with authors, and…
By Karin Beery One of the best pieces of advice I can give to new freelance writers and editors is to join a professional network. It may seem counterproductive—a group of people all doing the same job and competing for the same clients. If that’s your mindset—competition—then a professional organization might not work for you.…
By Ken Walker Several years ago, since the lead author and I couldn’t afford to hire a high-powered publicist, I assisted with contacting radio and television talk shows and newspapers in an attempt to generate more attention for our book. Amid this process, a business contact asked if we would be interested in recording a…
By Kathy Ide In Passive and Active Verbs, Part One, we encouraged the use of active verbs over passive verbs. Here, we will list five exceptions. In nonfiction, there are a few acceptable reasons to use passive verbs: To emphasize the action rather than the subject. Example: Jim’s bioengineering proposal was approved by the committee.…
By Ralene Burke Twitter is a valuable resource and a veritable ocean of opportunities for editors of all sorts. Whether an editor specializes in fiction or nonfiction, or works with authors or companies, there are potential clients for everyone on Twitter. The trick is learning how to find them. So, let’s start with how to…
By Karin Beery More business translates into more money, so it seems logical that freelance editors should take as much work as possible, right? Maybe not. Perhaps a better statement would be that more of the right business translates into more money, because not every job is going to be the right job for you.…
By Dori Harrell You’ve hung your Editor for Hire shingle. You’re reaching out to authors through targeted marketing and networking, and word-of-mouth referrals are trickling in. You’re receiving inquiries, some from authors or for projects you’d consider a dream fit for your business—but you’re struggling to close the sale. Before launching my freelance editing career,…
By Rachel E. Newman What do you think of when you hear the word professional? Does it conjure the image of a self-made man or woman? Someone who has it all together and never falls short of his or her goals? If this is the image you have in mind, you may have trouble seeing…
