It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that six months ago, I was a teacher, and now I’m doing my dream job: editing fiction. The Japanese have a word for it: ikigai. As an international teacher, I was well paid, good at it, and we can’t deny the world needs teachers. But I didn’t love it, and that sense of emptiness was dragging me into a pit of despair. Now, as a freelance editor, I’m right there in the middle of ikigai. Well, this afternoon my friend Heather, who I met while we were both teaching ESL in South Korea, asked me how I became an editor. Since it might be where her ikigai is too, I was happy to share the wisdom I’ve gained in the last six months.
This conversation has been edited for flow and clarity.
Heather: Hello there, lady!😀 I keep seeing your proofreading/editing posts and I suspect you’re actually doing my dream job (manuscript editing). If you have a little time, would you mind telling me how you got into that? I’m really curious about how to be an editor. Also, I hope you’re doing really well!
Katherine: I am indeed, on all counts! And I’m happy to share knowledge. Brace yourself—it’s a lot.
To be an editor or proofreader, you need skills, networking, and experience. The best thing I did was join the CIEP, which offers training and networking. I got practice doing freebies in exchange for testimonials for friends and family, then for some indie authors and businesses (even someone’s Facebook Page description). Then I joined a bunch of writers’ groups, interacted authentically with authors, and started picking up work.
Skills, Networking and Start-up Costs
Katherine: The only way to get skills is through training, research, and practice. I really dived into it, and signed up for over $1,000 worth of courses—it might have been a bit much, looking back. If I had known which to focus on, which courses were accredited and recognized, and where my editing passions lie, I definitely could have saved time and money. I have developed a minor webinar addiction.
I would definitely suggest starting with the CIEP’s courses, which are thorough and recognized internationally. Then, for more focus on fiction and building your editing business, Louise Harnby has a treasure trove of resources that are affordable, engaging, and entertaining. I have learned so much from her about content marketing, as well as some tips about editing fiction that I have yet to see repeated in any courses online. Her podcast with Denise Cowle is also brilliant. The EFA and ACES also have a dazzling array of webinars available to members for free (or a discount) and nonmembers. And for free proofreading practice, you can get started on Project Gutenberg. These organizations are great for networking as well. I have learned so much from other editors!
You’ll also need to budget for some tools you’ll need for the job: UK English editing focuses on New Hart’s Rules and Butcher’s Copyediting, using the Oxford Dictionary, whereas US fiction editing follows the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster.
All told, my start-up costs including the books I bought, courses, memberships and website were about $3,000. I started around March 11 and have since earned back those costs.
Heather: Wow, so this is pretty new for you! That’s great that you can get it running so quickly.
Katherine: Yeah, it just takes a lot of push. But so far, I’ve edited more than ten novels and I am having a ball doing it!
Expectations vs Reality
Heather: And has it been everything you wanted it to be? Did it meet your expectations?
Katherine: So far so good! I started out with a pretty hazy idea of what I wanted to do. Using your prior experience and knowledge can help you a lot with getting your foot in the door, so I thought I would be working more on educational materials and children’s books. However, as I tried different things, I was able to edge closer to what I enjoy, am good at, pays well, and helps people: ikigai.
Heather: This is such great info. I feel like that would be the case with me too.
Using Social Media for Professional Development
Katherine: Awesome! In the meantime, a good source of free insight into the editing world is Facebook editing groups, although it’s best to take any advice in them with a pinch of salt. Here are some of my favorites: The Editors Association of Earth, the Editor Alliance, and Association of Independent Publishing Professionals Coffee Club (you need to be a paid member of AIPP for that one). When I started my journey to becoming a full-time editor, I decided to filter my Facebook experience to groups that promote learning and development, so that’s what I see on my feed (and not just memes and politics).
Heather: Ugh, that’s a good idea. I’d like to clean out mine as well. I really appreciate this. I feel like you just handed me a shortcut! Congrats on making it happen for yourself, it must feel amazing.
Katherine: It does feel pretty good! And I’m happy to save you from my own mistakes, especially forking out roughly $600 for a course that wasn’t internationally recognized, and wasn’t really aimed at the kind of editing I want to do. Still, every experience, good or bad, is ultimately a learning experience. The CIEP courses are recognized by publishers in the UK and elsewhere, and that’s where the steady money is, if you can get your foot in the door.
Heather: And lord knows we could all use job security right about now.
Getting work
Katherine: So I’ve covered skills and networking, but let’s talk about another factor in becoming an editor: experience. Where do we find clients and get work? When it comes to joining writers’ groups, I find that joining smaller, genre-specific groups is more productive than big self-promo groups. I want to be in the groups where people are sticking around to have conversations and build relationships, not just groups where people spam their advert and leave. Those small groups are where your future clients are. In fact, 90% of my work has come from a single small science fiction novelists group, where there are just a handful of editors and a few more authors who interact authentically with each other.
Organizations like the EFA, ACES, CIEP and others have directories or mailing lists where jobs are sometimes sent out. In some cases, it can be like koi fighting for breadcrumbs. I’m also finding that a lot of authors are more active on Twitter, so I’ve started branching out and engaging more there. Louise Harnby has great resources about finding work, content marketing and engaging with potential clients.
Heather: That sounds much better than duking it out with other editors on a large scale. I learned that in the social media marketing field, ugh.
Katherine: There is more work in nonfiction and with educational publishers though, simply because more titles in those areas are published each year. It can be a good way to get going in the beginning. Then, if you’re not satisfied, you can “trade up” toward what you really want to do. Most of my editor friends prefer nonfiction, actually!
Heather: Good to know! I have a lot to look into, apparently. I’m a ways out research-wise to committing to it (working on other career options at the moment and going to see that through for a bit) but I’ll definitely remember that if/when I move toward this.
What a workday looks like
Heather: How many hours do you usually put in a day when you have a client?
Katherine: I learned from other more experienced editors that if you do more than 3 hours of focused, “in the zone” work per day, your overall energy, productivity, and mental health suffer. So I do about 3 hours of editing each day, and use the remaining 4-5 hours of the workday for networking, content marketing, dealing with emails and queries, professional development, and administrative tasks. This month I’m working on four simultaneous courses, so, knowing it was coming, I ramped down my marketing a little last month. But I still got a new client over the weekend!
Heather: Oh, congrats! I like the variety in that schedule.
Katherine: Me too. It’s really nice to be able to switch modes. I also offer different kinds of editing services which shakes things up a bit. For me, proofreading and copyediting are very procedural, mechanical even. I can follow a checklist of processes, and it really relaxes me. On the other side of the spectrum, developmental editing lets me flex my creativity, with mind maps, laying pages out on the floor, and doing mental acrobatics to see if two characters would be better off blended into one, or if the theme is coming through in the writing, or if the gaping plot hole can be resolved. Doing exactly the kind of work I enjoy is why I wanted to become an editor in the first place.
Heather: So basically developmental editing is this guy:
Katherine: Spot on.
Taking the leap of faith
Katherine: Jumping into editing was definitely the best decision ever, BUT I am very lucky to have a buffer of savings from teaching internationally. That means I don’t have to worry about having a steady income right now, so I can ease into it. I recognize that many people are not in such a fortunate situation.
Heather: That’s where I am at the moment as well. I have a bit of a cushion to explore. But wow, you’ve sent me such a wealth of information. If I were in your area, I’d absolutely owe you a meal, haha. Thank you so much! Honestly, it sounds like for passive income you could create your own course on this.
Katherine: All part of my master plan.
Heather: It’s great advice, and even if there are already courses out there, everyone has different learning styles and preferred voices.
Katherine: My preferred learning voice is Gilbert Gottfried.
Heather: I legitimately snorted at that. This has been fantastic. Thank you!
Katherine: You’re welcome, and good luck on your journey!
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