Editor Insight: Shannon Scott
I’ve been asking newer editors for insights into how they find clients and deal with the ups and downs of freelancing. This week’s editor is Shannon Scott, who has been self-employed since July 2021, going full-time in December 2023.
This is our Q&A:
Tell me a little about your background and the kind of editing you do.
I came into independent editing by way of just over a decade in military and government documentation. I’d reached the ceiling at my workplace and wanted to move on, but I needed some updated education on my resume before I could do that. After getting my Certificate in Editing from University of Washington, I made the leap and opened my business with proofreading and copyediting at the core.
My long-term goal had always been to move into fiction developmental editing, and I’ve done a few projects with amazing authors. Now, I’m focusing on building the fiction story coaching side of things with some developmental editing on the side.
How do you typically find clients? Through social media, content marketing, etc.?
Because I niche at the development stage in the genres of queer romance and detective/mystery/psychological thrillers, and being at the level of editing I am, most of my clients come by word of mouth from trustworthy colleagues.
What is your top marketing tip for newer editors?
Live your truth. Dive into what makes you You, then share it with the wide world. You’ll attract the clients you’re meant to.
What is your top tip for handling the ups and downs of freelancing?
Build a cadre of bread-and-butter clients. These can be publishers, editing agencies, university presses, whatever. These are the ones who you can count on to regularly send you work, which means regular money coming in each month.
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Jennifer Lawler has been a freelance editor for more than twenty-five years and has been teaching editing skills for more than fifteen years. She is the founder of Club Ed LLC.
