No one I know is experiencing business-as-usual right now, and given that we’re in the middle of a pandemic, attempts to do so are likely to be counter-productive. We can’t know what will happen or how it will affect us or what, ultimately, our businesses will look like when it’s over but we can take… Read more Freelancing in times of uncertainty
Conflict drives narrative, as I don’t need to tell you. But a problem with the conflict is probably the number one issue I see in the manuscripts I edit. Yet it can be difficult to identify conflict problems. Outside of the most formulaic of approaches, we don’t have a lot of rules about how the… Read more Identifying Conflict Problems in a Manuscript
In nonfiction (with the exception of some categories, such as memoir, or narrative nonfiction) what matters is the content – the facts. So, what we care about are things like: Is the information presented in a logical order? Does the author support the argument they’re making with valid data or, if it’s not that kind… Read more Differences in Editing Fiction and Nonfiction
Editors often want to freelance for book publishers and packagers as a way to have reliable clients who provide ongoing work. But there are some differences in working directly for the client (as with an indie author) and working for a publisher. When I’m doing a developmental edit for a book publisher, I usually have… Read more Working with publishers versus indie clients
You may have noticed a new menu item on this site called Forums. That’s pretty self-explanatory – I’ve added forums because many students and colleagues have asked for them. I’m hosting them at my jenniferlawler.com site for ease of integration with the work I’m doing over there. If you would like to register for the… Read more New! Forums for editors
If you’re new to editing, you may not be familiar with the various roles different types of editors play. If you’re planning to work as a freelancer, it pays to understand who does what at a publishing company. This list is intended to help you figure that out. The Different Types of Editors The acquisitions/assigning… Read more What Do Editors Do?
You probably landed here because you like books. Maybe you’ve always wanted to be an editor or maybe you think it would be a good freelance business to get into. But you don’t know exactly what being a good editor means or how one would go about acquiring the necessary skills to do it well.… Read more How to get started in developmental editing
What is the difference between a developmental edit, a critique, and a copyedit? It’s important to distinguish between an edit that is largely intended to deal with big-picture problems (the developmental edit) and one that is meant to catch the sentence-level problems (a copyedit). It’s common, especially when working with independent authors who can’t afford… Read more Editorial Distinctions
I recently solicited proposals for a project, and what I found enlightening about the whole process was how badly most of the proposal-makers responded to my saying no to them. If you’re a freelance editor, there’s never any guarantee that a proposal (project quote, letter of introduction, etc.) will lead to anything. The most common… Read more How to Respond to Rejection
As a developmental editor, you won’t be copyediting, but you do need to be familiar with the authoritative guides copy editors (and developmental editors) use. Basic Guides Most of my clients have wanted me to follow The Chicago Manual of Style with some variations. That is standard for book publishing, so it pays to become… Read more Use of Authoritative Guides
