I discourage editors from saying that our work is “reading books for a living” because that diminishes our expertise and experience. Editing is not reading books for a living; it’s understanding stories and storytelling techniques, cultivating judgment and discernment, practicing effective editorial methodologies and more. But some days, like today, I look around my office…
Doing something for a long time does not equal expertise. I’ve been singing in the shower for years, but you would not want my tips on training your vocal cords. For years I cut my daughter’s bangs. But you don’t want me touching your hair. Experience versus Expertise I’ve met a lot of freelancers over…
I’m learning how to speak Spanish, and sometimes I get discouraged because it takes a while. (This is not unlike learning any important skill). One of the most helpful bits of perspective-taking I do is to consider whether I encounter the same problems when speaking in English. For example, people often interrupt me to finish…
The other day, I encountered a Washington Post headline that read, “These editor’s notes are poison. I learned from every drop.” I didn’t click the link because I don’t want to read about how writers should learn to appreciate abuse. And I’m not onboard with idolizing abusers. Every now and then you hear these stories…
I live in Spain, and while I’m working on my Spanish, I’m not yet fluent. The other day, my daughter and I went out to a cafe and ordered drinks and a slice of coconut cake for her. A few minutes later, the server came out and said something that I didn’t quite understand. Then…
Most Club Ed students are moving to story editing (also known as book editing or developmental editing) from other careers. Right now, I’m seeing a lot of teachers making the transition – they’ve either quit their jobs and are looking for the next thing or they’re planning to quit their jobs soon. And I don’t…
Freelance editing can be an excellent career choice for people who love books and are interested in changing jobs, are seeking more flexibility in their work, or are looking for retirement income. Who chooses editing as a second act career? Most of the students who come to Club Ed to explore editing as a career…
Noticing a developmental problem is only the first step in the editing process. The next step is to explain why it’s a problem for this manuscript. This second step is one that most editors skip at first (and many editors skip forever) but it’s crucial for doing an effective developmental edit. Often, we use generic…
One of the best ways to dip your toe into the developmental editing waters is by beta reading. This is basically reading a manuscript and responding to it: where you were confused, where you lost interest, what character you enjoyed the most. How to Beta Read When you’re doing a beta read, you’re not trying…
How can someone effectively combine writing and editing skills to make a good living? By establishing what I call a “hyphenated career”: becoming a writer-editor! Combine Writing and Editing Skills In my book The Business of Storytelling, I talk about how to create a writer-editor career, where you use what you learn as a writer…