The Concierge (Blog)

A few years ago, two students started taking classes at Club Ed. Both had solid backgrounds that helped them quickly grasp the principles of developmental editing – one had a teaching background and the other had a journalism background. One of these students recently celebrated their first $10,000 month. The other student got bogged down…

I’ve been talking with newer and more established freelance editors about how they find clients and deal with ups and downs in freelancing. This week’s editor is Andrew Hodges. Here’s our Q&A: How long have you been freelancing as an editor? I’ve been running a full-time editorial business since 2019, and I edited for five…

It happened again this week: a writer got in touch with me, told me some information about their book, and asked for some guidance about next steps. They weren’t asking about my editorial services, they were just asking what happens next in the writing process. This is a very common ask, and I have a…

I’ve been talking with newer and more established freelance editors about how they find clients and deal with ups and downs in freelancing. This week’s editor is Diana Courtney-Smith. Here’s our Q&A: How long have you been freelancing as an editor? I’ve been freelance editing full-time since 2020 (Thank you, COVID!) Tell me a little…

One of the first things I teach newer developmental/story editors is to focus on the big picture. That means looking for problems with a novel manuscript’s plot, character development, and setting. It means noticing perspective/point-of-view problems, flabby scenes, and unnecessary exposition. It does not mean pointing out every unnecessary adverb or overused word. Don’t Overwhelm…

I’ve been talking with newer and more established freelance editors about how they find clients and deal with ups and downs in freelancing. This week’s editor is Shauna McIntyre. Here’s our Q&A: How long have you been freelancing as an editor? I’ve been freelance editing and writing on and off for almost twenty years but…

As a developmental editor, you need to be able to help authors understand where their plots are falling down. This means you need to trace the story arc. What is a story arc? It’s what happens in a story and why it happens. The Details: What Is a Story Arc Exactly? Of course, the what…

I’ve been talking with newer and more established freelance editors about how they find clients and deal with ups and downs in freelancing. This week’s editor is Sam Keir, who notes that he’s worked with words since 2013, “in various roles of editor, educator (secondary and tertiary), and author, but which one or three depends…

A question I’m frequently asked is “Should freelance editors put their rates on their website?” My answer? Yes. It’s important for potential clients to have some idea of what you charge. Part of what a potential client is evaluating when they are deciding if you’ll be a good fit is whether they have the budget…