The Concierge (Blog)

A question I’m commonly asked is “how do I get started in freelancing?” I never answer this question because it’s so complicated whole books have been written on the subject. But today I’m going to answer it because once I’ve done so, I’ll just start sending people the link. Here are the basic steps to…

Freelance editors often focus on what we might call indirect marketing and inbound marketing – that is, letting people know about their work through social media, blog posts, SEO, networking, and similar activities. Since freelance editors rarely have a marketing background, these approaches feel appropriate and doable. And that’s fine as far as it goes!…

Recently I wrote about being asked to do a manuscript evaluation for free (which earned a big fat “no, thanks” from me) and a commenter suggested that maybe briefly reviewing the ms and offering some affirmative feedback would ensure the author returned when they were ready for an edit. The thing is, I’m not their…

Authors are sometimes worried about getting feedback on their work because they’re afraid it will be “ripped apart.” It’s perfectly understandable that they would feel a little nervous about feedback—after all, they want their work to be perfect. They want other people to love it the way they do. But they know there are probably…

Typically in a manuscript evaluation or developmental edit I focus on what I perceive to be the three-to-five most important concerns I’ve noticed in the ms. This is the approach I teach my editing students. In any given ms, there may be ten or fifteen developmental problems but not all of them are equally important and…

Some editors ask authors questions in the editorial queries (the comments an editor makes on a ms.) For these editors, a typical query/comment might be, “What are you trying to accomplish here?” or “Do you mean for Martha to sound so cruel?” Often such editors feel that they’re prompting their authors to think about what…

Club Ed started out as a place to take editing classes, but over time it has morphed into a community. To support that community, I’ve launched a membership program for anyone interested in developmental editing and book coaching, whether for fiction or nonfiction. Through April 30, 2023, enjoy a special introductory price ($12/month or $100/year)….

There are two kinds of freelance editors: those who have pissed off a client and those who will piss off a client. It’s inevitable. No matter how competent you are, someday you’re going to have a client who’s unhappy with your work. This can feel awful, even soul-killing, the first time it happens. It can…

I’m re-running this blog post because Lisa will be talking with Club Ed members (Tuesday, March 7, 2023) about landing and working with indie author clients. For more information on becoming a Club Ed member, click here. I asked several experienced editors to weigh in on three of their top tips for succeeding as a…