The Concierge (Blog)

It happens to all of us from time to time: work slows down, and we need to generate quick income. Note that this is not a blog post about how to start your business as a freelance book editor tomorrow and make fifty grand by Friday. That’s not gonna happen. Tips for How to Make…

Here’s a rundown of basic editorial terms and their meanings to help you understand editing terminology. When I talk about the author’s work of addressing areas of concern, I call it revision to distinguish it from what an editor does, which is editing. Most people writing and speaking on the subject don’t distinguish between the two but since…

There are several different types of editing, and it’s very common for authors to be confused about what type of editing their manuscript needs. They’ll ask you to “edit” their ms. You think they mean development but they mean copyediting and they’re disappointed in your work. Or they’ll say they need someone to fix the…

As editors, we need to understand the connection between character and plot and how to support authors in developing this relationship effectively. How to Build the Connection Between Character and Plot A common problem you’ll come across when editing fiction is a situation where characters are shoved around like chess pieces. Margie the protagonist winds…

A top tip is to use a letter of introduction for book editors to make a connection with potential clients. Making a Connection with a Letter of Introduction for Book Editors I’m a big fan of reaching out to potential clients directly to let them know you exist. The letter of introduction (LOI) is a…

Editors, may I offer some suggestions on growing a developmental editing mindset? Beginning developmental editors sometimes ask me how “awful” books make it onto the New York Times bestseller list, and how can we worry about what makes a story “good” when obviously quality doesn’t matter to readers? How do “bad” books make it through…

I think it’s important for editors to understand the differences in editing for indie authors and publisher clients in order to make a thoughtful decision on which type of cient to pursie, or perhaps to attain both types of clients. Here are some of the most helpful tips I’ve gathered in my experience to help…

Developing a story editor attitude is not about being right or wrong, but more of a subjective approach to helping authors create their best writing. In story development/developmental editing, there’s really no such thing as being “right” about an issue. When you’re doing copyediting at least you can say, “Chicago recommends the use of the…

What are the secrets to finding clients as a newer editor? Here is my top tip and a few thoughts. Ways to Find Clients as a Newer Editor Established freelancers often describe a formula they think newer freelancers should follow to get more clients: “Apply to every freelance gig you see! That’s all you need…