The Concierge (Blog)

This case study is courtesy of Kat Thomas, a book editor I’ve known for many years. She agreed to share her experience of building her freelance business. She is the author of this post. – JL The Road to a Freelance Book Editing Career I’m a freelance book editor with experience in developmental editing, line…

I established Club Ed on a bleak winter day on the Kansas prairies, dreaming of blue skies and sunshine. That was in 2018, and now it’s 2024, and I’m about to celebrate Club Ed’s sixth birthday. Pretty spectacular for something I wasn’t sure would last out the winter. The following year, I packed up The Chicago…

The plot twist editorial query From time to time, world events occur that make fiction editors look at each other and say, “We can never again tell our authors their plot events are implausible!” And I smile along with everyone else. But of course it’s not true. “It really happened” has never been a measure…

Ever wondered if you should start a freelance business? If you’ve ever thought of chucking your day job, I’m here to encourage you! 10 reasons to start a freelance business in 2024 1. You’re tired of being laid off every four months. 2. You’re fed up with having to ask permission to be sick, see…

What are the stages of book editing? Book editing can be broken down into multiple pieces, so what exactly are the stages of book editing? Recently I came across this request (paraphrased): “A potential client has written a science fiction novel (350,000 words) and is asking me to proofread the manuscript, offer inline fact-checking on…

Talented developmental editors are often hesitant about adding coaching to their menu of services. Over my years of teaching, I’ve learned there are two main misconceptions that stop people. First misconception about coaching writers One common misconception editors have is thinking that coaching is a lengthy, ongoing process, like therapy, and they don’t necessarily feel…

Example of coaching opportunities when working with writers Are you needing inspiration for finding coaching opportunities with potential clients? I think of coaching as anything that helps a writer write their book, improve their book, sell their book, or otherwise advance their writing career but which isn’t a straightforward edit on a complete manuscript. In…

Coaching for introverts Editors, like authors, are often introverts (me among them). This can make them/us/me resistant to offering coaching as an option for writers as it seems like a service that has to be delivered in person or over a phone/Zoom call in one-hour increments. Many introverts have trouble even meeting friends in person,…

Coaching writers is distinct from developmental editing, but because of the nature of DE work, it’s common for it to shade into coaching (and, indeed, into mentoring). Many DEs fall into coaching because their clients ask for it while others want to move into the field more intentionally. Here are my thoughts about offering coaching…