Stages of Learning How to Edit
As we learn the craft, we go through stages of learning how to edit—I’ve decided there are four stages.
When you’re first learning how to edit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the learning curve and to wonder when it would be realistic to start charging for your services. The answer is at Stage #3.
4 Stages of Learning How to Edit
- You don’t know what you don’t know. (Unconscious incompetence)
- You know you don’t know stuff. (Conscious incompetence)
- You know stuff. (Conscious competence)
- You do stuff. (Unconscious competence)
If you’re not sure what level you’re at, you’re at level 1.
Or, possibly, level 4.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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How to Make More Money as a Freelance Editor
If you’re trying to build your freelance business, you’d probably like to know how to make more money as an editor. One way to do that is to offer a wider variety of services to meet client needs. Expanding the services you offer is also a great way to add some variety to your day.…
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Finding Clients Who Pay High(er) Fees
A newer freelance editor reports that she’s having trouble booking clients for developmental editing at the fees she’s asking. She wants my help to figure out what to do next. The Problem “Most clients [who decline booking a DE] tell me that the reason is the high fee (for them) for the service. Some of them choose…
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The Stages of Book Editing
Not long ago, I came across this question (paraphrased) on a site for freelance editors: “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 the scientific accuracy, and provide overall feedback about the project. How should I price a project like…
