Becoming a Writer-Editor
How can someone effectively combine writing and editing skills to make a good living? By establishing what I call a “hyphenated career”: becoming a writer-editor!
Combine Writing and Editing Skills
In my book The Business of Storytelling, I talk about how to create a writer-editor career, where you use what you learn as a writer to reinforce the editing side of your career and vice versa.
For those of us who enjoy taking on a variety of projects in our work, a hyphenated career can be a source of fulfillment and growth (both personal and career-related). I’ve always said I’m a better editor because I’m a writer, and I’m a better writer because I’m an editor.
The other day, a reader contacted me and said she was a different kind of hyphen: a bookseller-writer. I loved that! Her deep understanding of what readers enjoy reading makes her a better writer, and her understanding of writing and literature makes her a better bookseller.
A friend of mine is a great beta reader/big-picture editor because she’s also a visual artist (“Even painters info-dump,” she says.) I love the idea of there being all kinds of hyphenated careers possible for writers and editors.
In the end, it’s the interplay between your skills that can help you earn more money both as a writer and as an editor.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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Editor Insight: Andrew Hodges
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…
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How to Treat Your Editing Business Like a Business
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…
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Editor Insight: Diana Courtney-Smith
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…
