🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello Valerie

I'm a freelance copy-editor working from home in the UK.

What would you like to know?


Cheers

John


weewee wrote in message <7tue0n$su8$1@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
>I'm almost a graduate--am thinking of going into editing  anybody out there
>willing to be a friend--give me some info ---advice   ?
>
>thanks
>Valerie
>
>
>

I'm just happy someone posted anything to this group. Are you looking for
technical advice or career advice?

John Holmes wrote:

> Hello Valerie
>
> I'm a freelance copy-editor working from home in the UK.
>
> What would you like to know?
>
> Cheers
>
> John
>
> weewee wrote in message <7tue0n$su8$1@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
> >I'm almost a graduate--am thinking of going into editing  anybody out there
> >willing to be a friend--give me some info ---advice   ?
> >
> >thanks
> >Valerie
> >
> >
> >

I'm looking for some copyediting advice myself. My wife and I just had a
baby and she's decided to stay home. Which is great, except that now
we're on one income. I'm an editor for a teacher-idea magazine but
looking for some extra income. My question is how do you get started
freelancing? I've got two years copyediting experience.

I really appreciate it,
Scott

Tim Shock <timshock@microserve.net> wrote in message
news:3803EE48.5549FEFA@microserve.net...
> I'm just happy someone posted anything to this group. Are you looking
for
> technical advice or career advice?
>
> John Holmes wrote:
>
> > Hello Valerie
> >
> > I'm a freelance copy-editor working from home in the UK.
> >
> > What would you like to know?
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > John
> >
> > weewee wrote in message <7tue0n$su8$1@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
> > >I'm almost a graduate--am thinking of going into editing  anybody
out there
> > >willing to be a friend--give me some info ---advice   ?
> > >
> > >thanks
> > >Valerie
> > >
> > >
> > >
>

Hello Scott

The fact that you already work as an editor and have experience of
copy-editing are major pluses in your favour. Many people simply fancy the
idea of earning a little extra cash and don't realise what is involved. Most
people need training in the mechanics of copy-editing before they can
justifiably offer their services to commercial publishers, but in your case
you should already have sufficient background knowledge and experience.

You begin freelancing by... starting! You simply contact publishers and
offer your services. Any that happen to be looking for a freelance at that
time and are interested in what you say may commission you and send you a
typescript, etc. You work your way through, correcting for spelling, grammar
and the publisher's house-style. When you've finished, you send the whole
lot back and, if you've done a good job, eventually a cheque will drop on
your doormat. If you prove yourself to be reliable, some clients may begin
to offer you commissions on a regular basis. This kind of faith in your
abilities becomes a powerful marketing tool when approaching potential new
clients and, gradually, the amount of work offered to you should increase.
That's basically it.

I strongly recommend that you have some decent letter-headed stationery
printed on good quality paper (and business cards too, if you can afford
them) - this makes you look much more professional and gives potential
clients the feeling that you're a serious prospect. Also, it's much better
to offer a relatively narrow range of subjects and to target your letters to
publishers who have recently published material in those areas (lists of
addresses and typical subjects for major publishers can be found in the UK
in the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook"). If you give the impression that
you'll tackle just about anything, publishers might wonder whether you
really have the depth of knowledge to deal with specific subjects. For
example, I spent 20 years as an analytical chemist before offering freelance
editorial services, so I offer chemistry, all of the pure sciences,
technology, food science, pharmaceutical science, and the history of science
and technology. If a publisher wanted someone to copy-edit a book on Chinese
Ming-dynasty pottery, they would know not to offer the commission to me. On
the other hand, the subjects that I do offer are obviously related and this
strengthens the impression of my expertise. As a teacher you could offer,
say, teaching practice, education policy, child psychology and development,
plus whatever subjects you normally teach. Bear in mind that the more
popular a subject is with the book-buying public, the more rival freelances
you will have to compete against - obviously, someone must have worked on
all those books in the first place.

How much to charge depends upon the local going rate. In the UK I recommend
that people join the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders (SFEP),
who annually publishes a list of recommended minimum rates, and gives
general guidance on marketing and business issues (as well as providing
excellent training courses). I'm expect that equivalent organisations will
exist in most other countries. Remember that if you already have earnings
from another job, then freelance work could make your tax liability more
complicated to assess and you might have to consult an accountant (and the
fees could wipe out any earnings). Don't expect to earn a fortune from this
kind of work - it's generally poorly paid and commissions are hard to come
by, especially when you're starting up. If you can offer some other related
services, e.g. I also offer proofreading and indexing, then you increase
your chances of getting at least some kind of work. Basically, though, you
just have to be patient and keep plugging away with marketing letters.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other queries.


All the best

John



Scott Lyons wrote in message <7u2rm2$78t$1@nw001t.infi.net>...
>I'm looking for some copyediting advice myself. My wife and I just had a
>baby and she's decided to stay home. Which is great, except that now
>we're on one income. I'm an editor for a teacher-idea magazine but
>looking for some extra income. My question is how do you get started
>freelancing? I've got two years copyediting experience.
>
>I really appreciate it,
>Scott
>

Thanks for the advice, John. It's very helpful

John Holmes <john.holmes3@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:7u4329$iei$1@nclient11-gui.server.virgin.net...
> Hello Scott
>
> The fact that you already work as an editor and have experience of
> copy-editing are major pluses in your favour. Many people simply fancy
the
> idea of earning a little extra cash and don't realise what is
involved. Most
> people need training in the mechanics of copy-editing before they can
> justifiably offer their services to commercial publishers, but in your
case
> you should already have sufficient background knowledge and
experience.
>
> You begin freelancing by... starting! You simply contact publishers
and
> offer your services. Any that happen to be looking for a freelance at
that
> time and are interested in what you say may commission you and send
you a
> typescript, etc. You work your way through, correcting for spelling,
grammar
> and the publisher's house-style. When you've finished, you send the
whole
> lot back and, if you've done a good job, eventually a cheque will drop
on
> your doormat. If you prove yourself to be reliable, some clients may
begin
> to offer you commissions on a regular basis. This kind of faith in
your
> abilities becomes a powerful marketing tool when approaching potential
new
> clients and, gradually, the amount of work offered to you should
increase.
> That's basically it.
>
> I strongly recommend that you have some decent letter-headed
stationery
> printed on good quality paper (and business cards too, if you can
afford
> them) - this makes you look much more professional and gives potential
> clients the feeling that you're a serious prospect. Also, it's much
better
> to offer a relatively narrow range of subjects and to target your
letters to
> publishers who have recently published material in those areas (lists
of
> addresses and typical subjects for major publishers can be found in
the UK
> in the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook"). If you give the impression
that
> you'll tackle just about anything, publishers might wonder whether you
> really have the depth of knowledge to deal with specific subjects. For
> example, I spent 20 years as an analytical chemist before offering
freelance
> editorial services, so I offer chemistry, all of the pure sciences,
> technology, food science, pharmaceutical science, and the history of
science
> and technology. If a publisher wanted someone to copy-edit a book on
Chinese
> Ming-dynasty pottery, they would know not to offer the commission to
me. On
> the other hand, the subjects that I do offer are obviously related and
this
> strengthens the impression of my expertise. As a teacher you could
offer,
> say, teaching practice, education policy, child psychology and
development,
> plus whatever subjects you normally teach. Bear in mind that the more
> popular a subject is with the book-buying public, the more rival
freelances
> you will have to compete against - obviously, someone must have worked
on
> all those books in the first place.
>
> How much to charge depends upon the local going rate. In the UK I
recommend
> that people join the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders
(SFEP),
> who annually publishes a list of recommended minimum rates, and gives
> general guidance on marketing and business issues (as well as
providing
> excellent training courses). I'm expect that equivalent organisations
will
> exist in most other countries. Remember that if you already have
earnings
> from another job, then freelance work could make your tax liability
more
> complicated to assess and you might have to consult an accountant (and
the
> fees could wipe out any earnings). Don't expect to earn a fortune from
this
> kind of work - it's generally poorly paid and commissions are hard to
come
> by, especially when you're starting up. If you can offer some other
related
> services, e.g. I also offer proofreading and indexing, then you
increase
> your chances of getting at least some kind of work. Basically, though,
you
> just have to be patient and keep plugging away with marketing letters.
>
> Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other queries.
>
>
> All the best
>
> John
>
>
>
> Scott Lyons wrote in message <7u2rm2$78t$1@nw001t.infi.net>...
> >I'm looking for some copyediting advice myself. My wife and I just
had a
> >baby and she's decided to stay home. Which is great, except that now
> >we're on one income. I'm an editor for a teacher-idea magazine but
> >looking for some extra income. My question is how do you get started
> >freelancing? I've got two years copyediting experience.
> >
> >I really appreciate it,
> >Scott
> >
>
>
>