SYP's Freelance Glance
For some years I have written a column for the Society of Young Publisher's magazine, sharing my experiences and pearls of wisdom on being a freelance , book copy editor and book writer.
In this column, I let you in on some insider secrets on life as a book copy editor and book proofreader.
Life as a book copy editor and book proofreader
When I decided to go freelance as a book proofreader, book copy editor and book writer, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I’d read the books, chatted to existing freelancers and given the matter some serious glass-or-three-of-Pinot-Grigio-induced thought. But freelancing came with some surprises I hadn’t anticipated. Here, in no particular order, are the top nine things I never knew I really needed to know about being a freelance book writer, book copy editor and book proofreader (the original top ten list fell victim to number 8’s red-pen-wielding editor):
1. Frugality is the new frivolity. As a freelance book copy editor, book writer and book proofreader you have to put your sensible cap on in financial matters. Some months your income may be low, thanks to ongoing long-term projects and late-paying clients; other months your eyeballs boast cartoon-style pound signs. To ensure that you can weather the slow months (and have enough money put aside for that lovely chap, the tax man), you have to resist the temptation to get carried away in House of Fraser on buoyant months.
2. Email is essential. I’ve only ever had two clients who chose to work via snail mail on writing, copy-editing and proofreading projects. New business enquires, quotations, project communications and even invoicing for some clients can take place wholly on email. That’s why you need a reliable internet service provider and web hosting company, a decent bandwidth and a mean typing speed.
3. Two little words can avert disaster. The day my computer gave a sudden shuddering gasp and expired halfway through a copy-editing job I was less than amused. Thankfully, the day before I had safely backed up every last file and email, so my PC’s untimely end did not damage my business. A laptop, external hard-drive, USB pens and myriad CDs safeguard my data, and I have to religiously back up, back up, back up (then back up some more). It’s intensely tiresome, but boy is it worth it when the IT Grim Reaper comes knocking.
4. Civility is not a prerequisite for business, it seems. Happily, the vast majority of people who approach me to discuss working together are pleasant, polite and professional. However, a choice few have been obnoxious, overbearing, rude and seemingly clueless on how business relationships are conducted. The first couple rather floored me, but these days I have no qualms over politely refusing to work with such people. Yes, being a freelance book proofreader, book copy editor and book writer requires a thick skin at times.
5. Freelancing is a fancy word for juggling. I freelance for many different clients, which means at any one time I can have up to twelve writing, copy-editing and proofreading projects on the go. So I spend my days balancing different projects, briefs and deadlines. But the trickiest juggle of all is switching between editorial styles. I may start the day with realize and end it with realise; start with co-operation and end with cooperation.
6. The freedom and flexibility is a little less free and flexible than anticipated. For example, although I can mark up proofs sitting in front of the TV, I don’t – Bones is totally distracting and I invariably get red biro on the armchair. And although I’m free to come and go as I please, I generally need to be at my desk during working hours.
7. You have to get good at estimating project lengths. When a client asks you to provide a quote for a writing, copy-editing or proofreading project, you need to make sure the quote you give accurately reflects the hours it will take. If you misjudge how long work will take, you can end up hugely and depressingly out of pocket. This comes with experience, but the easiest way to get good at estimating is to laboriously time yourself on each project, keep a spreadsheet and do some fancy maths to work out your average writing, copy-editing and proofreading speeds per word and per hour.
8. Turning off your inner editor is nigh on impossible. After a long day proofreading, copy-editing and writing, sadly the last thing I do to unwind nowadays is to read or write for pleasure, for myself. I have explored at length but not yet discovered the on/off switch for my inner editor. The result? When I curl up on the sofa with a book, I edit; when I sit down and write a children’s story, I edit; and on a particularly busy week, I edit text each night in my dreams.
9. Cups of tea do not belong within a two metre radius of a) the computer, b) the work mobile phone or c) publishers’ proofs. Enough said.
New book: How to Succeed as a Freelancer in Publishing
I'm currently co-authoring a book with Emma Murray called How to Succeed as a Freelancer in Publishing, which will be published autumn 2010 by How To Books. The book offers advice on how to build a freelancing business in your chosen publishing field – from proofreader to copy editor, ghostwriter to author, typesetter to graphic designer. So watch this space for plenty more top advice on making it in publishing.