12 Benefits of Being a Freelance Editor

 

A picture of me as a freelance editor with a red editing pencil - for the article called 12 Benefits of Being a Freelance Editor

Almost everyone knows that I am a freelance editor.

(Yes, that’s really me in the picture, too!)

I love editing. I love words and I love making them perfect.

Every time I read something, I am constantly editing what I read. I can’t tell you how many books I have read in which I have found mistakes! I have often thought of contacting the editors at the publishing houses and informing them of the mistakes I found, but I have never taken action on doing that. I probably should.

Instead, I have decided to offer my editing services to others as a freelance editor. I’ve been doing this since 2014… and I love it!

I love the freelance lifestyle and all that it offers. In particular, I love the benefits of being a freelance editor.

Here are 12 benefits I enjoy as a freelance editor:

Editor Benefit #1: I can work at home.

I live in a city that has very cold weather for the majority of the year. For about five or six months of the year, we have snow and sub-zero temperatures. For that reason, I like staying indoors. The freelance editing lifestyle I lead allows me to work from home. Not having to commute to work is an excellent benefit for me!

Editor Benefit #2: I can set my own hours.

We all have schedules in our lives that we generally follow, but no one has my exact schedule. I often work in the wee hours of the morning, when it is super quiet.

I like being a freelance editor because I can work whenever I want.

Editor Benefit #3: I get paid to learn new things.

Depending on the type of book that I am editing, I often learn new things. For example, in the last book I edited, I learned what drag litters were. For those of you who don’t know, drag litters are fashioned out of tent poles that are lashed to the sides of a horse with the opposite ends dragging on the ground, which are attached to some kind of platform that can be used to transport gear such as tents and food or to transport injured people.

Sometimes I even learn new words. Just because I am a freelance editor does not mean that I know every single word in the dictionary!

Sometimes I learn other things, too, depending upon the subject matter of the book I am editing. When I edit non-fiction books, I reap the benefits of learning whatever it is the author is teaching others. Being allowed to read such things for free is an honor. And even better than reading them for free is the fact that I get paid to read them!

Editor Benefit #4: I get to keep my skills sharp.

I am a certified English teacher by trade, and doing freelance editing allows me to constantly use my skills. As a result, my skills never wane. Instead, they are kept sharp by the constant work that I do.

Editor Benefit #5: I don’t have to look for work.

Many freelance writers and editors often struggle with finding work. Not me. I have never looked for a freelance editing job! Instead, people come to me.

The reason they come to me is that I have received excellent testimonials from others. While I initially offered free editing services in my attempts to market myself as a freelance editor, I now simply respond to emails I receive and give a sample edit to those potential clients. If they like my work, then they will hire me (as long as they can afford me!), which is usually the case.

I’m also listed in this hugely popular list of book editors. Many of my clients have mentioned that they found me there. (Thanks again, Dave!)

Because editing books is a time-consuming process, when I accept a huge editing gig, it generally means that I am going to be busy and employed for at least 2 or 3 months.

Generally, during that time, I receive inquiries about other editing gigs and so I schedule them for when I am finished my current one. That way, I never have to look for work! It is already lined up for me! Read More

Some Resources for You (#2)

Wording Well's business card image

I’m too lazy too busy editing to put a lot of time into blogging these days.

But you are still on my mind… so that is why I have compiled this list of resources for you. 🙂

I might do this from time to time, so I have titled this #2. Hopefully, more awesome resources will follow! 😉

For Bloggers

What the Heck is GDPR? (and How to Make Sure Your Blog Is Compliant)

For Freelancers

21 Sites to Find Freelance Projects and Work at Home Jobs

For Writers of all Kinds!

595 Power Words That’ll Instantly Make You a Better Writer

For Business Owners (Solopreneurs and Entrepreneurs)

How to Open Up Your Blog for Guest Bloggers (+ Find Bloggers to Guest Post)

Additional Resources (for Success)

How to Succeed Even When You Feel Like Giving Up

FREE STUFF

All of these resources are fantastic!

Plus… as my way of thanking you for being a reader of Wording Well, I want to give you some free stuff. Find my freebies on my Resource Kit page!

Plus, there are many more (and I mean MANY MORE)  Resources for Writers, Authors, and Freelancers) here as well!

Enjoy… and let me know what you want MORE of… in the comments!

I want to serve you, so let me!

See you in the comments!

And be sure to check out

– Some Resources for You (#1)

Some Resources for You (#3)

 

Some Resources for You (#1)

Wording Well's business card image

I’m too lazy too busy to put a lot of time into blogging these days.

But you are still on my mind… so that is why I have compiled this list of resources for you. 🙂

I am going to do this from time to time, so I have titled this #1.

Be sure to check out:

– Some Resources for You (#2)

Some Resources for You (#3)

For Bloggers

Social Media Tools: The Complete List (2018 Update)

For Freelancers

The Complete Guide to Getting Started Freelance Writing From Scratch

For Writers of all Kinds!

50 Fantastic Ways to Make Your Writing Remarkable

For Business Owners (Solopreneurs and Entrepreneurs)

50+ Free Online Tools For Startups

Additional Resources (for Success)

12 Secrets of People Who Are More Successful Than You

FREE STUFF

All of these resources are fantastic!

Plus… as my way of thanking you for being a reader of Wording Well, I want to give you some free stuff. Find my freebies on my Resource Kit page!

Plus, there are many more (and I mean MANY MORE)  Resources for Writers, Authors, and Freelancers) here as well!

Enjoy… and let me know what you want MORE of… in the comments!

I want to serve you, so let me! See you in the comments!

 

How Blogging and Freelancing Go Hand-in-Hand

How Blogging and Freelancing Go Hand-in-Hand

How Blogging and Freelancing Go Hand-in-Hand

 

I’m pleased to present you with a guest post today from Ryan Biddulph, the nomadic dude who lives all over the world… island-hopping, traveling to new and exciting places, encountering strange people (like the guy who stole his $1 flip-flops!) and living life on his terms as a blogger, an author, and a freelance writer.

I met Ryan online when he first became an author. Ryan and I have a lot in common. We are both authors, bloggers, and freelance writers.

He, however, is a bit more famous than I am (wink wink!) because he has been featured on Forbes, Fox News, Entrepreneur, Richard Branson’s Virgin Blog, John Chows Dot Com and Neil Patel Dot Com.

Ryan has also written and self-published 126 bite-sized e-books, which he sells on Amazon! 

Some of his top-sellers include:

7 Steps to Build a Full-Time Income-Earning Blog

How to Land Guest Posts on Authority Blogs

6 Tips for Work-at-Home Entrepreneurs

10 Tips to Be a Smarter (and Richer) Blogger

How to Become a Successful Home Based Marketer

How to Build a Profitable Blog through Twitter

How to Become a Successful Freelance Writer

How to Find Your Writing Voice

How to Create and Publish a Successful eBook

7 Tips for First Time eBook Authors

10 Strategies for Increasing Blog Traffic through Automation 

6 Tips to Grow a Rabidly Loyal Blog Community

… and many more!

Be sure to check out his books later, after you read this post!

Take it away, Ryan!

Ryan Biddulph headshot

Peanut butter and jelly.

Frick and Frack.

Bert and Ernie.

We all love a good match.

Blogging and freelance writing, like the above duos, are perfect together.

When I asked my buddies if they wanted me to write a guest post for them, Lorraine was all over the opportunity like bees to honey. Or like feisty critters to the house where Kelly and I are currently living in Thailand, with centipedes, scorpions, tarantulas and foot-long Tokay geckos!

Anyway, I love the blog topic we both agreed on because Lorraine and I are freelance writers as well as bloggers. I see a few parallels between running a thriving freelance writing business and a successful blog.

Let’s dive into these parallels. Read More