Should I Create a Newsletter?
(4 min read)

The short answer is YES, as soon as you're able! The trick is, don't get hung up on perfection before you start. It's so easy to get absolutely stuck in your head and held by perfectionism or fear. 

Why Would I Want a Newsletter?
To share your thoughts. To connect with your audience or clients. To become trusted. To develop a base to "sell" your business.

How Do I Create a Newsletter?
The first step will be to choose what service you'll use to send or distribute your newsletter. That service may have templates within it to create your newsletter. 

If you don't care for the templates the delivery service provides, you can head to Canva to create your newsletter and paste it into your delivery service. I'd recommend downloading at least a jpg/png of the cover page to post in the email that will be sent to encourage folks to open the newsletter as you may have to share this newsletter as a clickable pdf.

Where Do I Create a Newsletter?
There are a number of services available, many very affordable for a freelancer or solo business. Here is one comparison review courtesy of Mailtrap. It's also not difficult to change providers if you realize you don't care for whichever platform you select. 

• LinkedIn - yes, the business networking social platform, does offer a newsletter option! It's by no means fancy. The format and style is very basic but it gets the point across. Your first newsletter will be shared with every one of your contacts! That's a huge start! I've seen it suggested you hold on a newsletter until you have at least 1,000 contacts. After the first edition, contacts are invited to officially subscribe to continue to receive notification of your news which will also drop into their home email. LinkedIn helpfully sends an automatic message to any new contacts offering the option to subscribe to your newsletter. This is pretty handy to maximize your reach! The trick is it's on what many call "rented land" - the emails LinkedIn sends to are proprietary and will not be shared with you. You're unable to export or download a contact list of subscribers. 
• Mailtrap - this offers current industry standard number of emails you can send for free at 1,000, but the contact list limit is the smallest on their free plan (100 contacts). Their paid version is slightly higher monthly than MailChimp.
• MailChimp - you can send up to 1,000 emails/month to up to 500 contacts. I've used this service for years with many organizations and highly recommend it. The templates, even on the free version, look nice and are easy to adapt.
• MailerLite - I've been hearing more buzz about this one as a strong alternative to MailChimp. The number of emails and contacts are the same but the price is slightly less if you grow beyond the free version.
• Brevo - the free option is very decent with up to 300 emails daily up to 500 contacts. Their pricing plans appear a bit less than MailChimp and Mailtrap. They have comparison pages focused on their top competitors that are very handy.
• Constant Contact - there is no free option on this service. Its first paid tier is in line with the paid versions noted above but there are a number of additional features available. If you're looking for more than a template-based delivery service, this is a known brand. 

How Often Should I Post a Newsletter?
As often as you feel comfortably able, but do your best to be consistent in posting. Consider starting at one level and work your way to more frequent from there.

• Monthly is a great place to start and roughly average for email newsletters. 
• Weekly may feel a bit aggressive to start but a goal for most. You may consider starting monthly, develop the habit, and work your way to weekly.
• Multiple times per week takes some dedication to commit to.
• Quarterly is generally considered a minimum, otherwise, why bother?

What Do I Share in a Newsletter?

• Share your news.
• Share your business.
• Share snippets of your blog posts and direct traffic to your website for full details!
• Share behind-the-scenes insight into your business and your life. This is an opportunity to build relationships with your audience. People want to get to know you.
• Share sneak-peeks of upcoming events or opportunities! Your email group should be the first to receive special news!
• Share stories of impact of your business or offerings.
• Share a "call to action" (CTA). What do you want readers to do?
  • Reply to the newsletter - this helps email servers realize you're not spam and are wanted in inboxes. Maybe ask a question you genuinely have. Maybe its an opportunity to survey your audience/customers. Some folks even "gamify" portions of newsletters to get a "click" or response!
  • Contact you for something, maybe to request your services or assistance.
  • Maybe you sell items in your business - share what you're selling, especially if you have new items or a sale! Special "newsletter only" opportunities are great!

How Do I Get Sign-ups?
This is the million dollar question. It takes Time and work to increase your contact list. Patience is key.

• Start with friends and family - they're most likely willing to encourage you and help give you a start. Encourage them to share the news with others who will then signup directly for your news!
• Have a website? Make sure you have a Subscribe option to gather names and emails! This should be on multiple pages on your website and at the top or as a pop-up. 
• Promote your newsletter wherever you go - on socials, when networking - anywhere and everywhere!
• Consider posting a portion of your full newsletter on LinkedIn to hook folks, but they need to head to your website to provide their email to get the full newsletter. 
• Create a "cookie" or give-away to encourage folks to subscribe to your newsletter. One-page quizzes or information pdfs are great for this!

That's a lot of territory covered! I'm hopeful it helps you decide whether a newsletter is right for you. 

If you'd like someone to simply work through newsletter plans and chat strategy, I'd be thrilled to chat! Let's Chat by email or find me on LinkedIn and message me. 

If you decide you'd like to create a newsletter but need someone to create one for you with your material or at least get you started designing a template for you to simply update, Let's Chat! 

"What kind of editor do I need?"
(2 min read)

Excellent question! It depends on what stage of the process you are in and the needs you identify. It likely also realistically depends on your budget.



There are four generally accepted types of editors:

• Developmental Editors
• Line Editors
• Copyeditors
• Proofreaders

What is a Developmental Editor?
This is your "big picture" editor and the first line of editors you may hire. This person reviews your story arc, chapter organization, and offers suggestions about your genre or ways to tighten up your story line.

What is a Line Editor?
This editor works more at the paragraph and sentence level to ensure smooth flow of your work. This is where language and style improvement happens. 

What is a Copyeditor?
This is often who you think of when you think "editor." These editors look at grammar, spelling, punctuation, fact checking, and general consistency.

What is a Proofreader?
A proofreader is your final check to make sure there are no typos, double words, incorrect words (to, too, vs two), or punctuation errors. They even check typesetting to be sure headings are consistent and there are no "orphans" or "widows" - words that hyphenate poorly across pages or paragraphs. Proofreading and Copyediting are two distinctly different services but often blend together for authors. Many such editors ensure they're proficient at both levels to offer both services. 

Extra Book Assistants

• A ghostwriter writes on your behalf. You may have a story burning inside you but have no time or talent to actually write the work. A ghostwriter would partner with you to get your voice on paper and into the world.
• Alpha or Beta Readers are an audience guide to help an author be sure the work resonates with readers. They help catch any jarring transitions or inconsistencies in characters or plot that weren't necessarily addressed by editors who more deal with the words on the page. These may be paid or free services. 

"Aunt Suzy" is Not a Good Editor
Whoever you ask to assist you in the editing process of your book, it really is worth spending at least some money for fresh, unbiased eyes to review your work to make it the best it can be. "Aunt Suzy" may have been a high school or college teacher, but she loves you dearly and will read as if you're absolutely brilliant. 

It is not unusual for humans to "read" words that are not actually in print. As the author, we know what we mean to say so may "read" words that aren't on the page. It's also easy to more quickly skim the work rather than see every dotted "i" or crossed "t" for errors in words or punctuation. In writing the work, you've reviewed and looked at the work so many times, you become a bit "blind" to how it may flow or read to others. 

I've added a couple of resources for your reference.
This post summarizes and touches lightly on the differences between the types of editors. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) offers publicly available resources to help guide you including a more extensive Guide and a Rate Chart to help you budget for editors.

You've poured your heart, soul, and time into this work - doesn't it deserve the best treatment with editing services optimizing it? 

I provide a number of services - including proofreading and copyediting - for nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and authors. I look forward to discussing ways to Engage your customers - Let's Chat!

Q: "What's one thing you wish more authors knew before handing over their manuscript for proofreading?" 
(3 min read)

What an amazing question! I actually have three ideas for you to consider to streamline the process and maximize your budget.

Get familiar with the publication process
There is A LOT to know ABOUT publishing before you get serious about writing. 

• How long can you expect it to take to have a finished product once you're done writing? It can be as long as a year with a publishing house or a few months if you're doing it on your own with guidance.
• How will you publish - through a publishing house or independently? 
• What is your budget like? This will be important as you consider the number of editors to involve in your process, your marketing plan, and number of ISBN codes to purchase to name a few.
• Wait - NUMBER of ISBN codes? Yes - you need a unique code for each publication method (Kindle, paperback, audio, and more)
• Will you publish exclusively on Amazon or additional locations? Amazon has a very particular system that does not translate well to other publishers and more ISBN codes may be needed. 

Get your marketing plan in place
Books don't sell themselves! It takes a lot of work and time, by you or others if you hire assistance.

Marketing is best if you begin creating an audience while you're still writing your work! Create your tribe as you go. Keep them involved in your process along the way. Share all the highs and lows of putting your work out there! You'll have a hungry market by the time you're ready to sell.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Consider creating a website for yourself, your upcoming book, and maybe future books!
• A website makes a great place to host your blog to journal your journey along the way and get readers interested. Give them a way to leave comments and interact!
• Social media - focus on two social media platforms where you think your audience may be. Some even feature particular zones for authors! Don't spread your time and energy too thin on many platforms. 
  • TikTok has BookTok within it - kind of a hashtag within TikTok.
  • Bookstagram is within Instagram. 
  • Goodreads has an Author Program to promote your book.
  • Create a social page for your book on any of the social media platforms.
• Email subscriber lists are a great way to involve your audience in the process!
  • Email addresses are all yours and not at the whim of social media.
  • You can include pieces of all of your other locations (blog, socials) inside one email. 
  • Emails can have interactive aspects to ask questions, create polls, and involve your audience in publication decisions like choosing a book jacket or title.

The more you can involve an interested audience along your publication journey, the more likely they will be to buy once produced and share with others.

Proofread BEFORE formatting
Finally to tackle proofreading in particular! Proofreading is the FINAL step in your editing process! You should have at least 1-2 other editors involved prior to proofreading. 

• Developmental editor - If you need a hand before you really even start writing, this is the best place to start. This editor helps you formalize your book outline and flesh out some character or story development. 
• Alpha or beta readers - These are readers to provide feedback on your story, whether they were carried away in the work, or if they felt gaps. These can be paid or unpaid roles, but choose folks who are not your (biased) loving family. 
• Copy editor/line editor - These editors help you fine tune the word flow, move sentences around, cut or build sentences as needed.
• Proofreader - The final step to literally dot your i's and cross your t's! A proofreader will make sure any typos are caught or the correct to/too/two was used. They will help you adhere to a style guide. Fiction authors may be more inclined to create worlds and break rules to suit their intent rather than follow a style guide. 
• Formatting - Your publisher takes care of this or you may decide to hire someone to assist you. This ensures the numbers are where your readers expect (even pages on left, odd pages on right) and the page size is correct for how it will be published. Page structure can be radically changed with minor word changes. If at least a couple of editors have reviewed your work already, a proofreader's review after formatting isn't a crisis.

When to Hire a Proofreader? 
​A proofreader takes action at the end of an author's process, but there's much to consider before you get there. 

• Plan out your entire publication process - do your research into what's involved
• Get your marketing plan in place
• Get proofreading done BEFORE formatting but AFTER at least one other editor!

Any advice to add from your experiences with proofreaders?

I provide a number of services - including proofreading - for nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and authors. I look forward to discussing ways to Engage your customers - Let's Chat!

Which Is Best?
(3 min read)

Ah, a classic response - "it depends." 

It depends on the level of accuracy you want. Yes, humans do have failure rate—tools are your friend—but there are plenty of examples sharing "hallucinations" of AI or simply wrong source material or "where did it even get that from"!

We should be able to agree that AI needs humans to double-check its work. AI is very much in its infancy and is in a training phase. You wouldn't let your 4-year-old proofread your doctorate dissertation or business proposal, would you? 

What About Cost?
Ah—another "it depends" response.

Many seem to choke on the price to hire a trained proofreader. Absolutely understandable. If you're an author, there are many layers of editors to consider hiring, each with a different purpose, giving pause to consider how many is really necessary or useful. Can't you just pass it to Aunt Mary who used to be a teacher? I suppose so, but how long has she been retired or what subject did she teach? Is she really the best proofreader to help your project be amazing?

There are many less expensive options on Fivvr or Upwork. Many offering their services on these platforms are often new to proofreading or from another country where English is not the native language. It makes a difference in how your work is proofread. 

What About AI Options?
Many have heard of Grammarly as a great AI editing/proofreading resource. There are similar services available. Grammarly readily notes it uses AI to "improve" writing suggestions. Be sure to see if your AI proofreading tool follows a style guide if it's critical for your work.

If you need to follow a particular style guide for your work, Grammarly admits it uses a rather general frame of grammar reference. If you need to follow CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style), AP (Associated Press Stylebook), AMA (American Medical Association), or other style guides, Grammarly will not be useful.

Team Human or Team AI?
Many proofreaders and editors feel bound by a standard of ethics to call out writers using a high level of AI to create their work. I'll admit, I advise caution in this. Many now blend their own words with assistance from AI. It's a subjective scale to decide level of human vs AI and determine what's predominantly AI.

Plagiarism checkers have historically been challenged on their level of accuracy. This is an interesting article from the University of Kansas urging caution in plagiarism checkers. We're all cautioned on the need to fact check AI results. I've found many instances of AI "hallucination" or just plain making things up. Many folks even fight suggestions offered in Office's Word with good reason! 

AI is useful as an idea generator and to help refine your thoughts, but as a proofreader? Sure, I'm biased, but I'm on Team Human all the way for proofreading. 

Transparency and AI
The best bet is to be up front with your clients how much of your proofreading work is human vs AI assisted. There are a number of tools available to proofreaders to maximize their eyes catching errors. I wouldn't consider all of them "AI," such as the use of "macros" or PerfectIt. Could an author use these tools themselves and not a proofreader? Sure thing! I suggest it depends on the cost of the tool and your time, how prolific you may be in your writing, vs hiring a trained proofreader who may use these tools to assist their human read-through. Hiring a proofreader should carry the expectation of 1-2 human readings of your work and not fully rely on tools.

I predict a day will come soon where work will be stamped as Human© as there is already a demand by some to note AI use.

In the realm of proofreading, are you on Team Human or Team AI? Love to hear your thoughts!

I provide a number of services for nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and authors. I look forward to discussing ways to Engage your customers - Let's Chat!

Historic Phoenix Cemeteries

Ed Dobbins and Pioneers' Cemetery Association (PCA) have published a book April 2024 detailing the history of seven historic cemeteries in Phoenix, AZ. 

This is a story of a young territorial town that experienced explosive growth while needing a location to bury the dead. Four town blocks were set aside as a cemetery from 1871 to 1884 until it was ordered closed. Once the city incorporated, the cemeteries were re-opened between 1884-1893 as seven separate and distinct cemeteries until once again closed in 1914. 

It's a fascinating story of how early settlers struggled to maintain order, care, and respect in the burial of its citizens. There were many efforts to sell or repurpose the grounds as care and maintenance were often a low priority for the growing city. 

Ed provides a significant number of citations as he chronicles the heritage of the seven historic cemeteries now known as Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (PMMP). He also briefly shares the history behind the current caretakers, the Pioneers' Cemetery Association. 

This book is focused on the history of the cemeteries. PCA published another book July 2018, Pioneer and Military Memorial Park of Phoenix, which includes a variety of stories about those interred in the seven cemeteries. Copies are available on Amazon as linked or by contacting PCA for local pick-up. You can purchase your copy of the books through PCA's Gift Shop.  

Ed has a YouTube channel where he shares other stories of the history of Phoenix. It's a great way to learn about the history of early Arizona. 

I was honored to be a part of this project as proofreader and copy editor. I look forward to assisting you with your next project - Let's Chat!

How to Start Your New Business
Congratulations! You've just created your LLC or solo business and it's time to get some customers!

Where do you start? That depends a lot on how much money and time you have to invest and your favorite learning style.

I invested heavily in a marketing program to start. I had a general sense about "marketing" but no real training. I found an excellent self-study program, however I've since discovered a variety of less expensive options that can serve just as well to get started. 

Courses as Resources
Louise Harnby has a number of amazing course resources for editors and authors. I invested in her 6-course Editorial Bundle for the full marketing spectrum. She has a payment plan to ease the price a bit.

Ed Gandia has a variety of courses to help you start a business, which are offered separately or a special bundle price.

Newsletter Ninja (Tammi Labrecque) offers a series of courses, two books, and a valuable Facebook group to help you set up an email newsletter. 

Books as Resources
I noted Louise Harnby. An easier and less expensive way to get a lot of her marketing information is to simply buy her book, Marketing Your Editing & Proofreading Business, which is really comprehensive. The concepts apply beyond editing and proofreading businesses. Louise also has an extensive blog and podcast library for reference.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib covers many of the topics Harnby does, is a bit lower in price, and includes great added resources including a 1-page worksheet to develop your marketing plan.

The Freelance Content Marketing Writer by Jennifer Goforth Gregory is a comprehensive marketing plan to hit the ground running along with business tips and sample marketing plans included. Her focus is on writers but much can be generalized. She has an amazing blog of resource material as well as a Facebook group. 

Andy Crestodina has a fabulous blog and book, Content Chemistry, covering general marketing topics and is a leader in the field.

If you need insights on website building, Debbie Emmitt has an amazing resource - two really - books for authors and editors. Her material easily translates to most other businesses. You can find her editor's book here.  She also has many marketing tips on her blog. 

Looking for books to figure out LinkedIn? Got'chu covered! 

• Linkability by Lynnaire Johnston is a fabulous general reference about LinkedIn, perfect if you're a beginner or have been using it for a bit.
• The LinkedIn Branding Book by Michelle B. Griffin & Michelle J. Raymond goes a bit more in depth and includes a workbook to follow along with their suggestions.
• Business Gold by Michelle J. Raymond and Lynnaire Johnston is a focus on LinkedIn company pages. Yes, a company page is recommended for any business alongside your personal profile, even for the solopreneur. 

Podcasts as Resources
One of my favorite low-cost resources! There are a lot of great episodes out there. Some may also be on YouTube (captions may be your preference) and many have transcripts for episodes if you prefer to read. Many noted have multiple resources available. 

• Deliberate Freelancer with Melanie Padgett Powers has ideas for all types of freelancers. 
• The Marketing Mentor by Ilise Benum covers marketing for all industries. Do check the rest of her website for great resources including her blog and newsletter.
• Freelance Cake by Austin L. Church also has some great blog posts and newsletters. 
• Ed Gandia covers a wide range of marketing topics. 
• The Content Byte by Lynne Testoni and Rachel Smith
• Boss Responses by Treasa Edmond
• The Brand Therapist and The LinkedIn Branding Show by #michellesquared Michelle B Griffin and Michelle J Raymond cover general marketing and LinkedIn in particular.
• Social Media for B2B Growth by Michelle J Raymond covers social media in general with an emphasis on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn Easy Peasy with Gillian Whitney covers LinkedIn for marketing.
• Yael Keon's Easy Email Marketing focuses on email. 

Podcasts recommended by others I have not heard yet:

• Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield
• The BS-Free Service Business Show by Maggie Patterson
• BizChix Podcast by Natalie Eckdahl
• The Writers Co-Op by Wudan Yan
• Freelance Business Unlocked by Anja Lordanic Mustac (Apple podcasts link, also on Spotify)
• Mistakes That Made Me by Eman Ismail

​
LinkedIn Trainers as Resources
I've been fortunate to have connected with some wonderful LinkedIn experts who are eager to help you succeed! All links will take you to their LinkedIn profiles. These will get you started but there are so many resources available!

• Jeff Young
• Kevin D. Turner
• Gillian Whitney
• Lynnaire Johnston
• John Espirian
• Michelle B. Griffin
• Michelle J. Raymond
• Brenda Meller
• Melanie Goodman
• Deanna Russo
• JoAnne Funch
• Mary Wu
• Debbie Wemyss
• Gehan "G" Haridy-Ardanowski
• Marissa Marsala

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear of any additional marketing resources you've found helpful. If I can be of assistance to connect with your customers, Let's Chat!

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work, by Chip & Dan Heath
I just finished a book recommended by a LinkedIn friend, Stephen Mostrom. This was definitely well worth my time! I will highly recommend it as well, especially for those looking for assistance to make a weighty decision. As we all make at least 35,000 decisions daily as noted in this blog post, most won't require a decision-making framework, but this will come in handy for the more challenging ones. 

Thought Provoking
Literally and figuratively. This book is heavy on research and science but with a ton of relatable real world examples of their recommended thought process. It was fascinating to follow the decision processes on topics spanning "shall I get serious about this relationship" to high-finance business decisions that impact a company's growth or demise. One such weighty  business example followed Intel's decision to move to microprocessors from  memory chips.

How to Make Decisions - Thoughtfully and Intentionally
You mean, there's a process out there to make decisions? Beyond "gut feeling?" Outside of self-admitted personal biases or Magic Eight Ball? Mind blown! Even "ask a few friends" is a valid option to get some perspective. 

That's a WRAP!
There are many methods within each component that you simply must read the book to appreciate. On reading the book, you'll discover the Heath Brothers' resources that accompany the book including podcasts, single-page references, and a workbook for more complete reminders of the multiple decision methods that can be utilized. 

• Widen your options
• Reality-test your assumptions
• Attain distance before deciding
• Prepare to be wrong

The Heath Brothers
This duo have authored six books at this writing:

• Making Numbers Count
• Upstream
• The Power of Moments
• Decisive
• Switch
• Made to Stick​

I've also read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. This had a very similar style being based fairly heavily in research but with a load of relatable, personable stories of recognizable corporate decisions and urban tales. 

Thank you, Chip and Dan, for sharing your ideas on ideas with us! I'm looking forward to ways to decrease my personal biases in decisions and generally take a more methodical step back.

Their books are available on Amazon, but I was also able to find them on Libby through my library.

Read any good books lately? Love to hear your recommendations! Nonfiction is my current focus. Audiobooks are the way to go for me to enjoy "reading" while on my walks. How do you fit in reading time?

Here's the Short Answer
It depends! 

You can certainly do a darned fine start on your own! You can even pass your work around to friends and family for extra eyes. All of this will get you closer to your finished, ready-to-post product. But ultimately, you also get what you pay for. 

But I'm Pretty Good with English & Grammar!
Awesome! You'll be able to get your work that much closer to the finish line quicker! We reviewed in No Red Pens the myriad of editors eager to help you with your project. Do you realistically need all of these editors? Nope. Would it be advisable to get at least one proofreader or editor on your team? Admittedly, I'm biased, but I'd advise "yes." 

But My Mom (or Aunt Suzy) is An English Teacher!
Fabulous! Family and friends are a great first step to polish things up. But they also love you, are (blessedly) incredibly biased, and think you do amazing work. These aren't particularly critical or fresh eyes for you, especially if you're talking about a project that's really important to you, like a book or new website.

But What CAN I DO on My Own?
Don't worry - you can do plenty on your own! Let's look at some ways you can really improve your own work before you consider hiring someone. 

MS Word
What an amazing tool! ​

• Head to the Home tab. 
• Move right on the Home bar to Find. 
• In the Navigation box that pops up, begin typing things you know are your weak spots. Word will start highlighting items for you. 
• Click through what's identified to decide if you are OK with each item or need to edit.
• You can even click on Replace to change a known consistent error to fix multiple items at once, but be careful with this option as you might not want "all" changed!

Items to Routinely Check
This is just a start, but you'll get the idea. ​

• The world of computers no longer needs two spaces after a period! It worked for typewriters but not computers. Two spaces creates a "waterfall" effect down your page. 
• Words that sound the same - vary/very, too/to/two
• Exclamation marks if you tend to write with excitement! (they can get overdone!)
• Anything you know trips you up - what did your English teacher nag you about?
• Pay attention to Word's squiggly or colored lines - they mean things! 
  • Red = check your spelling
  • Blue = opportunities to improve things. Right click for Word's ideas, but I often ignore these helpful suggestions. Word and I have different "author voices!" 

A Step Above Word
You may wish to check an amazing program called PerfectIt. It's a proofreading software program. They offer a free trial opportunity for you to run Word docs through for 14 days and a 30-day money back guarantee. It's a very powerful program that saves you a lot of using "Find" in Word. It depends how much you may decide to self-edit for whether you decide to purchase this tool. 

A word of caution - it catches many errors but not all. As with Word, you'll find this AI tool won't allow for your voice to necessarily shine through. You really can't beat ultimately working with a human for that final touch.

Can I Edit Myself?
Sure! To an extent. It's always best to have a fresh set of eyes on your project, especially someone who has training in what you're writing and isn't biased to love what you write, no matter what. 

It's like asking if you need to hire a lawn service, housekeeper, or mechanic. What are you willing or able to do on your own? Editors and proofreaders are all over the board with rates. You may wish to check a national organization such as the Editorial Freelancers Association for more on average rates to expect and more considerations when hiring an editor or proofreader. 

How much do you edit on your own? Are you a whiz with Word or other programs to maximize your time and expenses?

Love to hear your process - leave a comment!

Podcasts to Learn & Grow
I adore podcasts! I listen to them on my daily 3-mile walks or to keep me company during household chores. I love these as they're simply audio - no video - and require no wifi; just download and go. 

Top Podcasts for Editors & Proofreaders
This seems a rather niche topic with few podcasts available. I'm grateful for those who bother to create content! These are all very informational, educational, and often introduce me to other resources. I'll link the websites as there are a multitude of podcast players available. Click the underlined titles to head to their websites. 

The Editing Podcast by Louise Harnby & Denise Cowle - These ladies are definitely top of the heap and at the top of their genre! They've been podcasting for 4 years and have over 115 episodes. They continue to post content roughly every 2 weeks or "fortnight" as one is from England and the other Scotland. Harnby specializes in fiction topics, Cowle specializes in nonfiction, and they both cover content marketing. I highly recommend this one! 

The Modern Editor Podcast by Tara Whitaker - I recently binge listened to all 25 of her episodes. She's on a seasonal break but promises to return. Great, real content about freelancing, editing, marketing, and mindset sharing her 10 years of experience.

The Proofreading Business Podcast by Elizabeth Wiegner - New to podcasts with 8 episodes so far, Elizabeth covers topics for proofreaders in general and transcript proofreading. She posts about every 2 weeks and is featuring guest interviews in recent episodes. 

The Confident Freelance Editor by Malini Devadas - Malini has been doing podcasts since 2020 but took a break for a year, only recently returning to podcasts approximately every 2 weeks. She has over 70 episodes at this time with a very no-nonsense, down-to-earth style covering freelancing, editing, marketing, and mindset topics. 

The Editor's Half Hour by Nadia Geagea Pupa - This is a new podcast with 8 episodes so far. These focus on interviews with those in the book business covering a wide range of topics.

The Independent Editor by Stuart Horwitz and Madison Utley - This podcast is on hiatus currently but I highly recommend it! These two have a great chemistry with something of a mentor/mentee relationship coming through in the interview style as they share their experiences in the freelance editing/publishing field. Stuart has been editing and ghost writing for years, whereas Madison is new to the business. Lots of great information here. I hope they bring it back! Definitely worth a listen.

What podcasts do you listen to? Do you know others focused on editing, proofreading, or marketing?

Do I need an Editor or Proofreader?

Excellent question! The answer is "It depends." 

If you're a published author, you're likely familiar with the different types of editors that may be involved with your work.

For the majority of us, especially those of us doing our best on our own as "indie" authors or freelance/small business owners, the lines blur quite a bit.

Developmental Editor
This form of editing is more "big picture" and helps flesh out the story. This editor helps find plot holes, reviews pacing and character development, and is the first eyes on a project in its development stage.

Line Editor
This editor works line-by-line to review style, consistency, and general readability. The goal is to tighten sentence structure for clear language.

Copy Editor
This editor fine-tunes things, correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling while reviewing style guides. 

Proofreader
This is the final set of eyes to be sure literally every "i" is dotted and "t" is crossed! This is your final check for typos, punctuation, and grammar. A proofreader doesn't change words or thoughts, but fixes what's there assuming all general editing has been handled. 

Do I need ALL of these?
Short answer? No. Many of these roles have become somewhat blended depending on situations, especially for more "indie" or independent authors or creators. Editors and proofreaders are available for ALL written works, from fiction to nonfiction, but also for websites, blogs, business materials, education proposals/papers, and more. Sometimes a Line and Copy Editor cover the same purpose. These folks may be available to also proofread, but you really should have a third set of eyes on your work at that point. We're all human and miss things with our eyes seeing what we anticipate should be there. 

It often comes down to cost.
There's the reality - what is your budget? You want to maximize your own return on investment. But you need to make sure you have an excellent product to get those sales! The old adage "Sometimes you have to spend money to make money" comes into play. All of these editors will have a fee. Some editors and proofreaders may offer multiple services, but you'll be discussing what a fair rate is for their time, effort, and expertise. 

But can we leave the red pen out of this? 
Certainly! The good news is, most don't even use red pens anymore as work is reviewed electronically via Word docs, Google docs, pdf's, or simply online files or products. Suggestions can be "old school" with cross-outs and additions for you to see, or can be hidden within "track changes" so you just see it all smoothed out. 

This is YOUR baby!
Any editor or proofreader worth their salt will be sensitive to the hard work you have put into the project. All editors and proofreaders do is offer suggestions. It's up to you whether to accept them or not! Editors and proofreaders not looking for errors to be mean, but looking for ways to help you shine your brightest! 

Have you worked with each style of editor or been able to find multi-talented folks to move your projects forward?

What type of assistance are you looking for?