Freelance Editor – Almost An Author

Embracing Tech Advancements: Powering Freelancer Success in the Modern Landscape

Freelancing as a writer can be deeply rewarding. You’re getting paid to show off your wordsmithing skills and can make a great living while building your brand as a writer.

However, if you want to stay relevant as a writer, you’ll need to embrace emergent tech advancements that define the digital landscape. Today, that means you should take full advantage of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences.

Tech and Writing

The recent rise of artificial intelligence has left some writers fearing for their jobs. This is understandable, as programs like ChatGPT can produce pages of prose in the blink of an eye.

In reality, AI programs are designed to help writers — not replace them. You can use recently released programs like Google Bard to conduct pre-writing research and improve the efficiency of your revision process. You can also use programs like Grammarly to edit as you work and improve your understanding of syntax and grammar.

Rather than fearing new innovations, you should see emergent tech as a chance to “level up” your writing process. For example, if you routinely run into writer’s block, you can use a program like ContentAI or Ryter to start brainstorming ideas. This is particularly helpful if you are working with an unfamiliar genre and need to understand the requirements before you can start writing.

You can, of course, choose to eschew all modern tech from your writing process. There’s nothing wrong with a ballpoint pen and a pad of paper — and the tactile feel may help you write a more captivating opening scene. However, automation tech can still help you find freelancing success off the page.

Automation

Automating the writing process with generative AI may land you in hot water with publishers and clients. After all, they’re paying for your skills, insights, and experiences. Fortunately, you can still use the latest AI tech to increase your profits and decrease your risks.

You can start using automation to increase profitability by augmenting some of the customer relationship management tasks you have to do. This is particularly useful if your brand is growing quicker than you expected. Automation can help you reach out to highly qualified leads or send emails to folks who are in your “follow-up” folder.

AI can streamline the document-management process, too. This is helpful if you’re responsible for creating multiple articles a day and are at risk of losing track of important files. AI-driven document automation can help with storage, classification, and invoicing. This reduces the risk of error and ensures that you actually get paid for your hard work.

The Future of Work

Despite popular belief, the writing process is constantly changing. A hundred years ago, writers like Hemingway and Woolf may have spent their mornings sitting at their typewriter. Today, anything other than electronic writing is all but unthinkable for modern freelancers.

Start embracing the future of work and writing by leveraging AR and virtual environments. For example, if you regularly liaise with global clients, consider investing in a virtual office space where folks can “meet” with you while wearing VR goggles. This may be something of a gimmick for now but could become the norm for contractors and freelancers in years to come.

The metaverse will need writers, too. This means that staying up to date with the latest trends in virtual worlds may be a savvy move if you want to break into game development and virtual entertainment. Just be sure to secure your income with reliable streams, too, as daily activity on sites like Decentraland can vary wildly.

Increase your chances of finding freelancer success by advertising your services on social sites like TikTok and Instagram. Your social presence can serve as a portfolio for your work and may help you connect with clients from around the globe. A well-established social page can even help you diversify your income, as you may be able to land brand sponsorship and ad revenue when posting online.

Conclusion

The future of freelance writing looks bright. Fears of AI replacing writers have largely been assuaged, as folks see that real writers provide more value than AI bots. However, that doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels.

Instead, embrace the future of work by using the latest innovations to your advantage. Tech advancements like generative AI, automation, and real-time editing can significantly improve your process and help you achieve higher levels of efficiency. You can even use emergent tech like VR goggles to differentiate your brand identity and connect with clients in new and exciting ways.

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

Choosing a Freelance Editor

Choosing a freelance editor can be daunting. So many choices, so many possibilities. And if we’re honest? Many people claiming to be editors wouldn’t be good for you OR your book. Anyone who spots typos easily can say they’re an editor.

So how do you find one to work with who will come alongside you, champion you and your writing, and help you make it your best?

Get comfortable asking questions. Here are four that will save you a lot of headache and heartache:

Ask for recommendations.
Ask for references.
Ask for a sample.
Ask for a contract.

First, ask for recommendations.

Do you have writer friends who rave about their fabulous editors? Who trust their editor completely? Ask them why. What is the working relationship like? How long has the editor been editing? Is there a fast turnaround? Are there mistakes in the completed manuscripts? What are the editors’ greatest strengths? Weaknesses? Who are the editor’s other clients? What are his or her credentials? Does he have professional licenses and degrees? Street cred? Does that matter to you? (It should.)

Don’t be afraid to ask other authors who write in your genre. Authors should find an editor who is comfortable editing what they write. First, there’s a unique skill set and nuances within each genre that can make a major difference. Second, don’t you want someone who’s passionate about what you write? Third, experience counts.

At some levels of editing, genre might not matter. But if you’re looking for a macro (big-picture, plotline, themes, character arcs) edit, genre experience is key. The difference between Science Fiction and bonnet fiction is usually vast. There’s Kerry Nietz, but he’s a worthy exception. At the very least, be sure that you’re working with a fiction editor if you write fiction and non-fiction if that’s your thing.

Silence in the Library — If you appreciate this, I might be the editor for you.

Look in the acknowledgements of your favorite books. Or use an author-editor “matchmaking” service like the Christian Editor Connection or the Editorial Freelancers Association. Those will help you get connected with serious editors who will bid on your work, and you’ll have the power to choose who’s the best fit. For free.

Once you’ve contacted the editors, ask them for references.

Many editors will have an endorsements page on their site.

A service like Kathy Ide’s Christian Editor Connection has vetted the editors in its database. Editors must pass tests for the various levels of editing and even some genre-specific tests.

Indie and hybrid authors, Susan Kaye Quinn’s Indie Author Survival Guide has a list of freelance editors, in addition to cover designers, formatters, and more. She’s even marked the ones she’s used and personally recommends.

And if you find an editor you think you’d like to work with but your schedules don’t line up, ask them for a recommendation. We editors network ourselves, and there are a few editors I’d be happy to recommend (and trust with my own work).

You can also ask for a sample.

Samples will give you an idea of the editor’s styles and strengths. Some editors (like me) will do a free three-page sample for any project over 25 pages. Some will ask you to pay up front, but why not pay for an hour’s worth of work and learn their editing style? Or pay for an edit on a piece of flash fiction. It’s short, but you’ll learn how the editor works, whether they add a little sugar with their constructive criticism, and whether they’ll definitely focus on the areas you think are the weakest.

The important thing is this: Editing is a professional relationship. As such, you need to be able to work well together, and the editor needs to sharpen you. They need to—not only tell you what isn’t working—but be able to suggest how to fix it. A sample edit shows whether the editor will truly improve your work.

Listen. Writing is art. You’ve heard of the fiction “rules.” There are many tried and true industry standards that do make writing stronger; there are also ways to bend and push those boundaries to powerful effect.

Lastly, ask the editor for a contract. Bare minimum, get a quote and clear expectations in writing.

Having things in writing will keep the relationship professional. Expectations for the timeline and the level of editing are clear. If you’re hiring someone to finish the work by August 30^th, and they take until October with no communication or explanation, you’ll have proof that you were wronged. There are people out there masquerading as editors who will take your money and never send you anything. (This is another reason a word-of-mouth recommendation is a wonderful thing). You have a right to protect your work.

A contract can protect the editor, too. If you agree to send someone a manuscript for a macro edit, and then you make major revisions and send it back for another, they’ll get paid for that work as well. Clear expectations, on both sides, are a must.

The bottom line is this: Do your research, and find an editor who does both what you’re looking for and what you need. You just might find a champion.

Is there anything you’d add?

A big shout out to Mikeedesign, Pascal, Kathy Ide, and Juli for the images.