The Club Ed Guide to Starting and Running a Profitable Freelance Editing Business

So the first thing I want you to do is figure out what your purpose is. Don’t worry; this can change as you do.

What would you like your freelance work to be, not just for your clients but for you?

keep the relevant supporting information readily available.

why spend time trying to convince people that they need my services when I could spend that time connecting with people who already know they need my services?

Although you need to have a plan in place in case you fail, you must also be convinced that you won’t, and that any failure you have right now is just temporary.

having a narrow potential audience/clientele is not a problem but an asset.

Although it may not seem possible at first glance, your current employer may be your best bet for gaining relevant experience before you start working full-time at your business.

If you have experience copyediting user manuals, it’s not much of a stretch to also copyedit how-to books. But it’s another thing entirely to agree to, say, coach a novelist on figuring out the narrative arc of her work-in-progress. In other words, A to B makes sense. A to E does not.

Whenever you gain any kind of relevant experience or education, note it on an accomplishments list.