The Freelance Editor's Handbook: A Complete Guide to Making Your Business Thrive

A comprehensive guide to building and maintaining a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable business as a freelance editor.   According to LinkedIn, more than twenty thousand people in the United States list themselves as freelance editors. But many who have the requisite skills to be excellent editors lack the entrepreneurial skills needed to run a thriving, fulfilling business. The few resources available to freelance editors, new and established, are typically limited in scope and lack the strategic thinking needed to make a business flourish.   The Freelance Editor’s Handbook provides a complete guide to setting up and running a prosperous freelancing business, from finding clients to increasing productivity, from deciding how to price services to achieving work/life balance, and from paying taxes to saving for retirement. Unlike most other books on freelance editing, this book is founded on a business-success mindset: The goal isn’t simply to eke out a living through freelancing. Rather, the goal is to establish a thriving, rewarding business that allows editors to achieve their career goals, earn a comfortable living, and still have time for family, friends, and personal pursuits. Author Suzy Bills identifies multiple strategies and methods that freelancers can apply, drawing on current research in entrepreneurship, psychology, and well-being. This book is the ultimate resource for editors at all levels: students just starting out, in-house staff looking to transition, and experienced freelancers who want to make their businesses more profitable and enjoyable. Topics include: Deciding Whether You Really Want to Be a Freelance Editor Setting Up Your Business Finding Clients Marketing like a Pro Building Your Website Contracts and Invoices  Becoming Financially Savvy  ... and more!

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction  Why This Book Is for You What We're Going to Cover 1 Deciding Whether You Really Want to Be a Freelance Editor Benefits of Freelancing Downsides of Freelancing Skills and Characteristics of Effective Freelance Editors The Decision of Whether to Freelance Part-Time or Full-Time Key Takeaways 2 Setting Up Your Business Business Name Business Entities Business License Employer Identification Number Bank Account and Credit Card Business Plan Business Costs Key Takeaways 3 Establishing a Strategic Mindset Creating a Vision Setting and Achieving Goals Finding a Mentor Key Takeaways 4 Looking for Clients Deciding Whether to Specialize Finding Clients Getting Repeat Business Key Takeaways 5 Marketing like a Pro  Awareness of Target Clients' Needs Unique Selling Proposition  Lead Nurturing Social Media Platforms Editing and Business Directories Promotional Pieces Books, Training, Podcasts, and YouTube Channels Additional Marketing Tips Key Takeaways 6 Creating Your Website  Why You Need a Website How to Build Your Website How to Choose and Purchase a Domain Name How to Decide on the Website Design Pages and Content to Include on Your Website The Debate about Blogging Key Takeaways 7 Maximizing the Benefits of LinkedIn Components of a LinkedIn Profile How to Connect and Network with People on LinkedIn How to Search for Jobs on LinkedIn Key Takeaways 8 Winning at the Pricing Game Figuring Out How Much to Charge Choosing a Pricing Method Setting the Stage for Presenting a Fee Developing a Price Quote Applying a Rush Fee Presenting Your Price Overcoming Price Objections and Negotiating a Rate Increasing Your Rate Reducing Income Uncertainty through Establishing Retainers Choosing Payment Methods Key Takeaways 9 Using Contracts and Invoices to Get Paid and Protect Yourself  What You Need to Know about Contracts What You Need to Include in Invoices How to Address Issues in Getting Paid Key Takeaways 10 Managing Time like a Pro and Increasing Productivity General Strategies to Improve Your Time Management and Productivity Strategies to Improve Your Editing Efficiency Strategies to Manage Your Project Schedule Strategies to Stop Procrastinating Key Takeaways 11 Achieving Work/Life Balance Balancing Work and Personal Pursuits Dealing with Crises Dealing with Negative Client Feedback Dealing with Perfectionism Avoiding Imposter Syndrome Key Takeaways 12 Overcoming the Fear of Taxes The Basics Self-Employment Tax Quarterly Payment Annual Tax Return How to Avoid Tax Penalties Tax Deductions for Freelancers Key Takeaways 13 Becoming a Financially Savvy Freelancer Personal and Business Budgets Cash Flow Management Bookkeeping Insurance Retirement Savings Key Takeaways Conclusion Appendix A: Most Important Action Items for Establishing a Freelance Editing Business Appendix B: Improving Editing Skills through Using Editing Programs and Other Resources  Further Reading and Bibliography Index