The Modern Editor - Editing Tips for Freelance Editors

What is it actually like to be part of the Freelance Editors Club? Instead of me telling you, I’m stepping aside to let you hear from actual members in this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast.

Listen in as members share their experiences through real testimonials.

• (0:22) Announcing The Modern Editor Podcast Break
• (1:44) Hear From Members of the Freelance Editors Club
• (2:30) Brandi: Women Supporting Women and Self-Care Resources
• (4:48) Ceylan: A Great Place to Ask Questions
• (5:24) Deborah: Genuine Support to Combat Isolation
• (6:29) Leila: Coworking Sessions and Weekly Check-Ins
• (7:28) Angela: Values-Based Trainings
• (9:13) Experience the Freelance Editors Club For Yourself with a 14-Day Free Trial

• Grab the Editing Contract Template
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
   

If you want to become a better editor without using generative AI, I’ve got your back. In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m sharing another tool I’ve used for years to help me be productive and efficient: wildcards.

Listen in as I share what wildcards are, my opinions on them, and how they can help us in our editing.

• (0:58) Explaining the Pushback Against Using Wildcards
• (4:19) What Is a Wildcard?
• (5:49) How to Use Wildcards
• (6:45) Helpful Wildcard Examples
• (10:54) What Are Caret Codes?
• (12:34) Use the Tools That Work for You
• (14:54) Learn More Inside the Freelance Editors Club

• Brave New World by Chris Ryder
• Wildcard Cookbook for Microsoft Word by Jack Lyon
   

• Grab the Editing Contract Template
• Join the Freelance Editors Club

Ever ignored a gut feeling about a potential client and ended up regretting it later? Trust me, I’ve been there. After fourteen years in the freelance editing business, I’ve seen my fair share of red-flag and beige-flag clients. 

In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m sharing what I’ve learned from not-so-great client experiences so you can avoid some of the mistakes I made early on. At the end of the day, you should always pay attention when your spidey senses start tingling.

Do you pass the mantle or mantel?

In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m back with more commonly confused words I’ve come across in my years of editing. Some of these might be easy for you to spot, while others are trickier. Either way, it’s important to keep an eye out so these words don’t fall through the cracks.

In case you missed it, listen to part one here!

(1:15) Mantel and Mantle

(2:00) Medal, Metal, Meddle, and Mettle

(3:30) Affect and Effect

(5:07) Compliment and Complement

(5:53) Course and Coarse

Grab the Editing Contract Template

Join the Freelance Editors Club

As an editor, I see commonly confused words all the time. There are the super common ones we all know (to/too/two, etc.), but lately I've been spotting a handful of less commonly confused words over and over again while copyediting manuscripts.

Whether it's the result of speech-to-text software, typing too quickly, or our brains simply filling in what we expect to see, these mistakes seem to be popping up for me lately. I figured I should highlight them in an episode of The Modern Editor so that you can watch out for them too!

If you know me at all, you know I’m all about efficiency and becoming a more effective editor. There are so many repetitive tasks in editing that can steal your time and attention, which is why I’m sharing my favorite time-saving tool with you in today’s episode of The Modern Editor.

Allow me to introduce you to TextExpander, one of my favorite editing tools that doesn’t use generative AI.

Curious about what my copyediting process looks like? I’m giving you a sneak peek in this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast. Listen in as I share the 10 quick searches I run every single time I start a new copyediting project. 

Something I love about editing is that everyone has a different process, and I appreciate learning from others. This is a glimpse into the process that works for me, so take what you like and see if it works with your own process. There’s no one right way to edit.

What does it really take to become an editor? In this short-and-sweet episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m sharing how I got into the editing biz fourteen years ago. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t for the best reason 😅

This episode is for new and hopeful editors who want to learn from my experience and build a successful editing business. However, I think there are some good reminders for veterans, too. Listen in as I share the good, the bad, and the vulnerable!

Are you the right editor for the job? In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m flipping the script and taking on the author’s POV. Listen in as I list what I think are the most important things authors should look for when hiring an editor. 

This episode is directed toward authors, but editors will benefit from it too. You’ll learn whether or not you’re marketing yourself correctly so that the right authors hire you to work with them. 

I don’t know about you, but I could use a pep talk right about now. Things are feeling bleak in the editing and publishing industries, not to mention everything else going on in the world. 

If you’re currently feeling defeated, bitter, exasperated, or annoyed about the state of our industry right now, you’re not alone. 

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what we’re going through in this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast. Listen in for a pep talk from yours truly, along with how I’m staying hopeful and focused through the muck.