The Modern Editor - Editing Tips for Freelance Editors

Ever wish you could hit pause on the day and just breathe for a minute? This special episode of The Modern Editor Podcast is your invitation to do exactly that—with a whispered twist.

I’m exploring ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) for the very first time, combining soothing sounds with editing insights for a brief but blissful moment of calm. And yes, I’m whispering this entire episode thanks to a timely cold that made my voice unexpectedly ASMR-ready.

I’m personally a big fan of ASMR and have always wanted to try my hand at it, so I thought it would be fun to do an entire ASMR episode. I am by no means an ASMR artist, but I love watching and listening to ASMR to help me relax.

Important Sections:

• (1:15) What is ASMR?
• (3:43) ASMR Triggers

ASMR Artists I Recommend:

• Moonlight Cottage ASMR
• Shili ASMR
• Gibi ASMR
• ASMR Münür Önkan
• The ASMR Darling
• Angelo Shoe Shine

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

Ready to get into the nitty-gritty of copyediting? In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m following up on my most popular episode to date: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Copyediting Process.

I’m sharing ten tips and practices for copyediting manuscripts, like how to spell “blonde” and whether or not you should capitalize the word “god.” I hope you can apply these tips to your copyediting process, and stay tuned for future episodes in this series for more! 

If you want to learn more about my process and pick up some editing tips, I have an Edit With Me workshop inside the Freelance Editors Club. You can essentially sit over my shoulder and watch me edit! Join with a 14-day free trial to access the workshop. 

• (2:33) Create Your Own Copyediting Process
• (4:11) Tip One: Blonde or Blond?
• (7:23) Tip Two: Okay or OK?
• (8:07) Tip Three: Is God Capitalized? 
• (9:13) Tip Four: Damnit, Dammit, or Damn it?
• (10:31) Tip Five: Mouthed Words
• (11:14) Tip Six: Gestures and Facial Expressions
• (12:55) Tip Seven: Searched Terms
• (13:36) Tip Eight: Google as a Noun and Verb
• (14:05) Tip Nine: Off Of 
• (14:54) Tip Ten: 911, 9-1-1, or Nine-One-One?
• (16:21) Edit With Me Workshop

• Episode 22: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Copyediting Process

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

Are you using PerfectIt? If not, I can’t recommend it to freelance editors enough. For years, I let fear and intimidation stop me from taking advantage of this software, and now I wish I could get that time back. 

On this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I sat down with Daniel Heuman, CEO of Intelligent Editing and creator of PerfectIt, to talk about how this program can help editors. Listen in as he shares about PerfectIt’s origin story, its many features, and an exclusive announcement about what’s next for the program. 

• (1:03) What is PerfectIt?
• (5:45) PerfectIt Frees Up Editors to Focus on What They Love
• (10:28) What Does PerfectIt Actually Look Like?
• (16:02) What Type of Document is PerfectIt Best Suited For?
• (24:37) How to Start Using PerfectIt (Especially if You’re Feeling Intimidated)

• PerfectIt
• PerfectIt Video Guides
• Join the Style Works beta testing list

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

Ready for a quick-and dirty-business chat? I recently returned from the Craft + Commerce Conference by Kit, and in this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m sharing my top two takeaways you can implement in your editing business.

Kit (formerly known as ConvertKit) is a platform for business owners that started as an email service provider. I’ve used it for several years, but this was my first year attending this conference. While it wasn’t exclusively for editors, the takeaways can absolutely help us grow our editing businesses.

• (1:03) All About the Kit Craft + Commerce Conference
• (3:04) Why Consistency Is So Critical for Business Owners
• (6:23) Storytelling Will Beat AI Every Time 

• Craft + Commerce Conference by Kit
• Episode 45: How Editors Can Create Habits That Stick

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

You can do all the right things to plan for a break in your business, but coming back to work will still be hard. In this episode, we’re continuing our discussion on taking breaks as a business owner. Listen in as I share three major lessons I learned about my life and business after coming home from a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. 

This is the third installment in my series on taking breaks. You can check out the previous conversations in episode 33, where we covered taking time off as a freelancer, and in episode 42, where we talked about why it can be difficult to step away from your business for a well-deserved break.

• (0:38) Why Is It So Hard to Come Back From a Break?
• (2:25) Navigating the Vacation Hangover
• (5:39) Seeing Work Tasks in a New Light
• (6:57) Recognizing My Mental Load is Too Heavy

• Episode 33: How to Take Time Off as a Freelancer
• Episode 42: Why Is It So Tough to Take Breaks?
• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

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

What does the publishing world look like from a first-time author’s perspective? As editors, it’s important for us to understand the process they go through as they publish their first book.

In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m joined by first-time author Sam Vander Wielan. Her new book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy, is a practical and transparent guide for online entrepreneurs.

We dive into choosing the right book title, working with a book coach, the editor-author relationship, how your online platform plays a role in landing a book deal, and so much more. You’re going to love this jam-packed episode!

• (2:00) From Corporate Lawyer to Entrepreneur: Meet Sam Vander Wielan
• (6:38) Build Your Business Around a Great Idea, Not What You Love Doing
• (8:27) Behind the Scenes of Choosing a Book Title
• (12:27) How a Birth-Chart Reading Led to a Book Deal
• (17:09) All Roads Lead to the Email List
• (20:42) The Writing Process as a First-Time Author
• (27:17) Writing From a Place of Transparency
• (31:46) The Editor-Author Relationship
• (37:37) The Perks of Being a Second-Time Author
• (44:37) Lead With Curiosity

• Book: When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy
• Podcast: On Your Terms
• Website: samvanderwielen.com

• Kit Studios
• Richelle Fredson
• Wendy Sherman
• ManyChat
• Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

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

We’ve officially hit fifty episodes of The Modern Editor Podcast! I’ve never been great at slowing down enough to celebrate achievements, so I want to take a moment to reflect on this milestone instead of rushing toward the next goal. Listen in as we celebrate The Modern Editor Podcast by the numbers. Don’t worry, there’s no math involved!

• (2:20) The Modern Editor by the Numbers
• (4:03) Top Five Downloaded Episodes
• (6:40) How Many Times I Took a Break
• (8:34) My Apple Podcasts Rating
• (10:55) Top Two Lessons I’ve Learned From Podcasting
• (13:38) What Do You Want to Hear in Future Episodes?

• Writing an Identity Not Your Own with Alex Temblador
• Elevate Your Business Processes with Akua Konadu
• Borrow the Mic with Haylee Gaffin
• Five Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started My Editing Business
• Running a Business During Tough Times
• How Many Hours a Day Can You Edit?
• How to Find Time to Get Things Done
• A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Copyediting Process
• Gaffin Creative

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

Could appearing on a podcast help grow your editing business? Not only can it grow your brand, but it can set you up as an expert in your field. In today’s episode, Haylee Gaffin of Gaffin Creative joins us to explain why editors should consider leveraging podcasts as a marketing tool in their business.

Listen in as we talk all about why freelance editors should pitch themselves as podcast guests, the power of borrowing someone else’s audience, and what makes a great podcast pitch.

If you want to dive deeper into podcasts, whether that’s as a host or a guest, join us inside the Freelance Editors Club. Haylee is leading a podcast training in May 2025, where we’ll talk more about pitching yourself as a guest and how to use podcasts to grow your business.

(Seeing this after May 2025? You can still access the video recording when you join the club!)

• (1:08) Are Podcasts Still Relevant in 2025?
• (10:51) The Power of Borrowing Someone Else’s Mic
• (13:10) How to Pitch Yourself as a Podcast Guest
• (18:52) The Key to Finding the Right Podcasts to Pitch Yourself to as a Guest
• (27:48) Pitch Yourself With Clear Goals in Mind
• (35:57) Where to Find New Podcasts
• (39:57) What to Do After You Appear on a Podcast
• (47:47) Ready For More Podcast Training?

• Listen Notes
• Rephonic

• Gaffin Creative
• @hayleegaffin
• Clocking In podcast

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

(Note: As expected, this episode became out of date within 24 hours of recording…but the same overall ideas still apply. If nothing else, I want this episode to get you thinking about what you have control over and help you prepare for what is going to be a roller coaster of economic BS in the future. If you want up-to-date financial and small business info, here are my favorites: The Broke Black Girl, Ramit Sethi, The Budgetnista, Her First 100K, and Ellyce Fulmore.)

How will tariffs impact your editing business? In this episode, I’m going to share what my family is doing to alleviate stress when it comes to tariffs, as well as what I predict is going to happen. However, I hope I’m wrong…

I’m not a financial expert or economist, so please don’t take anything I say as advice. I’m simply sharing my experience and how it relates to us editors who rely on a steady income stream and encounter expenses required to run their businesses. 

• (1:48) Replace Your Electronics
• (3:55) Get Intentional With Your Money
• (6:15) My Tariff Predictions
• (7:44) Lean Into Your Community

• You Need a Budget

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

Affirmations are short statements that help anchor you to the present moment. I actually prefer to call them anchor thoughts for this very reason. I’ve found myself relying on anchor thoughts more than usual lately in my life and editing business, so I thought I would share my favorites with you so you can take advantage of them as a freelance editor.

I’m also going to share the purpose behind anchor thoughts. The world has been a stressful place recently, and these anchor thoughts are great tools that help me maintain perspective.