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)

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• 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, so I thought I would share my favorites with you. 

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. 

• (1:52) What’s the Point of an Anchor Thought?
• (2:55) The TEARA Process
• (5:52) My Five Favorite Anchor Thoughts
• (8:06) We Have to Take Care of Ourselves

• Why Mindset is More Than Just a Buzzword episode
• Nadia Geagea Pupa’s Affirmation Cards for Editors

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

Did you read this episode title and immediately check out? Trust me, I get it, but I’m here to change your mind about macros.

I came late to the game on macros because of several limiting beliefs that held me back. I didn’t think I was tech-savvy enough to use them, so I wrote them off for a long time. Now that I’ve started using them, I can confidently say that macros have saved me tons of time as an editor. 

I’m still a baby user, but macros have positively impacted my editing in such a short time that I feel like I have to shout it from the rooftops. If you’ve never used macros before and think they aren’t your thing, this episode is for you.

• (1:45) What are Macros? Resources to Get You Started
• (3:30) Why Use Macros?
• (6:30) My Top Three Favorite Macros
• (10:39) Join the Macros Workshop Inside the Freelance Editors Club

• Word Macro Tools
• Paul Beverley’s YouTube Channel
• Paul Beverley’s blog
• Editorial Freelancers Association 
• Macro of the Month by Jennifer Yankopolus

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

Are you looking to make small changes with big impact in your editing business? In this episode, we’re talking about how editors can create habits that make their businesses better with the Tiny Habits® Method. This isn’t about creating tons of to-do lists and optimizing every second of your life—it’s about forming achievable habits you look forward to completing because they help your business run smoother and make you feel good. 

Listen in as I share how I figured out I needed to start small with basically everything in my life, including habits. We’re also going to talk about the concept of habits and the habit-forming method that works best for me. As always, take what works for you from this episode and leave or tweak the rest.

• (1:16) Small Changes Equal Big Results
• (4:48) The Tiny Habits® Method
• (7:29) Three Tiny Habits® Recipes for Editors
• (13:23) Emotions Create Habits
• (17:05) Tiny is Powerful

• Tiny Habits
• Tiny Habits® book
• Rest is Resistance book

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

If you’re anything like me, you know the impact that conferences (both in-person and virtual) can make on your business and education, yet as an introvert, it takes a bit of preparation. As I gear up for an online summit, I want to share a few tips to not only prepare for an event and manage your energy during the event, but also get the most out of the event.

Note: This is from the perspective of a neurotypical introvert. Everyone’s experiences are going to be unique, and I’m simply sharing what works for me!

• 00:17 - Prepping for a Conference as an Introvert
• 02:09 - Set Aside Time to Recharge
• 06:22 - Set Your Priorities
• 08:41 - Check Your Tech
• 11:00 - Remember Your Manners
• 11:28 - Ask Questions
• 13:21 - Follow Up After

• CMOS
• Women in Publishing Summit

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• Book a 1:1 coaching session

If you’re anything like me, there are times when you’ve been deep in your editing cave. In those heavy editing times, I always find myself reaching for my trusty Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) to confirm my work. With so many rules, it’s impossible to remember them all, but there are some I check all. the. time. In this episode, I’m sharing the five rules I always double-check while editing.

This episode was recorded in January 2025, after the release of CMOS 18 in September 2024. All references made are based on CMOS 18.

For fun: Are you constantly in your editing cave? Check out my sticker pack that includes my signature editing cave sticker!

• (3:20) CMOS Hyphenation Guide
• (5:57) Glossary of Problematic Words and Phrases
• (8:01) Titles and Offices
• (9:14) Commas
• (10:36) Possessives

• CMOS
• The Editing Sticker Pack

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

There’s an emotional side to taking breaks from work that not enough people talk about. The truth is that we’re so used to working (and feeling guilty when we don’t) that our brains fight us every step of the way. We end up either never taking breaks or taking breaks that aren’t restorative. 

How do you prepare your mindset to take the break you deserve as both a small business owner and a human?

• (1:37) My Experience With Taking Breaks
• (4:35) Rest is a Right 
• (7:04) Rest Doesn’t Cancel Out Hard Work
• (8:24) Explore Your Mindset Around Taking Breaks

• Rest is Resistance book

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• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session