I recently opened a side business for developmental editing since I love dissecting stories and finding ways to make them stronger. Many authors have supplemental income because writing books is not always a lucrative business. While I think that is smart, that isn’t why I opened my editing business. I’ve learned that, despite how many books I read on the writing craft, I can’t improve unless I write and get feedback on that writing. Others have helped me hone my skills, and I want to pay it forward. So, I decided to take on a handful of manuscripts every year in the hopes that I can help those authors create more complete stories.
Creating An Editing Business
As I embarked on this new editing journey, I had to figure out how to structure my business. If you’re considering an editing business as well, here are some major points you’ll need to consider before opening for clients.
1. Website
First and foremost, you need to have an online presence. I created a new webpage on my author website for it. If you want to keep your editor and author business separate, you can create a website for each, but since this is only a side business, I opted to keep them joined.
On your webpage, you’ll need to clearly spell out what services you offer. There are different levels of editing (line editing, developmental editing, proofreading, etc.) so make sure you do your research and choose what sounds most interesting.
After you pick your services, lay out what the author can expect from you and the fees. Some editors don’t list their fees upfront, but I find this to be off-putting. No one wants to invest their sparse time in an editor if they can’t afford the service. If you have an impressive background of working with high-level authors, you might get away with not listing your fees. However, I wouldn’t advise it for everyone.
One more thing you should put on your website is testimonials from other authors. If you haven’t had a client yet, use author friends who have received feedback from you and found it useful. I’d recommend at least three testimonials, but no more than ten or it feels too crowded.
2. Ideal Customer
The next thing you need to figure out is what type of clients you will accept. You may only want to work with first-time authors or memoirs. You also need to have an idea about how many customers you can take in a certain time period. Maybe it’s one a month or six a year. Just make sure you have the time to complete your work. The last thing you want is to take on jobs and be late delivering results.
Once you have ideal customers in mind, you’ll need to figure out how to make sure those applying for your services meet those terms. You can list what genres you edit on your website and then ask them to give you certain information when they contact you about a job. You want to make sure you have the right expertise to help them achieve their goals.
3. Written Agreement
I strongly suggest you have a written agreement prepared and then signed by the client before you start working. It’s a sure way to lay out the terms of service so both parties know what to expect. It also allows both of you assurance that the job is kept professional. I’ve heard from other editors that most disputes are handled amicably. However, if you have to go to court for some reason, it’s smart to have something written and signed that shows the terms.
4. Payments
Another thing you need to set up before taking on clients is a payment method. I chose to use PayPal since it’s the most trusted and recommended online payment service. It’s user-friendly, versatile, and the cost to use is not high. However, if you want to look into some other options, I’ve heard good things about Stripe, Square, and Authorize.net. Regardless of what you choose, make sure you can create invoices and receipts for your records and your client’s.
5. Follow Up Services
The last thing you need to think about for an editing business is your follow-up services. Will you answer any questions they have via email? Can they have a phone call or video call with you to discuss the manuscript? Will you do another round of edits for them if they pay again or will you only review a manuscript once? If you will do it more than once, will the next round of edits be at a discounted price? These are all things to think about before the questions are asked. Obviously, you can change how you do edits as your gain experience, but it’s good to have a format to follow while you’re getting settled into the routine.
Final Thoughts
Not every author will want to get into an editing business, and not every editor will want to do the same type of edits. If this sounds like a fun side job for you though, I hope these steps help you form a solid plan before you begin. Everything is flexible and can change, but you need to be as professional as possible up front if you plan to be paid for your services. Most of all though, I just hope you have fun helping other authors fulfill their dreams!
Thanks for reading!
Write a tale
Leave a trail
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