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Russell Harper of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) talks about the changes to the 18th edition.
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Online editing training course
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Classification in UK
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VAT must be charged to UK customers?
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EXAMPLE 1
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Digital service
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Yes
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EXAMPLE 2
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Not a digital service
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No
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EXAMPLE 3
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Probably not a digital service
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Probably no
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EXAMPLE 4
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Possibly not a digital service
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Possibly no
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EXAMPLE 5
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Nebulous
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Nebulous
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Your online course and the tax authority in other jurisdictions
So you’ve worked out what the deal is for your own jurisdiction. However, when it comes to selling globally, where you live is irrelevant when it comes to consumption taxes like VAT.
Anyone offering online courses in a global market must know where their customer lives. And it’s the tax authority’s rules in the customer’s jurisdiction that determine whether we need to add a consumption tax to the price.
Which can be a monumental barrier for sole-trading editors and proofreaders. Why? because here's what we need to take responsibility for.
Our consumption tax responsibilities
Small-business owners selling digital products and services internationally must have a mechanism in place to:
That list is enough to deter any small-business owner from sharing their knowledge and charging for it. Which is a crying shame because the editorial community is passionate about training and CPD.
And the fact is that most of us don’t have the time or skills to do this work – unless we decide we're not actually going to be editors and trainers anymore, but full-time accountants instead.
Nor can we afford to hire an expensive specialist tax accountant who will do this for us – unless we want the entire exercise to become unprofitable.
So what do we do?
Anyone offering online courses in a global market must know where their customer lives. And it’s the tax authority’s rules in the customer’s jurisdiction that determine whether we need to add a consumption tax to the price.
Which can be a monumental barrier for sole-trading editors and proofreaders. Why? because here's what we need to take responsibility for.
Our consumption tax responsibilities
Small-business owners selling digital products and services internationally must have a mechanism in place to:
- ensure that our customers provide the necessary jurisdiction data on our invoices
- allow our customers to exempt themselves from the tax where appropriate
- calculate the appropriate tax rate for every customer
- review that tax rate regularly (because they change!)
- collect the tax from the customer
- remit the collected tax to every single relevant tax authority. That's right. Every single one.
That list is enough to deter any small-business owner from sharing their knowledge and charging for it. Which is a crying shame because the editorial community is passionate about training and CPD.
And the fact is that most of us don’t have the time or skills to do this work – unless we decide we're not actually going to be editors and trainers anymore, but full-time accountants instead.
Nor can we afford to hire an expensive specialist tax accountant who will do this for us – unless we want the entire exercise to become unprofitable.
So what do we do?
The solution: Find a taxation-friendly training platform
There is a solution. Training platforms are increasingly offering tax support to their trainers. When evaluating a training platform for its taxation-friendliness, it’s critical that we understand the concept of the Merchant of Record.
What is a Merchant of Record?
A Merchant of Record is the legal entity that usually:
When we choose a training platform that acts as the Merchant of Record, or includes a third-party integration that does the same, that leaves us free to get on with the business of editorial training rather than worrying about whether we’re tax compliant in every part of the world we’re selling to.
If the platform doesn't offer that, we're the Merchants of Record, and the buck's back with us.
What’s on offer?
Some training platforms are partial Merchants of Record. PayHip, for example, calculates, collects and remits VAT in the UK and Europe for me as a UK resident. However, I’m responsible for the tax compliance in all other jurisdictions ... Cue the worry.
Some training platforms include integrations that calculate the tax but don’t collect or remit it. That’s on us or our (expensive) specialist tax accountants. LearnWorlds is an example. The Quaderno app calculates what we owe to whom, but we have to do the rest ... Cue the worry.
Some training platforms act as full Merchants of Record, meaning they calculate, collect and remit all the tax for all jurisdictions. Teachable is an example ... And relax!
What is a Merchant of Record?
A Merchant of Record is the legal entity that usually:
- calculates the appropriate rate of tax that needs to be added to a purchase of your course
- updates that rate of tax rate in your payment gateway when necessary
- collects that tax from your customer
- remits it to the tax authority in the appropriate jurisdiction.
When we choose a training platform that acts as the Merchant of Record, or includes a third-party integration that does the same, that leaves us free to get on with the business of editorial training rather than worrying about whether we’re tax compliant in every part of the world we’re selling to.
If the platform doesn't offer that, we're the Merchants of Record, and the buck's back with us.
What’s on offer?
Some training platforms are partial Merchants of Record. PayHip, for example, calculates, collects and remits VAT in the UK and Europe for me as a UK resident. However, I’m responsible for the tax compliance in all other jurisdictions ... Cue the worry.
Some training platforms include integrations that calculate the tax but don’t collect or remit it. That’s on us or our (expensive) specialist tax accountants. LearnWorlds is an example. The Quaderno app calculates what we owe to whom, but we have to do the rest ... Cue the worry.
Some training platforms act as full Merchants of Record, meaning they calculate, collect and remit all the tax for all jurisdictions. Teachable is an example ... And relax!
Where I host my editorial training courses
I now host my editorial training courses with Teachable for seven reasons:
Note that at the time of writing, trainers wanting to offer PayPal as a payment gateway in Teachable must set their course prices in US dollars.
Teachable is right for me, but any editor or proofreader embarking on online course creation should do their own research. Most platforms offer a free trial so you can get a feel for the setup, functionality and branding options.
- It acts as a full Merchant of Record, meaning I can focus on course creation rather than worrying about tax compliance.
- The platform is super user-friendly for me and my students.
- Teachable has a gorgeous app (iOS and Android), which is fantastic for students who want mobile access. Download it from your usual app store.
- I can brand my content appropriately.
- Multiple editorial trainers use Teachable, which means students can access our schools via a single platform.
- I can now offer payment plans that allow my students to spread the cost.
- And there's a bundles option that lets me offer you access to multiple courses ... and with big discounts!
Note that at the time of writing, trainers wanting to offer PayPal as a payment gateway in Teachable must set their course prices in US dollars.
Teachable is right for me, but any editor or proofreader embarking on online course creation should do their own research. Most platforms offer a free trial so you can get a feel for the setup, functionality and branding options.
Summing up: What to consider
- Creating and delivering online courses for editors and proofreaders has never been easier thanks to the growing number of platforms with user-friendly interfaces and multimedia functionality.
- What’s not so easy is the tax-compliance element. Many of the providers haven’t yet woken up to the implications for small-business owners operating in a global marketplace with complex and ever-changing tax rules.
- If you’re planning to teach online, make sure you understand the differences in tax rules for courses with a live component and courses that are self-directed, not just in your own jurisdiction but elsewhere too. Also bear in mind that what constitutes live tutoring might be nebulous.
- And, finally, if you decide to head down the self-directed training route, and your preferred platform isn’t offering a full Merchant of Record service, think carefully about who’s going to do that work and how much it will cost.
Related resources
- Check out my courses, their payment plans, and discounted bundles.
- Visit my Skills and training resource page to access free guidance.
- Find out how to log in and access courses you've already purchased.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
Find out why editorial conferences are worth attending for every editor and proofreader.
Summary of Episode 97
Listen to find out more about:
- Why even experienced editors need to learn
- How to use a conference to make a contribution to the profession
- Meeting other editors
- Having fun with colleagues and friends
Related resources
- 6 tips to help you speak in public with confidence. By Simon Raybould
- Editorial training without borders: Should you bother with international editing conferences?
- Organizing an editorial conference. With Beth Hamer
- Speaking at editing conferences: How to do it and love it
- Why editors and proofreaders should be networking
Join our Patreon community
If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
Music credit
'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
Summary of Episode 88
Think proofreading or editing would be a good side hustle? Two professional editors tell you what you need to know so you don't make mistakes. Listen to find out more about:
- What a side hustle is and why it's popular
- Why there's resistance to the term 'side hustle' in the professional editorial community
- Whether an editorial business can be set up overnight
- The importance of skilling up and marketing
- The competition side hustlers have to deal with
- The different levels of editing
- How to find work
- Business-critical considerations
Join our Patreon community
If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us. There are two tiers to choose from:
- EditPod Tea Pot: Buy us a cuppa and help keep the podcast ad-free and independent.
- EditPod Tea Party: All of the above, plus you get exclusive access to quarterly live Q&As that help you keep your business on track.
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
Thinking about writing a book for editors and proofreaders? Find out how Brittany Dowdle and Linda Ruggeri navigated their authorial collaboration.
Summary of Episode 86
In this episode, Louise, Denise and their guests chat about:
- Networking for Freelance Editors: Intended readership
- Challenging assumptions about networking
- Why write a book?
- Writing for editors: The burden of scrutiny
- Co-authorship: Syncing schedules
- Working efficiently and productively
- The power of collaboration
- The importance of trust in a writing partnership
- Book-creation process: Beyond writing
- Tips for editors who want to write a book
Useful links and resources
- Find out more about the book: Networking for Freelance Editors
- The Networking for Freelance Editors website
- FREE downloadable networking worksheets
- Contact Brittany Dowdle
- Contact Linda Ruggeri
Join our Patreon community
If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us. There are two tiers to choose from:
- EditPod Tea Pot: Buy us a cuppa and help keep the podcast ad-free and independent.
- EditPod Tea Party: All of the above, plus you get exclusive access to quarterly live Q&As that help you keep your business on track.
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
Learn about the power of networking with Brittany Dowdle and Linda Ruggeri, two professional editors who've honed the art of building relationships and exchanging ideas to grow their businesses.
Summary of Episode 84
Brittany Dowdle and Linda Ruggeri chat with Louise and Denise about:
- Networking for Freelance Editors (book)
- Personality types and networking
- Positive outcomes from networking
- Organic vs salesy approaches to networking
- The power of volunteering
- Top tips for networking
Useful links and resources
|
|
Join our Patreon community
If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us. There are two tiers to choose from:
- EditPod Tea Pot: Buy us a cuppa and help keep the podcast ad-free and independent.
- EditPod Tea Party: All of the above, plus you get exclusive access to quarterly live Q&As that help you keep your business on track.
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
A common stumbling block for editorial business owners is making time for marketing. Here’s why we must make time, and some resources to help you organize your business-promotion schedule.
What’s in this post …
Read on to find out more about:
- Why running a business means finding clients
- Working for others – being an employee
- Working on your business and in your business
- Setting up a business and marketing: The order of play
- Shifting from a no-time mindset to an all-the-time mindset
- Taking a strategic approach to marketing
Why running a business means finding clients
Every time an editor or proofreader says they don’t have time to build and implement a marketing strategy, they’re saying they don’t have time to find work.
None of us can run a business if there’s no business to run. Editing and proofreading work is essential. Otherwise we’re nothing more than a fancy title on a business card.
If marketing isn’t a part of your business model, it’s time either to work for someone else or shift your mindset.
None of us can run a business if there’s no business to run. Editing and proofreading work is essential. Otherwise we’re nothing more than a fancy title on a business card.
If marketing isn’t a part of your business model, it’s time either to work for someone else or shift your mindset.
Working for others – being an employee
There’s nothing wrong with being an employee. For some it’s a more suitable career choice. Unless you apply for a job in the marketing department, it will be someone else’s responsibility to do the company’s promotional work, to pull in the clients.
If you want to do your own thing, however, a commitment to business marketing must be part of the mix. That’s the difference between being self-employed and self-unemployed.
If you want to do your own thing, however, a commitment to business marketing must be part of the mix. That’s the difference between being self-employed and self-unemployed.
Working on your business and in your business
Every independent editorial business owner has two jobs:
There’s no way around this. The approach we use to find work will depend on who our target clients are. Think social media, content marketing, advertising, directory listings, professional membership, a visible website, letters, emails, networking, phone calls, and SEO. All or some of these will be in play.
If a no-time mindset is tripping you up, ask yourself whether you can imagine saying any of the following:
Those statements sound daft, don’t they? Of course we’d make time for editing, invoicing and checking spelling! We’re professionals and we’re business owners – those things are essential.
Finding work is just as important. If we don’t, there’s no editing to do, no invoices to send, no spellings to check.
Since we’re employers (of ourselves), not employees, we must do our own marketing, right from the get-go, and continue to do it for as long as we’re in business.
- The work they do
- And the work they do to get the work they do
There’s no way around this. The approach we use to find work will depend on who our target clients are. Think social media, content marketing, advertising, directory listings, professional membership, a visible website, letters, emails, networking, phone calls, and SEO. All or some of these will be in play.
If a no-time mindset is tripping you up, ask yourself whether you can imagine saying any of the following:
- I don’t have time to do editing.
- I don’t have time to send invoices.
- I don’t have time to check the spelling of a word in a dictionary.
Those statements sound daft, don’t they? Of course we’d make time for editing, invoicing and checking spelling! We’re professionals and we’re business owners – those things are essential.
Finding work is just as important. If we don’t, there’s no editing to do, no invoices to send, no spellings to check.
Since we’re employers (of ourselves), not employees, we must do our own marketing, right from the get-go, and continue to do it for as long as we’re in business.
Setting up a business and marketing: The order of play
Marketing doesn’t come after we’ve set up our business. That’s a misfire. It views marketing as if it’s a separate entity.
If we spend 12 months training to be a professional editor but dedicate no time to our marketing strategy, all we’ll have at the end is a skillset that’s invisible to everyone but us.
I know how to make lasagne, change a tyre, and remove a thorn from a Labrador’s paw, but those skills in themselves don’t mean people are offering me work as a chef, a mechanic or a veterinary nurse. Why would they? No one but me, my husband, my kid and my dog know I can do that stuff. I’ve not promoted those skills or set up a business around them (nor do I plan to, just in case you’re wondering!).
If you’re serious about becoming a professional editor, so much so that you’ve invested your hard-earned cash in a high-quality training course, start working on your marketing strategy at the same time so that you don’t end up as a professional thumb-twiddler!
If we spend 12 months training to be a professional editor but dedicate no time to our marketing strategy, all we’ll have at the end is a skillset that’s invisible to everyone but us.
I know how to make lasagne, change a tyre, and remove a thorn from a Labrador’s paw, but those skills in themselves don’t mean people are offering me work as a chef, a mechanic or a veterinary nurse. Why would they? No one but me, my husband, my kid and my dog know I can do that stuff. I’ve not promoted those skills or set up a business around them (nor do I plan to, just in case you’re wondering!).
If you’re serious about becoming a professional editor, so much so that you’ve invested your hard-earned cash in a high-quality training course, start working on your marketing strategy at the same time so that you don’t end up as a professional thumb-twiddler!
Shifting from a no-time mindset to an all-the-time mindset
Whatever marketing approach(es) you choose, do them regularly so that they’re a normal part of editorial business ownership.
Invoicing and tax returns are my least favourite aspects of running a business but I do them anyway. I have to. We all do.
Same thing with marketing. You don’t have to love marketing. You don’t even have to like it. Just do it anyway, all the time. Dedicate time in your business week to the task.
Every time you’re tempted to use that slot in your schedule to do something else, remind yourself that you don’t want to be self-unemployed, that you do want to earn a living from your editing business, and that when the client cupboard is bare it makes you feel miserable and stressed.
Invoicing and tax returns are my least favourite aspects of running a business but I do them anyway. I have to. We all do.
Same thing with marketing. You don’t have to love marketing. You don’t even have to like it. Just do it anyway, all the time. Dedicate time in your business week to the task.
Every time you’re tempted to use that slot in your schedule to do something else, remind yourself that you don’t want to be self-unemployed, that you do want to earn a living from your editing business, and that when the client cupboard is bare it makes you feel miserable and stressed.
Taking a strategic approach to marketing
Here are three things every editor needs to recognize about strategy:
A long-term marketing strategy is planned, targeted, and implemented continuously. That’s what keeps the cupboard full of good-fit clients, and what gives us the power to decide a project’s not a good fit, the price isn’t right, or the scheduling’s too tight.
- ‘I'd better do a bit of marketing because I’ve got no work lined up next month’ is not a strategy. It’s an emergency.
- ‘Great! I just got some work for next month so I don’t have to do any marketing for a while’ is not a strategy. It’s a recipe for a future emergency.
- ‘I’ll accept that horrible low-paid job because it’s better than nothing’ is not a strategy. It’s a business model that puts others in control.
A long-term marketing strategy is planned, targeted, and implemented continuously. That’s what keeps the cupboard full of good-fit clients, and what gives us the power to decide a project’s not a good fit, the price isn’t right, or the scheduling’s too tight.
Summing up
If you’re already marketing your editing business, fantastic. If you’re not, start now and don’t stop!
You don’t have to do your marketing the way I do my marketing. The foundation of my strategy is content marketing, but that’s because I work exclusively with independent authors in a specialist genre, and want those authors to find me via Google.
Your marketing strategy should reflect the best method of being visible to your ideal clients. That might mean sending emails, making phones calls, engaging in a group or forum, or advertising in a particular space.
And even if you don’t like marketing, make it part of your business practice anyway. Place it alongside the other aspects of your business that you’re obliged to do but would rather not. Why? Because marketing can mean the difference between working and walking away. If you’ve already invested your energy and money in training, that’s a waste of your valuable skills. You deserve more than that.
And who knows? You might even enjoy promoting your business once you start reaping the fruits of your labour!
You don’t have to do your marketing the way I do my marketing. The foundation of my strategy is content marketing, but that’s because I work exclusively with independent authors in a specialist genre, and want those authors to find me via Google.
Your marketing strategy should reflect the best method of being visible to your ideal clients. That might mean sending emails, making phones calls, engaging in a group or forum, or advertising in a particular space.
And even if you don’t like marketing, make it part of your business practice anyway. Place it alongside the other aspects of your business that you’re obliged to do but would rather not. Why? Because marketing can mean the difference between working and walking away. If you’ve already invested your energy and money in training, that’s a waste of your valuable skills. You deserve more than that.
And who knows? You might even enjoy promoting your business once you start reaping the fruits of your labour!
More marketing resources
Check out these additional resources about building a sustainable editorial business:
- Blogging for Business Growth (course)
- Branding for Business Growth (course)
- Business Skills Collection (6 ebooks)
- Marketing resource library (books, booklets and blogs and podcasts)
- Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
- Marketing Your Editing and Proofreading Business (book)
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
- Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
- Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Learn: Books and courses
- Discover: Resources for authors and editors
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