|
Does standing up in front of a room full of editors and speaking to them terrify you? I know that feeling. Still, I learned how to love it just enough to enable me to do it. In this article I explain how.
Let’s talk about nerves
I haven’t conquered my nerves about speaking at editing conferences, but that’s okay. Nerves are normal, even for presentations experts like my friend Simon Raybould.
More on him later, but for now it’s enough to say that feeling nervous is not the same as suffering from a level of anxiety that renders you unable to step out of your comfort zone and try something that could push your editing business forward. Pushing your business forward
Speaking at editing conferences will push your business forward. You’ll get yourself seen and heard. People will understand more about who you are, what you specialize in, and what you stand for (your brand).
That will lead to opportunities: work referrals, awareness about courses or books that you offer, discounts on the conference registration price (even payment for some gigs), and invitations to speak at other conferences taking place in cities that require a little more effort to get to. Take me. I live in Norfolk (the UK one). in 2018 I was invited to speak at the Society for Editors and Proofreader’s mini-conference in Toronto. It was a massive honour to be invited. I got to talk about my two editorial passions – fiction and marketing! In 2016, I’d probably have shied away from doing this, despite the opportunity to hang out with my favourite Canadians (and a few of my favourite Americans). The words ‘I’m busy’ would have flown from my mouth just in time to curb the nausea. In 2017, I might have agreed to do it as long as I was sharing the spotlight with a pal, though the thought would still have made me queasy. But by 2018 and, to my surprise, I was more than happy to fly solo. One way to learn not to hate it
Terror had turned to tolerance because I changed one thing: I dumped the script.
This is where I get to talk about Simon again, because he’s the person responsible for making me love speaking at editing conferences. In May 2018, he wrote a blog post for me called 6 tips to help you speak in public with confidence. Tip 4 asks us not to use a script. I was gobsmacked. There was no way in hell I’d dare stand up in front of a group of my peers without having every word of my presentation memorized! We had a long chat about it over Skype, and by the end of that conversation he’d convinced me it was worth testing. And so when the CIEP conference director asked me to do a two-hour session, on my own, at the annual conference in Lancaster, I promised her I would. And I promised myself I’d do it without a script. 3 snags with scripts
Scripts are inherently problematic.
Snag 1: They take time to learn, especially if you’re going to be talking for an hour. Unless you have a brilliant memory. Which I don’t. Snag 2: They’re hard to remember. If they were easy to remember, more of us would be on the stage. Which I’m not. Snag 3: They’re difficult to deliver well. If they were easy to deliver well, more of us would have Oscars and BAFTAs. Which I don’t. No wonder so many of us cringe at the thought of speaking at editing conferences. Even if we manage to learn the damn script, what are the chances that we’ll remember it, given how nervous we are? And if we’re uptight about remembering, what are the chances that we’re going to deliver our script in a way that’s engaging and informative? This is the kind of stuff that’s always been in my head when I think about presenting. All of which can be summed up as follows: at what point will I fail? Going scriptless
You can’t fluff a script that doesn’t exist. That in itself gets rid of snags 1 and 2. All you can do is talk about the thing you’ve agreed to talk about.
We’re not in the pub or having lunch with our mates, so we still need a structure. I am not a perfect presenter, not by any stretch. But I have embraced an approach that means I will present, and I will enjoy it. This is how I do it:
Because you’re talking rather than delivering a script, you’ll sound more natural. And because you can’t forget any of the key learning points, you’ll feel more relaxed. That’s snag 3 dealt with. There are caveats, of course. You must know your stuff. And you should rehearse. Each rehearsal will be different because you don’t have a script, but you will prove to yourself that you can talk through every one of the key learning points. Being imperfect – audience expectations
Will you stumble if you’re scriptless? Maybe. Probably. I stumbled several times in Lancaster. But I loved every minute of that workshop. I felt relaxed, and as I talked I was in the moment, not tuned into the next thing I needed to remember.
And the delegates gave me some amazing feedback. That they enjoyed it is the most important thing of all. I’m sold on scriptlessness! Plus, having a script doesn’t mean you won’t stumble. You’re human, after all. The difference is that when you’re scriptless, you get to stumble just because you stumbled, not because you forgot anything important or because you were distracted by the pressure of having to remember what’s up next. Here’s something Simon told me during our Skype chat: Your audience will forgive you if you trip up over a word. Your audience will forgive you if you stammer. Your audience will forgive you if you fluff a line and have to restart the sentence and explain something in a different way. Your audience will forgive you for just being an editor rather than a TED Talk speaker. What your audience will not forgive is your failing to deliver the key learning points that you promised you would ... for wasting their time. At the larger editing conferences, delegates have to choose which sessions to attend. So I know that when someone chooses to come to mine, they’re probably missing at least two workshops they’d have learned something valuable from. That I don’t teach them what I promised is unacceptable. And that is the only way I can fail. About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
10 Comments
If speaking in public gives you the heebie-jeebies, professional presenter Simon Raybould has some advice that will improve your performance and calm your nerves.
Over to Simon … 
A good presentation will change someone’s mind
You edit words for a living, right? It’s a cool job, I admit, and not one I could conceivably aspire to.
As someone once put it, 'Simon, being your proofreader must be like being Seán McGowan’s dentist.’ And yes, it’s true. She once sent me an email with the words ‘… first paragraph alone! Are you doing it on purpose? Are you trying to annoy me?’ But I think I have an even more cool option for you. Instead of editing words, why not edit minds? I’m not talking about some sci-fi concept – it’s what I do for a living. A good presentation will change someone’s mind ... and with it, their world. A good presentation is a form of telepathy – sending ideas from your mind to someone else’s. The upsides are awesome, but the downsides are pretty serious too:
But all is not lost – there are cures … or at least things that will help. Here are a few quick-to-master ideas and tools that will help you to present at conferences (or anywhere else) with confidence. Some are easy, some are harder, but all of them work. 1. The least popular tool – just doing it
Let’s start with the least popular option.
When I ask people why they want to be confident, I often receive answers such as ‘If I were confident I’d be able to XYZ.’ And that’s great – they have a specific thing in mind. What’s not so great is that they seem to think that confidence alone will mean they don’t have to invest time in doing XYZ. I’m going to be blunt … you can’t shortcut your way to confidence. Don’t try to get confident before you do something. You can only get confident by doing that thing. Think about how you learned to ride a bike. Did you look at it, thinking, Cool! What an awesome bike. As soon as I’m a confident cyclist I’ll hop right on and go for rides in the hills? Nope. What you did was sit on it, fall off, get back on, fall off, get back on … and so on. Presenting is like that. Of course, with bikes you have stabilizers (and parents) holding you up. Stick with the analogy for a moment and figure out how you can make presentations in safer ways and places – stabilizers, as it were. How about making presentations under the following conditions:
I’m sure you get the idea. To mix my movement metaphors … don’t run before you can walk. 2. Know what success looks like
We all know what could go wrong, right? People might laugh at us; we could fall off the stage; cold sweat might drip down our backs or melt our mascara.
And that’s the thing… we know what the bad things look like. But what about success? Not fainting on stage doesn’t count. Things like this count:
Define it. After all, if all you can identify is failure, that’s what you’ll concentrate on. But if you can define success, you stand a chance of concentrating on that instead. (Defining success also helps you to design your conference presentation more effectively. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, you’re more likely to omit core material.) 3. Sentence zero ... the breathing tool
When we’re scared, we breathe from the top of our lungs. Air comes out in a rush, making our voices sound thinner, breathier and – frankly – less authoritative.
Hold that thought in your head for a moment and think about this: Lots of people tell me that once they get going in a presentation, things get better. So the important thing is to start well, right? Right. If you can control your breathing at the start, things are going to go better. Sentence zero is a handy tool for doing just that. Get the very first sentence of your presentation straight in your head. Be specific. For now, let’s pretend that Sentence One is ‘Hello, my name is Simon.’ Now think of a sentence that could go before it, finishing with the word ‘and’. For now, let’s pretend it’s 'Goodness, what a hideous lime green that back wall is, and …' We’ll call this Sentence Zero. Now, as you start your presentation, say Sentence Zero+Sentence One in one breath, but only use your voice for Sentence One. What that means is that your audience only hears Sentence One but you’ve already used the high-pressure, anxiety-sounding breath from the top of your lungs on the silent Sentence Zero.
4. Ditch the script
Writing is difficult. That’s why authors need you, right? So what on earth makes you think you can write a script for your presentation?
If it was that easy, we’d all be writing massively successful West End and Broadway plays. Don’t try. Instead, define your structure.
Then, when you stand up to present, use the keywords as markers around which you improvise. Trust me, you’ll sound more natural and be much, much more interesting. Plus, you won’t spend time worrying about the massive confidence-drainer that is 'Did I get the wording absolutely right according to the script?' As an aside, the answer is no. No one does unless they’re RSC-grade actors. What you’ll lose in the occasional fumble you’ll more than gain in sounding more relaxed and natural. Plus, you won’t commit the ultimate presenter’s sin of using Latin words. It’s an over-simplification but we’re more likely write using the Latin-orientated words (‘commence’ rather than ‘start’) and speak using the Saxon versions (‘guts’ rather than ‘intestines’). Ditching the script means you don’t speak like a textbook. 5. Wasp-swatting: The power of the list
A while ago, my team and I sat down for a meeting. Pizza and wine might have been involved. One of the things we asked each other was what made us nervous.
It turned out that about one-third of our conference nerves came not from the presentation but from the logistics that went with it.
Logisitical/trivial problems are like wasps. One seems manageable. A swarm’s a different matter. Each issue might be negligible on its own, but all of them together have a noticeable impact. Similarly, each on its own is easily dealt with, but taken together the problem loses its perspective. The solution is simple: a list. At least two weeks in advance of the conference, create a simple checklist – one line for every issue. For example, I don’t have a 'cables' tick box on my list; I have entry for the power cable, another for the VGA adaptor, and another for the HDMI adaptor, and so on. Before you go live, check the list. That way, when it’s time to perform, you can do so confident that you’ve not forgotten anything. It also frees up the parts of your brain you’d otherwise have wasted on trying to remember things. 6. Practice and rehearsal
This is so fundamental it probably shouldn't come last. It also needs the fewest words.
You will perform better if you go over your presentation and practise improvising using your keywords. Wrapping up
There’s a lot more you can do to conquer your nerves – ideas range from breathing techniques to standing in certain positions – but these are good starting points. So go change the world and edit people’s heads!
Want to know more?
Simon's a presentations expert and productivity guru. If you want to get in touch beforehand, here's what you need:
If you’re an editor or proofreader who finds marketing your business overwhelming, here are 6 ideas to help you rethink your mindset and pull you out of the mire.
Problematic perceptions and inspiration
Past discussions with colleagues on social media made me realize two things:
It made me sad to think that some of my colleagues could be negatively affected by those of us who find marketing easier or who enjoy it more. If you're one of those who's struggling, this article is for you. It looks at the perceptions that might be triggering your discomfort and offers you new ways of thinking about each problem so that you can move forward. If you want a reminder to pin on your wall, download the infographic at the bottom of the post. Or download the free PDF booklet to your preferred device. Perception 1: It shouldn’t be done unless you can do it perfectly
Striving for perfectionism can end up suffocating some editors. Not being able to do marketing perfectly and completely stops them from starting it. And so nothing gets done.
Here are five examples that reflect the truth of the matter:
I've been blogging since 2011 but it took me seven years to get around to uploading an identifying banner. I’m confident that my audience will forgive me. Those who won’t are likely not my audience. If you’re someone who finds themselves falling into this trap, give yourself a break, please. Everyone else will. Social media profiles can be tweaked, banners can be uploaded, testimonials can be added, and headshots can be updated. In fact, everything about your marketing strategy can be amended, deleted or completely rethought whenever you wish. Ask yourself this: When you edit for a client, do you guarantee perfection? Do you think it’s even possible? I don’t. One reason is that much of what I do depends on brief, style, preference or voice. Editing work isn’t an exact science. I have some good news for you – nor is effective marketing.
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 1
You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to do it. Perception 2: Everyone else is doing way more than you
It might look like everyone is doing more than you, but the reality is probably different. A colleague once told me: ‘I know how hard you work on marketing. I can tell by how many posts you write and share on LinkedIn each day.’
I do share multiple blog articles throughout the day on social media, seven days a week, 365 days a year. A few of them feature new content. The others are reshares of older content that I hope my community will be interested in if they missed them the first time around. And people might well have missed them given how busy social feeds with ever-changing algorithms are. That’s why many editors reshare their older content. Those of us who’ve been blogging for years have a lot of content banked, which means we have plenty to share. If you’re starting out on your blogging journey, you’ll have a smaller bank. And that’s absolutely fine! It’s not a numbers game; it’s a content-delivery game. If you have older blog posts, reshare them. If you don’t, wait until you do and then reshare. And if you'd rather write an article every two weeks, or once a month, that's your choice too. It matters not that I’m sharing X articles and you’re sharing Y. What matters is that we’re delivering articles that will solve our colleagues’ and clients’ problems, and making our businesses more visible. Don’t waste precious time worrying about how many I share. Those are mine and for me to worry about. You need to think only about how to promote your content because that's what will drive traffic to your website.
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 2
Focus on delivery not numerical comparisons. All that’s relevant is what you do for your business. Perception 3: Some editors don’t do any marketing but have loads of work anyway
Marketing has many faces.
Remember my multiple blog-post shares? Those are part of a strategy to make me discoverable online and appealing to self-publishing authors of fiction. What I do with my blog is a very visible form of marketing because the international editorial community is active on social media, and I use social media as one delivery tool for my blog content. But what if an editor has a different target client base? Imagine Dan. He’s a copyeditor who specializes in social science books. His primary client base is publishers. Last week he did the following:
None of this marketing activity has been tweeted, liked, shared or commented on. No one knows what Dan was up to last week. However, it’s excellent, targeted promotion, and worth every minute he spent on it. What one editor does to put themselves in front of potential clients will not necessarily mirror what another is doing. An editor whose schedule is full but who doesn’t appear to be busy with marketing is likely promoting their services in less visible but just as powerful ways. None of us is handed work. We have to find it, or enable it to find us. Perhaps the marketing work you need to do is not about blogging, vlogging, tweeting or chatting. Maybe it’s about making a telephone call, attending a networking group, writing an email, sending a letter, or advertising in appropriate spaces.
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 3
Follow your own path. Marketing doesn’t have to be shiny and out there. Good marketing focuses on your business and clients not your colleagues’. Perception 4: Unlike everyone else, you don’t have anything to show off about
Think you don't have anything to show off about? I bet you do!
Think about all the things you've ever done as an editorial professional. Perhaps they include some of the following:
All of those things are achievements. And anything that takes our businesses forward is worth celebrating. I’m good at holding a list of my wins in my head but you might prefer to keep a physical record of your achievements. You don’t need anything fancy – a spreadsheet, a notebook or a space on your wall for Post-it notes. Then, when the overwhelm hits, look at that spreadsheet, notebook or wall, and remind yourself of all that you’ve achieved. That focuses attention on what’s been done rather than what’s left to do.
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 4
Record what you’ve achieved as well as what’s left to do. Busy people's wins deserve to be celebrated. Perception 5: Editor X is producing a seemingly impossible amount of regular new content
It's unlikely that your colleague is producing as much new marketing content as you think.
I suspect repurposing is what's going on. Bear in mind the following:
I've done the following with some of my older blog posts over the years:
There are multiple ways to repurpose content for promotional means but you get the picture. Repurposing is quicker than creating from scratch and therefore great for the time-poor editor. But it also respects the fact that people like to access help in different ways and at different times. Even if an editor appears to produce a lot of visible content, it’s more likely that they’re taking shortcuts to make life easier. And so can you!
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 5
The busiest marketing editors are not magicians; they’re just good at recycling. You can repurpose your content too. Perception 6: There’s just way too much to do at once
You’ve made a list of all the things you’ve seen others doing and it’s huge. Overwhelming, in fact. Ugh. There’s so much:
The way you see it, you don’t have nearly enough time in your life to get all of it sorted. It would take months and months and months to do all that! Yep, it would. It might even take a couple of years to get up to full speed. And you know what? That’s fine! It’s supposed to be like that because you're a professional editor not a professional marketer. So, if you feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, take a breath and think in ones. Even the most visible and active of marketing editors started out with just one blog post, just one tweet, just one small list of publishers, just one directory entry, just one page on a website, just one online group they lurked in. Everyone has to start somewhere. None of us creates a marketing strategy and nails it a month later. And marketing gets easier over time because there comes a point where it starts to work for you instead of being a burden. Take me, for example ...
Some years back, I was still in the process of developing that stuff. I didn’t do it all at once. I did a bit, then a bit more, then a bit more. Over time, the foundational work was completed, leaving me space to focus on the marketing activities that work best for me now. Look at your marketing list. Instead of seeing it as an ocean in which to drown, break it down into cups from which you can sip. Create a doable schedule. Choose a couple of things and an acceptable time frame in which to do them. Then choose a couple more and do those ... small steps that respect and reflect your client base, your personality, and the demands of your work and personal life.
Overcoming marketing overwhelm: Tip 6
Think in ones. Schedule step by step so that your goals are achievable in the long term and suit your business, not mine or anyone else’s. Beating the overwhelm: A downloadable checklist
There’s more than one way to do marketing. Your way might look different to mine. It might be less visible. It might involve targeting different clients. It might require a different pace. That's all fine.
Download the infographic below and pin it on your wall. It'll remind you that marketing is not about catching up with colleagues. It's a journey, a building process. It does require your time, but you get to choose the methods and the schedule. 
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
Get the booklet
If you'd like a copy of this advice that you can read offline, download the booklet.
About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
In this article, I consider how resistance to change can stop us from learning new skills or testing new methods to make our editorial businesses more successful.
This article was updated in March 2026.
‘I’m not trying that!’
Editors, like any other professionals, can fall into the trap of resisting change – for example, not trying out a new marketing strategy; claiming they have no need for business tools such as macros; or refusing to take on work that requires using a new platform, software package, or format.
All of us have either said, or heard one of our colleagues say, ‘I don’t work in that way,’ ‘That’s a bad idea,’ ‘I don’t like the idea of that,’ ‘That’s not the way I do things,’ or ‘I just couldn’t bring myself to do that’ at some point in our careers. We work in a highly competitive, crowded, and international marketplace. We’re business owners, not hobbyists. That means our businesses have to earn us a living. Our market isn’t static – it’s always shifting:
All of that means that resisting change and failing to learn the new skills or to try new methods (whether technical, promotional, or practical) simply doesn’t make sense for today’s editorial business owner. If we refuse to change, we refuse to compete – and that’s a path to business failure. Why do we resist change?
According to psychologist Edgar H. Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, it can be a result of ‘learning anxiety’ (Diane Coutu, ‘The Anxiety of Learning,’ Harvard Business Review, March 2002). Says Schein:
Back in 2002, Schein discussed the issue in relation to the challenges of organizational change and transformation, corporate culture, and leadership. But that quotation can apply just as well to the editorial solopreneur in 2018.
We may be anxious about making a change for fear of not doing it well; equally, we might have heard or read negative opinions from our colleagues about using a particular technical tool, testing a new marketing effort, or changing to a new way of working – and that makes us wary of being seen publicly to be trying such things, lest they draw negative attention. So how might we go about tackling learning anxiety so that we can embrace change rather than resisting it? There are several options:
Plan the change so that it’s considered and systematic
If you think there are changes that should be made, or new skills learned, approach them as you would a business plan. By breaking the changes down into components, they will seem more manageable and less anxiety-inducing.
Redefine ‘failure’ as ‘lessons learned’
We must accept that change always brings risk. However well we plan change, however well it appears to meet our business objectives, the outcomes aren’t always what we hoped for or expected.
The key here is to redefine those results in a positive light whereby ‘failure’ becomes ‘lessons learned.’
All those outcomes could occur; but it’s also possible – particularly if you’ve made thoughtful, informed decisions about what changes to test – that the following will happen:
And even if you do end up in the worst-case scenario, who’s to say that the changes you’ve made won’t reap rewards further down the line? Who’s to say that those colleagues who were disparaging about your efforts are correct in their assumptions? Being prepared to try new things is how we learn. When the outcomes are not as expected, that’s not failure; that’s information on which we can make future decisions about what not to do, what needs tweaking, and what needs retrying. Not being prepared to learn and change in a competitive market is more likely to lead to failure that trying something new. If you don’t try, you don’t know. There’s nothing wrong with trying something new, only to find that it didn’t work. Any normal human being trying to be creative when running their business is not going to get it right every time. And if things don’t go to plan, you’ll be in great company. Here’s Woody Allen: ‘If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.’ And here’s Thomas Edison: ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’ Do a cost–benefit analysis
If you’re nervous about making a particular change, do a cost–benefit analysis by considering the following questions:
Working through these questions can highlight benefits and challenges, and help you to think through ways to maximize the former and minimize the stress of the latter. Case study
In 2025, I decided I wanted to provide more transparency for potential clients about my pricing and availability. I was a little nervous about publishing this information, so I tackled the questions above, and the answers helped me to map out a solution that I could test.
What are the potential gains from the change?
What will I potentially lose if I publish my prices and availability?
What will stay the same, even though I’ve made this change?
How will the changes make me feel once I’ve completed them?
The solution
Working through this cost–benefit approach gave me confidence because I felt like I'd thought it through in a way that helped me plan. I created a new web page that takes potential clients on a 5-step journey, I ask them to:
Step 1: Check that I edit their genre Step 2: Consider what kind of editing support they need Step 3: Review my rates Step 4: Check my availability Step 5: Use the form to tell me about their project and get in touch I've added links to resources that show my value, and to my service descriptions so that there are no misunderstandings about what's on offer. Access the page requires the potential client to provide me with their email address and select from a list of options about how they've found me. The results
I’m really pleased that I explored this approach and found the courage to try something that I'd previously resisted. My fears turned out to be unfounded. Instead:
Taking professional responsibility
Resistance to change is a normal human emotion. However, we are business owners. We work for ourselves. There’s no one in the HR department to walk us through the changes we might need to make even though we feel nervous about them.
Change is inevitable. The fact that it can be anxiety-inducing needs to be acknowledged. The key is to ensure that anxiety doesn’t get in the way of action. The decisions I made about pricing transparency will not be something that all my colleagues will agree with or want to implement. That’s fine – they have their businesses to run and I have mine. They make the decisions that are best for them while I make the decisions that are best for me. Still feel reluctant to make a change, or learn something new?
About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
When starting an editing or proofreading business, it’s important to ask questions and seek advice about the big picture. The key is to not get stuck in a position where we’re incapable of moving forward without seeking validation about the detail.
What’s in this article?
The thought of taking on all the responsibilities that come with owning and running a proofreading or editing business can be daunting to the new entrant to the field, and to someone who’s technically experienced but who lacks confidence. One of two problems can arise:
This article focuses on the second problem. If you’re a new editorial business owner and need advice on editorial business planning, a list of valuable starting-out resources is provided at the end of the article. Why working for yourself is different
Many people come to editorial freelancing after years of successfully working for other businesses.
When we are employees, someone else takes care of actually owning and running the business in which we work. I was like that – I was one cog in a large engine. My cog was an important part of the business’s machinery but I only had to worry about me and the bits of my cog that touched the cogs nearby. Someone else owned the engine and worried about how it worked as a whole. Then I set up my own business and I was in charge. I had to make the whole engine run smoothly. Taking charge of the whole thing meant acknowledging 4 truths about owing my own business. 4 truths about editorial business ownership
Business owners take ownership of their businesses …
It’s important to ask questions and seek advice about the big picture. The key is to not get stuck in a position where we’re incapable of moving forward without seeking validation about the detail.
If I ask 50 colleagues how many pages a website should have I will end up with 50 personal answers. Some of the information I glean from 50 people will overlap but some of it won’t. There won’t be consensus. An inability to make your own decisions, based on your business model and your client's needs, can paralyse you. Paralysis means you’re not in a state of mind where you’re making the final decisions about your business, but hoping instead that someone else will do it for you. That’s potentially disastrous because other people’s decisions are based on their business models, their brand identities, and their clients’ needs. You’re the best person to make the detailed decisions about your business precisely because it’s your business, and your business serves your clients. A business owner, by definition, needs to take ownership, and that means finding the courage to act. Effective advice-seeking vs inertia-inducing thinking …
Here are 2 short case studies that demonstrate the difference between effective advice-seeking and inertia-inducing thinking. These are fictional but are based on conversations that I’ve had with real new starters.
Effective advice-seeking
Ali has decided to set up a proofreading business. Let’s assume he’s completed high-quality training, and followed through with a mentoring program. In the course of his business planning he's recognized the value of having a website that can operate as his shop front. In the process of building the website he reaches out to editorial colleagues whom he’s met via his national editorial society and online editorial forums. He asks them about their experiences of website building and the choices they’ve made:
Ali’s colleagues provide a range of responses.
Overall, the answers to Ali’s questions supply him with insights into his colleagues’ experiences. And although the decisions he makes are influenced by these experiences, his final choices need to be based on his business requirements. These might be the same, similar or different to any one of the colleagues who contributed to the discussion. Inertia-inducing thinking Josh, too, has set up a proofreading business. Like Ali, he’s completed the requisite training and believes he has the technical know-how to provide a high-quality service. Josh is seeking similar guidance to Ali, but he frames his questions differently and in a way that could lead to inertia.
The answers to Josh’s questions are just more questions because:
Because Josh’s questions focus on the detail of his business requirements, which are known only to him, he doesn’t receive any definitive answers. As a result, he is paralysed by indecision. While Ali’s website is now live, and operating as a shop front that he can link to via a number of other online platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Yell, and several specialist editorial directories), Josh is still digitally undiscoverable because he’s waiting for other people to make the decisions for him, decisions that are based on a business that isn’t theirs. Too many cooks …
Even a well-asked question that generates lots of responses can be problematic for the new entrant to the field because they don't have enough experience to evaluate the usefulness of the responses.
In Ali’s case, 15 colleagues could advise having a separate blog, and 15 could advise attaching a blog to his business website. But how does he work out which is the best approach for his editorial business? Professional networks are fabulous resources, often rich in content, but we need to recognize that the responses we receive to well-asked questions are still dependent on who’s online that day, who bothers to join in the discussion, and what their particular experiences are. Sometimes there are too many cooks in the kitchen; sometimes the best cooks aren’t even in the kitchen. This can lead to confusion rather than clarity. If you’re a new entrant to the field who’s asking lots of good questions but feels overwhelmed by the diverse opinions on offer, consider consulting a business coach or mentor who can spend time focusing specifically on your business requirements and help you sift through the all the advice you’ve received. There’s no one true way to furnish a house …
As the two examples above demonstrate, there’s no single way of building and designing an effective website.
When we look at various successful editorial professionals’ websites, we see that there are a hundred different ways to do it. None of these is right or wrong; they’re just different ways that people choose to express the information they want to communicate to a client base. We each have to work out what we want to say and decide whether the information looks appealing, is easily navigable for our readers, and communicates a clear message that says we can provide solutions to our clients’ problems. In Josh’s case, it’s not about what I think or like – it’s about what what Josh believes his clients will think and like. This applies to all aspects of editorial business ownership. The editorial business is like a house. More established editorial pros can give us sensible advice on how to locate a plot, dig the foundations, construct the walls, and lay on a roof to prevent us getting wet during rainy days, but only we can furnish our individual houses in a way that suits our financial requirements, our particular skills, our backgrounds, and our clients. Seek advice by all means, but don’t wait for others to make decisions about the detail of your business. Research, ask, learn; consult a business coach/mentor if you’re struggling to clarify your thinking. Then place information within the framework of your own editorial business needs, and act. About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
Exercising the right to accept or decline work is, in my opinion, one of the best things about owning one’s own business. And yet some editorial professionals feel guilty about saying no. What's to be done?
In Part 1, I looked at the reasons for accepting or declining work, how some editorial freelancers talk about feeling guilty, and how those statements stack up against the reality of what’s going on.
Here in Part II, I consider some simple ways of saying no that make it clear that the project is being declined, why this is so, and what the client can do to find an alternative supplier. I also explore the dangers of using an over-pricing strategy to deter an unwanted client, and consider how the guilt-ridden editorial pro might place her feelings within an adapted 10/10/10 framework in order to move forward with a decision that’s in her business's best interests. Ways to say no
There’s nothing wrong with clearly and briefly stating your position to a client. Recall Sills, cited in Part I: Saying no isn't about negativity; it's about positivity (Sills, 2013). What's relevant is not the negative impact on the unwanted client, but rather the positive decision we take as business owners.
The danger, especially with the desperate or emotionally charged client, is to get drawn into lengthy discussions, none of which are billable, about why you don’t want the work. Remember, you own your business, so it’s your choice. As several experienced colleagues have pointed out since I posted this article, honesty is often the best policy when giving your reasons for saying no, especially in the case of a client with whom you've had previous difficulties, because it enables them to learn from the experience, too. However, I do appreciate that for those who are prone to feelings of guilt, being honest about past problems can be so awkward as to cause even more stress. If it's the case that you would find being honest stressful, or you're worried about hurting your client’s feelings, you could choose an alternative stock answer to decline a project in a way that makes it clear that you’ve made your decision and the discussion is closed. Examples of stock answers for saying no might include:
Caution with the over-pricing approach
If you are contacted by a client with whom you don’t want to work because of reasons other than price, deterring them with an approach that you believe will price you out of their market can backfire horribly. This is because you don’t actually know what they are prepared to pay until they have accepted or declined your quotation.
Let’s imagine the following fictional example:
I decide to price myself out of her market. I’d previously charged her £20 per hour for proofreading (which I accepted based on the bulk volume of the work). She’d negotiated me down from £23 per hour so I think I have a good sense of her top line. In order to deter her, I tell her that since we last worked together my rates have increased and I now charge £40 an hour – double the rate she paid seven months ago. To my horror, she accepts my quotation, telling me that I’m worth every penny. Now I’m stuck. It was never about the money for me; it was about the stress. The problem is that I didn't close the discussion – and having left the door open, she’s stepped through it. Now I have another decision to make: either I take on stressful work that I don’t want, or I have to go back and change my story, offering her a different reason: for example, that having checked my schedule, I can’t do the work after all but that I can point her in the direction of a good directory from where she can secure an alternative proofreader. This response implies that I didn't check my schedule properly in the first place, which is neither professional nor believable. I should have used the scheduling reason in the first place. Instead, I’ve wasted my time and my client’s time. I may not want to work with her but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t respect that her time is precious too. I've also unnecessarily extended the correspondence. Placing guilt in a 10/10/10 framework
If you’re the kind of person who struggles to say no to clients, try looking at it through a different lens. Business writer Suzy Welch’s 10/10/10 model (cited in Heath and Heath, 2013) asks us to consider how a difficult decision will make us feel in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years.
In the case of editorial work, I think the time frames could do with being tweaked a little but the principle stands. Imagine you were to say no to one of the clients discussed in Part I (the strapped-for-cash client, the time-poor, emotional client, the manipulative client, or the inexperienced client).
If you’ve a tendency to feel guilty about declining work, you’ll probably still feel guilty 10 minutes later. In 10 hours you’ll probably feel relief that you stuck to your guns and kept your business schedule open for the kind of work that you need/want to take. And what about in 10 weeks? It’s likely that you’ll have completely forgotten the correspondence altogether. Summing up
If you're encumbered with feelings of guilt when declining work, here’s a summary of tips to help you say no with confidence:
Let’s end with another quotation from Sills (2013): “Wielded wisely, No is an instrument of integrity and a shield against exploitation. It often takes courage to say. It is hard to receive. But setting limits sets us free.” We are the owners of editorial businesses. We set our own limits. We accept or decline work on terms that suit us, and are free to do so without drama, fear or guilt. This is nothing but normal business practice. Further reading Broomfield, Liz (2013). When should I say no? (Libro Editing) Heath, Chip, and Heath, Dan (2013). The 10/10/10 Rule for Tough Decisions (FastCompany.com) Sills, Judith (2013). The Power of No (Psychology Today) About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
Exercising the right to accept or decline work is, in my opinion, one of the best things about owning one’s own business. And yet some editorial professionals feel guilty about saying no. What's to be done?
Reasons for withdrawing from a project
Some of us have experienced a situation where we have to withdraw from an ongoing project because of scope creep.
Here, the originally agreed terms of the work have been breached by the client, rendering continuation of the project non-viable unless new terms can be negotiated that are acceptable to both parties. This demonstrates why it’s important to clarify the parameters of any editorial project before an agreement is made to carry out the work. How to pull out of existing project work is beyond the scope of this article. Here I’m focusing on saying no to the offer of editorial work prior to commencement of the project, and how guilt should not be part of the editorial business-owner’s decision to so. In Part I, I look at the reasons for accepting or declining work, how some editorial freelancers talk about feeling guilty, and how those statements stack up against the reality of what’s going on. In Part II, I’ll consider some simple ways of saying no that make it clear that the project is being declined, why this decision is being made, and what the client can do to find an alternative supplier. I’ll also explore the dangers of using an over-pricing strategy to deter an unwanted client, and consider how the guilt-ridden editorial pro might place her feelings within an adapted 10/10/10 framework in order to move forward with a decision that’s in her business's best interests. Reasons to decline a project
I might decline a project for one, or several, of the following reasons:
Reasons to accept a project
I might accept a proofreading project for one, or several, of the following reasons:
See also Liz Broomfield’s (2013) discussion of what kinds of work you might say no to at various stages of your business’s development. It’s my business and my choice
Whether I accept or decline, the choice is mine. I’m not bound to carry out editing work that, for whatever reason, I don’t wish to do.
There’s no boss telling me that our company is contractually bound to do A or B, or that I must work for X, even though I find dealing with X stressful, intimidating, infuriating, or upsetting. I choose the hours I need/wish to work. I choose the type of editorial work I carry out (in my case, proofreading). I choose the material I feel comfortable with. I decide whether a fee is acceptable based on my needs and wants. Ultimately, I can decline a project for no other reason than I simply don’t fancy doing it. End of story. Feeling guilty
Despite having control over the choices they can make, it’s not uncommon to hear editorial freelancers say they feel guilty about not accepting a job:
In all of the above, the story is of the problems being faced by the client if the editorial pro turns down the work. However, we as business owners need to flip things around and look at the situation from our own point of view. The reality ...
Now let's look at the above 4 scenarios from the perspective of the editorial business owner:
The strapped-for-cash client The issue here is not that the author is strapped for cash. Rather, it’s your own cash flow and overall economic needs that need to be assessed. We’ve all been strapped for cash. Having limited financial resources means we have to forego luxuries and save up for necessities. I’m too strapped for cash to buy a Ferrari so I’ve foregone this luxury and settled for a Ford Focus. I need a new printer but the one that would best suit my needs is priced higher than my budget. I’m not asking the sales assistant in Staples to reduce the price because I’m strapped for cash. Instead I’m saving up because it’s an important requirement for my business. If your client can’t afford what you need to earn and want to earn, they need to forego your services or save up. If you want to negotiate, do so, but guilt isn't a good enough reason go down this path. Rather, it’s about making a professional decision concerning what you are prepared to accept, based on your financial requirements, for the services you offer. The time-poor and emotional client If you can’t do the job in the required time frame because the client didn’t give you enough notice, feeling guilty won’t expand the number of hours available in a work week! You know what time you have available. Either the job is doable or it’s not. Accept or decline accordingly. Most of us find ourselves in situations with friends and family where emotional manipulation comes into play – that’s the stuff of personal relationships. Save your emotions for those you love. With the client, the relationship is professional, not personal. If a client tries to manipulate you emotionally, then they, not you, should be feeling guilty. If you don’t want to find a way to accommodate the client because it would have a negative impact on your work/home life, thank them for contacting you, state clearly and briefly that you are not physically able to take on the work under the time parameters offered, and close the correspondence. The manipulative client The client’s previous bad experiences are not relevant. It’s your previous experience that is relevant. One of the benefits of owning your own business is precisely the fact that, unlike when you’re an employee, there is no compulsion to work with people who make you feel as if you are being manipulated, with people whose problems become your problems. Guilt isn't a good enough reason to take the work. If you don’t want to work with someone, decline the project. The inexperienced client If the work doesn’t fall within the parameters of your service provision, it’s not your fault that the client doesn’t understand this. Feeling guilty won't improve their awareness. Instead, decline the work and guide the customer towards one of the many free resources available online that provide clear advice. Most national editorial societies have such guidelines. ‘No’ isn't negative ...
Psychologist Judith Sills (2013) argues that 'No – a metal grate that slams shut the window between one's self and the influence of others – is rarely celebrated. It's a hidden power because it is both easily misunderstood and difficult to engage' and 'it is easily confused with negativity'.
So, when we decline work, we need think of the decision not in terms of negative impact on our clients, but rather in terms of the positive impact on our editorial businesses. In Part 2, we’ll look at ways to communicate an uncomplicated 'no' message, and consider an adapted version of Suzy Welch’s 10/10/10 framework that should help the guilt-ridden editorial pro to say no with greater confidence. About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
Experimenting with new editing and proofreading markets is not just about bringing in the money; it’s also about opening yourself up to new opportunities and experiences.
Are you a creature of habit?
I’m a firm believer in not putting my eggs in one basket.
I’m also a creature of habit. There was a time when most the prospective clients who contacted me were similar to my onboarded clients: academic publishers. I knew this market well – I understood its language; I was familiar with its processes; and the expectations of what the work involved were understood by me and the presses for whom I worked. Taking on work in areas that were unfamiliar felt somewhat daunting. Questions that plagued me included:
And for a long time if felt easier to stay in my comfort zone, especially since I enjoyed the work. But every now and then it doesn’t hurt to take a punt. After all, the best-case scenario is that you find a new niche – another string to your editorial bow – while the worst-case scenario is simply that it doesn’t work out. And, really, what's wrong with that? A. What if the work doesn’t suit you?
The great thing about being a freelance business owner is that you can always close the relationship if things don’t work out as planned.
And even if your hoped-for long-term business relationship ends up being rather shorter than expected, you can still notch up the completed work to experience and use the knowledge you’ve gained to inform your future choices. So if the work doesn't suit you, no problem. At least now you know. B. You like the work but the financial return is much lower than expected
Perhaps you find it easy to estimate how much time work from your existing client base will take because it’s a market with which you're familiar. Quoting for work outside the field is far harder for all of us.
So, what if we make a mistake and seriously under-quote? One way to avoid this is to offer a trial rate that you’ll honour for the first few projects, but suggest the possibility of reviewing the fee structure a little further down the road once you’ve completed one or two pieces of work. If you haven’t gone for the trial option, and find that the work is taking much longer than expected (causing your hourly rate to plummet), don’t beat yourself up about it. Contact the client and explain the situation, stating that, of course, you’ll honour the original quote for the initial pieces of work supplied but that if the relationship is to continue you’ll need to review the price with them. In this situation it may be that the client decides they can’t afford your proposed new rate. That’s fair enough – at least the discussion is open and honest. Make sure you:
That way, your client will appreciate your professionalism and see that you’re not trying to rip them off. And even if things don't work out on the price front, you'll be able to close the door to each other on good terms. Of course, there's always the negotiated compromise. You can ask them to make their best offer and decide whether you can live with it. The experience you’re acquiring and your enjoyment of the projects might mean that you’re prepared to take a bit of a hit (though not one that makes you feel as if you are being exploited). Compromise isn’t for everyone, but it is an option. C. What if the work’s not what you expected?
So you thought you were proofreading but actually you’re editing.
Or you thought you were editing but actually you’re writing. Or perhaps you were expecting monthly projects of a couple of thousand words and you’ve ended up with a tome on your desk (or in your inbox). Ask yourself the following:
If the answer to (1) is no, then inform your client as soon as possible that the job’s not for you. That way they can find a replacement. If you’re okay with the work but the answer to (2) is negative, then you need to take the same action – tell the client that you’re sincerely sorry but you don’t feel the job is within your skill set; or, if it is but the deadlines are unmanageable, give them the heads-up immediately. In the latter case you may be able to set up new arrangements whereby the time frames are workable. If you still want the work and you’re fit for purpose, but you’re unhappy with the rate (3), it’s time to have the open and honest conversation outlined in section B, above. Many an editorial freelancer has been surprised at how receptive clients can be to procedural or rate reviews as long as the conversation is timely, polite and expressed in a way that acknowledges their needs. If your work is of high quality, your client may just bend over backwards to make the relationship work. 2026 update: The punt I took, and where it led
Back in 2014, one of my social science publisher clients referred me to her production manager friend who worked for a trade publisher. It's how I got offered my first ever fiction proofreading gig. I asked myself all those questions about capability, price and time.
Self-doubt tapped me on the shoulder. Impostor syndrome whispered in my ear. I took the job anyway because it was an amazing opportunity. I decided I didn't care if the fee ended up being rubbish ... the book I was being offered by a big-name author would look so good in my portfolio that I couldn't pass up the chance. In other words, I took a punt. And that punt led to more fiction proofreading work from publishers. And that led to more fiction editing work with indie authors. And that led to me editing only fiction. Until that led me to specializing in only one particular genre of fiction. Now that's all I do – stylistic line editing for indie authors writing crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers. A punt evolved into a purpose. A chance evolved into a choice. I don't just line edit this genre; I teach others how to, with my books and courses. And that chance diversification has become a niche specialism that's at the heart of my brand identity. Summing up
Taking a punt brings up all sorts of unexpected pleasures, but sometimes a little pain, too. Good communication framed by honesty and immediacy will make the journey less bumpy.
Whatever happens, as an editorial colleague once told me, 'There’s no point in getting one’s knickers in a knot over it. You win some and you lose some in this gig!' If you love what you're doing, great. But if something comes your way that feels like it might be interesting but you're holding back because it feels risky, consider whether it's worth a punt. You never know where it might take you. About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
Working alone doesn't have to equate to isolation. Here are some tips and reassurance for editors and proofreaders who crave company or revel in solitude.
‘Solitude vivifies; isolation kills.’
Joseph Roux (nineteenth-century priest and poet)
Alone or isolated?
I worked in an office for nearly fifteen years before I set up my editorial business. I’d stop and chat with friends and colleagues by the water cooler or coffee machine. There was always someone to talk to.
Sometimes it was difficult to knuckle down to the job, so social was the environment. Now that I’m freelance, I work from home. I don’t have colleagues in the traditional sense. I’m working on my own from 10 am until 5 pm. Non-freelancers have frequently asked me how I 'deal with the isolation', and are often surprised when I reply, 'I don’t feel isolated.' The experience is certainly different from that of my prior office life and it requires a different mindset, but need it be isolating? Or was Roux onto something when he reminds us of the different ways of being alone? I asked some of my freelance editorial colleagues about how they manage a life of working from home. The following is a summary of our collective wisdom on how to generate your very own freelance water cooler when you need it, and bathe in the quietness when you don’t. The rewards and challenges of freelancing
Many of us become freelance because it suits our needs – moving house, moving country, redundancy, parenting, disability, and caring for dependents are just some of the reasons why people move their work base from the office to the home.
These changes can bring rewards but also challenges, forcing us to withdraw from the traditional and easily accessible friendship and professional groups that we’d previously relied on. Some of the contributors to this article highlighted how having young children has provided them with much-needed human contact at the school gates. But many of us still miss the office banter, the colleague element, what one editor referred to as: '... those people who do the same or similar jobs so you can swap and share ideas: the manager who always supports your ideas; the people who are there to confirm your decisions; the security of responsibilities understood; and the confidence of knowing how to do the job.' So here are some options for you to consider. Option 1: Explore online networking opportunities
Editorial association forums and social media platforms all come up as recommended spaces for connecting with like-minded colleagues in similar working environments ... a place to meet, chat, share ideas and let off steam.
Those with private messaging functions are especially popular. I particularly like WhatsApp and Slack for having conversations with a small group of trusted colleagues. Using online networking spaces means you don't ever have to feel like you’re working on our own even if there's no one else in the room. Option 2: Join a professional body and volunteer
Joining your national editorial society (eg the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading) or editing-adjacent associations (eg the Society of Young Publishers) could be a critical first step in accessing colleagues who face the same professional and personal challenges as you, as well as providing excellent social and learning opportunities.
They may have committees, task forces, advisory/working groups, tutoring teams, a governing body or peer-to-peer mentoring programmes that you can participate in. Since 2020, I've been a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading's Council (its board), and that's meant I have daily access to other editors and our staff team. I don't just learn a ton from those people. I really like them too. They've become friends, and those relationships will stretch beyond my term of service. Perhaps you, too, could volunteer for similar roles. Of course, you needn’t limit yourself to publishing folk. Says one editor: 'I’m also looking into various local small business networking groups – there seem to be quite a few nearby that are specifically for women or mothers.' Another colleague is pursuing an MA, which gives her valuable face-to-face time with adults. Others have taken a series of part-time jobs, which give them additional income and social contact with other people. Option 3: Try face-to-face meetups
The other favoured resource for combating feelings of loneliness is the good old-fashioned face-to-face meetup. It requires a lot more effort than dipping into LinkedIn or Facebook, but the rewards can be huge.
Again, this doesn't have to be publishing-based. It could be a hobby-based group such as a local choir, knitting group or book club. If you do want contact with people who do what you do, find out if your national editorial society has a regional branch or chapter that's accessible to you. If it doesn't, consider setting one up. Option 4: Embrace café culture for company without complications
One colleague suggests a change of scenery: 'Scope out a decent coffee shop – having the odd couple of hours working in a different environment with people around makes you feel a lot less isolated and a lot more like you're just your own boss.'
Even if you’re not directly interacting with other people in a particular place, that time spent outside your usual work space is an effective refresher. You can even incorporate your java time with your work – the café may not be the best place in which to do editorial tasks that require deep concentration, but it could be a space where you can catch up on emails, invoicing or any of your more general house-keeping tasks. I have an editor friend who's a member of a silent book club that meets weekly in a café. What that means is that they don't discuss the books they're reading ... in fact, they don't discuss anything at all. They simply meet, sit together and read their own books. It's company without complications. If that sounds like your bag, search online to find out if there's anything like that in your area. Option 5: Experiment with co-working
Co-working is where freelancers meet up to work alongside each other. This could be in a dedicated co-working office space, something more informal like a cafe, or online via Zoom or Teams.
Doing that helps you feel less isolated because you can pick each other's brains, bounce ideas off one another and so on. Like the silent book club, you might all agree to keep the chitchat to a minimum and use the experience as an opportunity just to work in a less solitary environment. One colleague emphasizes how there's less pressure to promote yourself in these situations. Instead, it provides a bit more of an office atmosphere than a networking atmosphere. And this approach could just be the thing to get your creative juices going. Read these articles for insights into how other types of professionals have seen their businesses benefit as a result of being in a co-working space: Option 6: Ditch the humans and hang out with the small furries
Having a dog or cat in the home office really can combat feelings of isolation. No, they won’t be able to bounce business ideas around with you. Nor will they advise you on how to deal with the frustrated author of the book you’re editing, but pets still make wonderful companions.
My trusty Lab is always ready with a tail wag whenever I’m feeling pressured by a deadline or tackling a particularly demanding editing job. Plus, as one colleague remindes us, dog walkers are usually sociable, and you get to work on your health – which keeps you business-fit and body-fit. And as we all know, a bit of exercise is wonderful for mental wellbeing. Oh, and did I mention that pets keep your feet warm in winter, too? More options ...
If you don’t fancy any of the above, consider the following:
Is being alone such a bad thing?
Here's one editor's take on working alone: 'Why assume isolation is bad? I don't miss the office politics, formal clothing, jockeying for time off, etc. I'm not so much antisocial as one who enjoys quiet time alone, so freelancing at home is ideal in that regard.'
It's a good point. Freelancing from home does require a different mindset, but once you’re in it, it can be quite hard to revert to old ways of working. Here are two more perspectives from editors embracing the solitude:
In an illuminating article in the New York Times Sunday Review, 'The Rise of the New Groupthink', Susan Cain reminds us that being alone, and enjoying the attendant privacy and freedom from interruption, can be an intensely creative and rewarding experience. Many of us do need our water coolers, online or off, but we can also enjoy the solitude that our freelance homeworking status brings us. About Louise Harnby
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) and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.
|
BLOG ALERTS
Sign up for blog alerts!
NEWSLETTER
Sign up for The Editorial Letter.
EDITOR RESOURCES
BOOKS FOR EDITORS AND WRITERS
TRAINING COURSES FOR EDITORS
TESTIMONIALS
'I love the clean impact you've brought to my writing'
Thomas R Weaver 'The voyage through your edits is an intellectual and craft adventure' Dan Flanigan 'I'm a better writer because you edited my book' Rich Leder 'You are by far the best literary editor I've had' Nina Fitzpatrick 'I wholeheartedly recommend her services ... Just don’t hire her when I need her' Jeff Carson 'Sincere thanks for a beautiful and elegant piece of work. First class' JB Turner CATEGORIES
All
ARCHIVES
May 2026
|
RSS Feed
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 2011–2026 Louise Harnby