A note from Louise: I’m very pleased to welcome my colleague Kate Haigh to the Parlour. Kate is an editor and proofreader based in the UK who works extensively with non-publisher clients. Kate’s agreed to talk to me about one particular segment of her portfolio, the business client.
Louise Harnby: Welcome, Kate. And thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us. My own client base is very much based in the publishing house sector, so I’m keen to get a sense of how things differ when working with a business client. First of all, can you tell us what kinds of material your clients ask you to work on?
Kate Haigh: Hi and thanks for inviting me to participate in this and give my views on working for business clients. I would like to start by highlighting that my experiences may differ significantly from other people’s as the scope of non-publishing work is so broad; different people may have different USPs or ways of approaching these clients. On the whole, though, I tend to work on three main types of material – websites, reports and marketing material. Different clients tend to use me for different services, i.e. I have one client for whom I solely proofread the website, whereas another regularly sends me reports but no web or advertising work. It means the work is very varied, which in my opinion is a bonus, and also means I learn a lot of random things. LH: And are you editing, proofreading, writing, or a little bit of all three? And how do you think the job differs from work with other types of client (publishers, self-publishing authors or students for example)? Are the requirements different and, following on from this, does your method/approach vary accordingly? KH: To be honest, it depends on the client. Some of them aren’t native speakers/writers so I edit quite heavily and am given free rein, while others just want me to tidy up documents and ensure consistency. The lines are more blurred between proofreading and copy-editing, especially as almost all of the work is done on-screen – it doesn’t tend to have pagination issues or print deadlines in the same way that book or magazine work may have. I don’t have the same level of querying as I do for self-publishers or students; most business material is black and white with limited grey areas. I may query something occasionally but it’s usually a content issue; the client handles the query internally so I don’t deal with it any further. LH: When proofreading for academic publishers, I’m given a very clear brief and a house style guide. Is it different with corporate clients? Is this something you have to work with them to establish when you first make contact? In other words, is the brief a more dynamic affair that evolves as the work proceeds or are the clients clear from the outset what they want from you? KH: Again, it can depend on the client. Some have style guides in place, others ask me to create one and then implement it, while others are only concerned with consistency in the one document I am working on at that time. On the whole, the brief is clear, though, and I know the level of input I can make, though I guess that comes with experience for each client. One client recently sent a document that was theoretically in the final print stage so we agreed I would only make essential amendments; in future I will see the work earlier and they want me to make stylistic changes and copy-edit the document as I see fit. I think overall the issue is more fluid, and definitely more so than with academic and non-fiction publishing, where there tend to be so many rules. For clients who are new to using a proofreader or editor, I can play a big role in shaping my job and their expectations, which I personally enjoy. However, if you’re keen to be told what to do or have a set function to follow, this type of work may not be quite so suitable. LH: The editorial function is an established part of the process in most traditional publishing houses. Unless a press is a small, independent publisher that has to handle all of its editorial work in-house (for economic reasons), it’s not difficult to persuade them that our services are of value. I've tended to assume this isn’t the case in the business market. Do you actively market yourself to this type of client, do they come to you? Regarding either option, what are your most effective marketing outlets? KH: I find that businesses with active marketing departments are often already aware of the benefits of proofreading but no longer have capacity in-house (horrible to admit but the recession served me well there), so they come looking or just need a tiny nudge to make them aware of my existence. I got totally lucky with my first and most repeat client – I met a PA at a training event about writing copy for the web; she ended up giving me a lift home, took my card and passed it to the marketing manager. The rest, as they say, is history. Other companies looked for me, and thanks to my website, the SfEP directory and other online presence, I appear to be relatively easy to find. The best marketing I have actively done has been local networking. Some businesses have then found out about proofreading and asked me to work with them as they never even knew such people existed, while word-of-mouth from those events has served me brilliantly. It takes time to reap rewards with networking, at least it did for me, but has been invaluable in the longer term. It’s the face-to-face element that works, and the rapport you build over regular breakfast meetings at some ungodly hour. On the whole, I don’t think the clients I met at networks would have responded to a cold call/email but over time they get to know you and trust you – that’s what leads to the work. I also think that for business clients, a website is essential, not just for enabling people to find you but also for adding integrity and a professional look. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who claim to be proofreaders when perhaps they’re not qualified for the job, so having a website with information about you, testimonials, contact details, etc. really helps a client to relate. I guess that links in with the face-to-face element of networking. LH: Do you mind talking to us about the rates of pay? I’ve blogged about the different rates of pay within the publisher sector, and how the suggested minimum rates (as defined by the SfEP) aren’t always in line with the reality of the market place. Would you say that the corporate sector is more lucrative for editorial freelancers? KH: For business clients, my rates are almost never lower than the SfEP guidelines so in itself that possibly makes it more lucrative than the publishing industry. I think awareness of other proofreaders is lower in the corporate world and this works in my favour. When a company has decided they have the funds and the need for a proofreader, I think they value that service highly. Also, they get used to working with you, your style, and the way you interact, so they’re less worried about squeezing every penny compared with publishers, or at least that’s my perception. I have one or two clients who pay quite a bit more due to the heavy editing/re-writing element, or other functions, but on the whole I charge in line with the SfEP’s rates and no company has ever quibbled. LH: If you had one piece of advice to impart about working for business clients, Kate, what would it be? KH: Ultimately, I think people need to make a positive choice to work in business proofreading rather than seeing it as a fall-back option. I like the commercial world and what it encompasses, and find working on the associated content interesting. If, however, people are doing it because they can't get work in their chosen field, it could be very boring. This would make the job less fulfilling and the resulting loss of focus could lead to an increased error rate. Sorry if this sounds dogmatic, but it's something I feel very strongly about; being able to really focus on your clients’ materials and their particular needs is important, whichever area you’re working in. LH: Thanks very much, Kate. I’ve found this hugely informative and I’m sure that many “newbies” and seasoned professionals working in other areas will learn a lot from your experience.
About Kate Haigh
Kate is a professional proofreader and owner of Kateproof. Feel free to follow her on Twitter at @Kateproof or link with her via LinkedIn.
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In Proofreading – Does it Pay? I looked at the rates a UK proofreader might realistically expect to earn and I offered some thoughts on working for what might be perceived by some to be “low” rates in order to get experience and build a client portfolio.
Since I wrote that article, Erin Brenner, on Copyediting.com, has posted a very informative piece about rates for the job that US editorial freelancers will find valuable: Tip of the Week: What a Copyeditor Earns. In this post I’ll focus on some of the hidden savings and costs that are worth taking in to account when thinking about whether a freelance business is financially sustainable; I’ll also address the issue of emotional earnings – the so-called cultural capital (sometimes called human capital) that can be generated from editorial freelancing. Hidden savings The obvious place to start when considering whether to embark on a freelance editorial career is what you can earn in term in terms of currency per hour. This will depend on where you live, the types of client you’re targeting, the subjects in which you specialize and the level of expertise required. This is discussed in more detail in Proofreading – Does it Pay? The economic climate will also affect the amount of work going around, just as it does in any industry, anywhere in the world. Editorial freelancing, however, has important hidden savings attached to it that should be taken into account when comparing it with office-based work. Commuting For those working and living in central London the annual tube travel card would cost between £1168 and £3040. I live in rural Norfolk. Buses run twice a day (not always at work-friendly times) and take an age to get anywhere. Furthermore, I don’t live in walking distance of a train station. If I worked for an employer in the city, I’d have to commute by car, roughly a twenty-mile round trip, five days a week. We already own a car so I can’t slam the whole cost on an office job, but the additional wear and tear, parking fees and horrendous UK petrol costs would be considerable. I, however, am a freelance editor. My trip down the stairs every day is free. I estimate I save around £1500 a year by working from home. When you work out what your freelance proofreading business pays, you should take the avoided commuting costs into account. Childcare I have a child so if I was office-based I'd have to pay for childcare during the holidays. Good quality childcare doesn't come cheap - nor should it - so that's another saving. If you have a supportive family network local to you, parents or grandparents, perhaps, who are prepared to look after your kids for free, lucky you! For many of us, however, this is not an option. Work clothes This may sound trivial but in some workplaces there's a certain dress code to which you will be expected to adhere. Two or three good suits and matching shoes don’t come cheap. This editorial freelancer, on the other hand, once proofread for four hours in her pyjamas. It’s not something I like to brag about, but I don’t spend a bean on work clothes even when, as usually happens, I do get dressed. Food I’m not sure where my US, Canadian, South African, Indian or Australian colleagues bought their lunch before they were freelance, but here in the UK, a lot of us spend huge amounts of money popping out from the office down to the company canteen, or nipping out to Pret a Manger or Marks & Spencer for a freshly made sandwich and a piece of fruit – and at a cost that makes me blush now that I’m digging around in my freelancing fridge every day. When working out the financial merits of freelancing, it's about not just what you earn but also what you don't spend. Hidden costs It would be ingenuous not to address some of the hidden costs, too. These need to be offset against the hidden savings and any cultural capital earned. Health insurance In the UK we have a wonderful, if struggling, National Health Service that’s free at the point of delivery. Every worker pays national insurance contributions to fund this. If you live outside of the UK, working in an office may give you health insurance entitlements that you would have to pay for yourself when freelancing. Pension provision If you’re an employee, your company may have a contributory pension scheme that tops up what you put in. These vary in their generosity, but need to be considered. Sick pay There’s no such thing as sick pay in the world of the freelancer. If you don’t work, you don’t earn – simple as that. Maternity/paternity benefits Again, there’s no external financial provision for this when you work for yourself. If you have a child and decide to take time out from doing paid work, that time represents income lost. Indemnity insurance Some editorial freelancers take out professional indemnity insurance in order to cover themselves in the event that legal proceedings are taken against them. To my knowledge, this is more of a concern for editors than proofreaders and is more prevalent in the scientific, technical and medical fields. Earning cultural capital If the term cultural capital (or human capital) sounds like sociological buzz talk, I won’t apologize, because the concept is something I believe in. Cultural capital refers to the skills, training, education, information, knowledge and benefits that a person gains in order to better themselves. There are many ways of earning cultural capital – just a few include enrolling in college, having kids, volunteering, going to work, training, networking, and socializing. Another way is to be a business owner, even if you’re the only employee. Investing in yourself When you decide to move from office-based work to building your own editorial freelance business, a hugely important cultural shift occurs. Every step you take on the journey will be an investment in yourself. Every piece of training or work that you do will be for you and your business. Every stamp you lick, every letter you post, every email you send to a prospective client will be for you. Every new client you acquire (and every rejection you receive) will be another step on your freelance journey, not an employer’s. At each step, you’ll be earning cultural capital. Tens of thousands of UK companies have signed up to work with Investors in People. Launched over 20 years ago, Investors in People "is the UK's leading people management standard. It’s a business improvement tool designed to help all kinds of organizations develop performance through their people” (http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk). When you decide to set up your own freelance editorial business you’ve become an investor in people without even trying – you’ve invested in you. And in doing so, you’ve earned more cultural capital. The way you talk about yourself Office-based “part-timers” (I've been one) typically put in more hours than they're paid for in order to be seen to “keep up”. They don't always get the same breaks as full-time colleagues or have the same degree of influence within a department because they're not always on site. Freelancing offers another cultural shift on this front: I don't talk about myself a part-timer; rather, I'm a freelancer. I'm not an employee; I'm self-employed. I'm not even just an editor and proofreader – I'm also the owner of a business, the chief accountant, the marketing director, training developer, web manager, coffee maker, and the errand runner. That’s a lot of cultural capital, and I'm really proud of that. Measuring your cultural capital Measuring cultural capital in strictly financial terms is impossible. However, I think the things I’ve learned (through self-teaching and training courses), the people I’ve met, the planning I’ve done, the work I’ve completed, the flexibility I’ve embedded in my business model, and the obstacles I’ve overcome have given me new skills and confidence. I hope to pass on this emotional capital base to my child when they're ready. And if my business went belly-up in the next twelve months I believe I’d be better placed to pick myself up and re-enter the market because of the cultural capital I’ve earned on my freelance journey. Freelance colleagues, what do you think? Is it all about the dollars and cents or does emotional capital count, too?
A short question on this blog about which training course I would recommend for someone considering a career in proofreading prompted a rather long reply from me. It made me realize that the issue deserved a post of its own.
Professional proofreading training
Please note that this article isn’t designed to recommend one particular course over another. What you choose will depend on a number of factors, e.g. location, career stage. Readers of this blog who’ve searched my training archive will know the course I chose – the Publishing Training Centre's Essential Proofreading. While I found this course to be outstanding, this accolade is based on my business plan, my place of residence, my knowledge of the market I chose to focus on, and my training budget. It won’t necessarily be the right choice for, say, a Belgian with a different niche market in mind, or a Canadian whose pockets are feeling a little shallow at the moment. Instead, the aim here is to give voice to some of the basic issues that are worth considering when choosing what, where and how to train for a career as a freelance proofreader, wherever you live and whatever your budget. What’s on offer? The options are numerous. Distance learning and on-site; online and book-based; and DIY and professionally assessed. Some cost hundreds of pounds while other options cost less than the price of a family cinema outing. Googling for proofreading training courses throws up lots of information but little guidance on how to make a choice. Here are some ideas to get you on the right track. Is there a national or regional professional society you can contact? This is probably the best place to start. Get in touch with your national editing/proofreading society and see what they recommend. Their membership is full of people who were once in your position, so they will have some great advice to share, and at no cost. Visit my Editing & Proofreading Societies page to locate your national association or regional chapter. At what stage are you in the process? Consider what point you’re at in the process of your career change. Are you definitely looking to become a professional proofreader or are you at the earlier stage of considering it as one of several options? If the latter, you might opt for a cheaper, preliminary short course to see if the work suits you before you invest a larger amount of money in a more time-consuming distance learning course. If you've recently completed some training you might want to consider a mentoring programme. The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) runs a mentoring programme in the UK. Contact your national editing and proofreading society for more details on mentoring opportunities in your own country. What kind of client are you hoping to target? Case study 1 You’re an ex-solicitor/attorney who’s decided that the law’s not your bag after all. You decide you want to focus on publisher clients, possibly those with lists in criminology, law and policing. Do some research to find out which houses publish in these fields and give them a call. Ask to speak to the production manager, or the person in charge of hiring freelance editorial staff. Ask that person what their criteria are for freelancers. They'll be able to tell you the training providers they recognize. They’ll also be able to give you some ideas about any experience or expertise they are looking for. You may be surprised to find that they accept a qualification that you hadn’t considered. And it may not be the most expensive one on the market. Even if you do find out that you would be better off going for one of the more expensive training courses, at least you know that it will be money well spent and that you’ll get the return on your investment once you start applying for paid work. Getting a feel for what publishers want is a good start because they are one type of client that is in a position to offer you repeat work. Case study 2 You’ve worked as an English-language teacher for years in a school or college, helping young adults improve their literacy skills. You decide to focus on independent fiction and creative non-fiction authors who are looking for the final polish before they submit their manuscript to an agent, in-house commissioning editor, or custom-publishing organization. You need to do the same research. Start networking with writers’ groups and online networks and ask the people themselves what training and experience they expect a proofreader to have. They may have a set of very different preferred externals based on their experiences of commissioning freelance editorial services. Join social networking forums such as LinkedIn where existing freelancers congregate and ask what training routes other freelance proofreaders in your country, who work with the type of client you’re interested in, took to get their careers off the ground. The point is to research your market and find out what people want and expect. Every training provider on the market will tell you that their course is the best, and they wouldn’t be doing a good job of marketing themselves if they claimed otherwise. Asking the end-users, however, is the key to ensuring you make the decision that best suits your business strategy. Assessed or not? Assuming you’ve decided proofreading is the job for you, and you need a training course that is going to give you the confidence and readiness to do the job to a professional standard, find out whether your training provider offers an assessment element. It’s best to iron out the creases while you are training, rather than alienating unhappy clients further down the line. Or to quote an old proverb: What the fool does in the end, the wise man does in the beginning.
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. Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
Solitude vivifies; isolation kills.
Joseph Roux (nineteenth-century priest and poet) I worked in an office for nearly fifteen years before I went freelance. 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 on my own from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 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 challenges 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 – Jo Allen summed it up well, referring to “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”. Online networking Our discussions highlighted one thing above all else: Facebook. Yes, editorial association-based discussion lists, LinkedIn boards, Twitter and Google+ all came up as recommended spaces for connecting with like-minded colleagues in similar working environments, but Facebook stood out as the place to go to meet, chat, share ideas, and let off steam. Facebook is the ultimate freelance water cooler. Several people actually wondered how they ever coped without it, and one person commented that he’s not sure he’d still be freelance were it not for Facebook. I particularly like the fact that it’s so easy to differentiate one’s public image from the more personal posts that might be limited to friends, down to the private messaging options for the one-on-one chat. Using online networking forums 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. Face-to-face networking The other favoured resource for combating feelings of loneliness was the good old-fashioned face-to-face meet. It requires a lot more effort than dipping into your Twitter account, but the rewards are huge. Several contributors commented on the benefits reaped from regular attendance at their local society chapter, and Eva Blaskovic lamented the fact that she didn’t have as much time as she’d like to take advantage of more workshops and functions. If there isn't a local group near to you, you could always follow the lead of Helen Stevens and set one up! Joining your national editorial freelancing society may 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. To find your local, regional or national freelance editorial group, visit the Editing & Proofreading Societies page. See also the Networking section of the Copyeditors’ Knowledge Base, curated by Katharine O’Moore-Klopf – a hugely comprehensive resource for freelancers. Of course, you needn’t limit yourself to editorial groups. “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,” commented Abi Saffrey. And another colleague is pursuing an MA, which gives her valuable face-to-face time with adults. Sara Peacock emphasized the value of joining hobby-based groups, such as a choir or knitting group, and Wendy Toole explained how, prior to the internet era, she took a series of minor part-time jobs, which gave her both additional income and social contact with other people. Cafe culture “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,” was a sound piece of advice from Gaz Haman. That got the thumbs-up from many of the discussants. It’s all about a change of scenery. Even if you’re not directly interacting with other people in a particular place, time spent outside your usual work space is an effective refresher. You can even incorporate your java time with your work – the cafe may not be the best place in which to do editorial tasks that require deep concentration, but it may be a space where you can catch up on emails, invoicing or any of your more general house-keeping tasks. Co-working One of the most innovative solutions was highlighted by both Sally Fildes-Moss and Kristine Hunt. Co-working is “where freelancers meet up to work alongside each other in places such as cafes” , enabling them “to feel less isolated, pick each other's brains, bounce ideas off one another and so on – or just to work in a less solitary environment”. Sally emphasized the fact that there is less pressure to market oneself in these situations, providing instead “a bit more of an office atmosphere than a networking atmosphere”. For an interesting case study of co-working, she recommends the following article: Co-working Could Bring Inspiration. Kristine points us towards Meetup, an online resource that helps you to join or create relevant local community groups – absolutely worth a gander if you’re feeling that isolation is getting on top of you and you’re stuck for ideas of how to move forward. Pet paradise I’m not joking – having a dog can be a sure-fire way to combat feelings of isolation. No, they won’t be able to bounce business ideas around with you and they won’t be able to 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 stressed by a deadline or tackling a particularly demanding proofreading job. And as Wendy Toole reminded us, dog walkers are usually sociable and you get work on your health – keeping you work fit and body fit. They keep your feet warm in winter, too. Other options If you don’t fancy any of the above, consider the following:
Is it isolation or solitude? The first question my colleague Kristine Hunt asked during our discussion is: “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.” Many of us felt the same way. 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. Others commented that the solitude that homeworking brings allows you to work at your own pace. “I can get so much work done just focusing at home and taking breaks only when I need – or don't need – them,” noted Eva Blaskovic. And Hester Higton remarked, “I love being able to shut myself away from the world and have my own space where I can beaver away at my own pace.” To round off, Sarah Wright points to an illuminating article from Susan Cain in the New York Times Sunday Review, The Rise of the New Groupthink, in which she 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.
Do you work on your own? Do you have a set of tips or tricks to combat feelings of isolation? Or do you revel in the solitude you derive from home-based freelancing? Please feel free to share your experiences in the Comments section.
Contributors: Many thanks to my generous editorial colleagues who took the time share their thoughts and experiences: Abi Saffrey, Corbett Brown, Eva Blaskovic, Gaz Haman, Helen Stevens, Hester Higton, Jo Allen, Kristine Hunt, Sally Fildes-Moss, Sara Peacock, Sarah Wright, and Wendy Toole.
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. Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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