Photo by Steven Depolo
From time to time I receive emails from people interested in becoming a freelance editor or proofreader. They ask how I set up and market my own proofreading and editing business, and they seek advice on how they might go about doing the same. I usually point them in the direction of a guest blog post I wrote for Louise Harnby’s The Proofreader’s Parlour blog some years ago: Building a Freelance Proofreading Business – The Usefulness of Objectives. In that blog post originally published on Louise's blog and republished below, I detailed the initial steps I took to establish and market my editorial business.
Building a proofreading business – the usefulness of objectives
For the past 15 years I have worked in research and business administration. The catalyst for my career change to freelance proofreading was my experience as a co-author and co-editor of our local parish history (published as a community fundraising project). Setting up a business of any kind can be a little overwhelming so, using my project management experience, I found the best way to approach it was to take things one step at a time, i.e. to set myself business objectives.
I broke these objectives down into individual tasks and gave them timeframes for completion. Some objectives were met (by necessity) from the start, others were ongoing and fitted in around my client work and some will continue to feature – in various forms – in future years’ objectives. I love to-do lists and as I come to the end of 2012 it is deeply satisfying to reflect on the objectives I have achieved to date.
In order to progress from voluntary, amateur proofreader and editor to a professional freelance proofreader I set myself the following objectives:
1. Get an industry-recognised qualification in proofreading
For someone outside of the publishing industry in Ireland, this was a daunting first step. I knew that it was important to gain a recognised professional qualification not only in order for potential clients to take me seriously but also for my own knowledge and confidence. I wanted to ensure that I was investing my training budget wisely. There were numerous proofreading courses on offer: a key decision was to choose the right one for me.
I contacted the Irish Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders & Indexers (AFEPI). They advised that Publishing Ireland (the Irish Book Publishers’ Association) recognise the courses run by the Publishing Training Centre in London. Its Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning course was invaluable and very challenging; successfully completing it has given me the confidence to pursue a career in freelance proofreading.
2. Register a business name
In Ireland, if you operate a business under any name other than your own true name, you must register it with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) so this objective was next on my list. It was a relatively easy process with only a small fee involved. If for some reason you are not happy with the name you register, you can always change it later (for another small fee). Once I received my Certificate of Registration it all became very real!
Under this objective, I also contacted the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Ireland) regarding my tax and VAT status.
3. Set up an office space and office systems
My business background came to the fore for this objective. While it involved the more tedious side of freelancing, it was vital in terms of sending out a clear message, both to myself and my nearest and dearest, that I was taking my business seriously. So I set up a home office space; prepared account spreadsheets to track my income and expenditure; created client spreadsheets to track my client work; determined my charges; designed quotations, invoices, receipts and statements; drafted my terms and conditions; established a back-up procedure for my files, etc.
For security reasons, I did not want to use our personal computer so I invested in a new laptop with Microsoft Office software, and over the past few months I have built up my suite of editing tools. The Proofreader’s Parlour blogs have been a huge help with this objective, e.g. I now use PDF-XChange for my PDF files which is an excellent package and Louise’s PDF Proofreading Symbols have been a fantastic addition. Her Link of the Week blog has pointed the way towards many excellent editing-resource websites and software.
One of the pleasures of setting up my office has been the creation of my reference library. Good reference books have been essential tools for my work to date and they were a key component of my set-up costs.
4. Set up a Facebook business page
One of the crucial pieces of advice I read regarding setting up a freelance business was to tell everyone and anyone who will listen about your services. Should anyone doubt the value of that advice, let me assure you that I discovered it very early on: a neighbour approached me to say that they had just learned that I was a proofreader and had they known this they would have contracted me to work on their self-published book rather than the non-local proofreader they did hire.
So, one of the first ways I went about spreading the word was to set up a public Business Facebook Page, link to it from my Personal Page and invite all my friends to ‘like’ it. It was quick, free and very easy to set up and it was a great starting point for building an online presence. It has allowed me to publicise my services and to interact with other business pages such as publishers, local libraries and local businesses, using my business name.
5. Get business cards and posters
This was a somewhat time-consuming but relatively easy and cost-effective objective to achieve as I designed my own business cards and posters using an online service. I then personally delivered them to all my local libraries to let the library staff know about my services and my involvement with the local history book (of which the County Library had purchased several copies). One simple library visit and chat led to a librarian referring a local author to me – one who subsequently contracted my services! I also displayed posters in local and national colleges and universities. I always carry some business cards with me – you never know when you will need one.
Tip – Do not print too many business cards to begin with as your details may change. For example, I did not have a website address when I ordered my first batch of cards. Subsequent batches will list my website!
6. Join professional bodies
One of my primary aims was to establish and run my business in the most professional manner possible and for me this included becoming a member of the relevant professional bodies. Early on, I became an Associate Member of the SfEP. More recently, I joined their Associates Available List and, though I am an Irish-based proofreader, I remain hopeful that I will source some work via the List! Having now gained more experience, future objectives will include applying for Ordinary Membership.
I recently became a Full Member of the Irish AFEPI (Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers). This involved completing an application form detailing the past five projects I had worked on, and the checking of my client references. It took time and effort to complete but it was very worthwhile and the interaction with my Irish colleagues was a pleasant bonus
7. Start networking online
Working from home in rural Ireland with no previous in-house experience or existing contacts within the publishing industry was initially quite isolating. The Publishing Training Centre, SfEP and Proofreader’s Parlour websites were a great resource in the early days and I spent my spare time reading their articles and blogs. This interaction helped to keep me going during the difficult early days and to feel a part of the freelance community.
My most fruitful online networking to date has been on LinkedIn. I joined shortly after registering my business name and connected with friends and past colleagues. Almost immediately, a former colleague contacted me seeking my proofreading services for their online business. They had learned of my services solely through LinkedIn and have been a regular client ever since.
8. Start networking locally
While I had little publishing-industry experience, my 15 years’ administrative and research work involved a lot of business writing, editing and proofreading. The contacts I made from my previous jobs have been of great benefit when seeking commercial proofreading business. The first network I joined was my local Wexford County Enterprise Board network and subsequently the Women in Business Network. I recently attended one of their local business conferences and found it thoroughly inspiring. More productively, I met the managing editor of a local independent publisher for the first time and this led to a subsequent longer and informative meeting.
Slowly, but surely, I am starting to network with other local editorial professionals. I have yet to discover an equivalent of the SfEP local group network in the Ireland and the opportunity to meet fellow Irish freelancers has been limited so far (one for my 2013 objectives list!). Earlier this year, I declined a substantive-editing project that I felt was outside the remit of my experience; it would have been nice to have known a trusted local colleague to whom I could have referred the author.
9. Start contacting publishers
I have been extremely lucky in that I have had a steady stream of work since I set up my business. Most of this work has come from, or through, previous contacts. I have successfully contacted some small independent publishers and secured some work in this manner, with hopefully more work to come in 2013.
10. Design and publish my own website
The achievement of this objective has been one of the highlights of my first year in formal business. My budget did not stretch to having one designed professionally, yet all the advice indicated the importance of having a website. Thanks, once again, to some excellent advice in the Proofreader’s Parlour, I decided to design the website myself using Weebly.com. It was so much easier than I'd expected – building the site was nothing compared to having to write the content! Overall, it was a great learning experience.
Tip – Proofreaders need proofreaders, too. Have someone else proofread your content before you publish it!
11. Do not give up!
In June, I handed in my notice at my regularly-paid ‘day job’ to concentrate fully on proofreading. I have never once regretted that decision though, like all freelancers, I have had periods of no paid work. In the early days, I had a couple of very promising leads for proofreading work that never came to fruition and this really tested my resolve and self-belief. I used these quiet periods to concentrate on the mechanics of my business, e.g. building my website, networking and reading industry-related material on all aspects of proofreading and freelancing – things not covered in a training-course manual!
It is a great privilege in life to work at what you love and I absolutely love what I do. It is the sheer thrill of working with words that drives me to keep going and not give up. One of the most heartening experiences of changing careers has been the support from established freelance proofreaders (the competition – or ‘frenemies’). I am still amazed at the kindness and help I have received from Louise and others. This goodwill has sustained me and helped me to keep going despite the challenges and knockbacks of the early stages.
12. Accept invitation to write a guest blog
As I may have mentioned (!), I have found the information and advice in Louise’s Proofreader’s Parlour blogs posts and guest blog posts to be completely invaluable during this past year of establishing my business. It was an honour when she invited me to write a guest blog for the Parlour and it is with great pleasure that I now put a tick against my final Business Objective of 2012!
I broke these objectives down into individual tasks and gave them timeframes for completion. Some objectives were met (by necessity) from the start, others were ongoing and fitted in around my client work and some will continue to feature – in various forms – in future years’ objectives. I love to-do lists and as I come to the end of 2012 it is deeply satisfying to reflect on the objectives I have achieved to date.
In order to progress from voluntary, amateur proofreader and editor to a professional freelance proofreader I set myself the following objectives:
1. Get an industry-recognised qualification in proofreading
For someone outside of the publishing industry in Ireland, this was a daunting first step. I knew that it was important to gain a recognised professional qualification not only in order for potential clients to take me seriously but also for my own knowledge and confidence. I wanted to ensure that I was investing my training budget wisely. There were numerous proofreading courses on offer: a key decision was to choose the right one for me.
I contacted the Irish Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders & Indexers (AFEPI). They advised that Publishing Ireland (the Irish Book Publishers’ Association) recognise the courses run by the Publishing Training Centre in London. Its Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning course was invaluable and very challenging; successfully completing it has given me the confidence to pursue a career in freelance proofreading.
2. Register a business name
In Ireland, if you operate a business under any name other than your own true name, you must register it with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) so this objective was next on my list. It was a relatively easy process with only a small fee involved. If for some reason you are not happy with the name you register, you can always change it later (for another small fee). Once I received my Certificate of Registration it all became very real!
Under this objective, I also contacted the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Ireland) regarding my tax and VAT status.
3. Set up an office space and office systems
My business background came to the fore for this objective. While it involved the more tedious side of freelancing, it was vital in terms of sending out a clear message, both to myself and my nearest and dearest, that I was taking my business seriously. So I set up a home office space; prepared account spreadsheets to track my income and expenditure; created client spreadsheets to track my client work; determined my charges; designed quotations, invoices, receipts and statements; drafted my terms and conditions; established a back-up procedure for my files, etc.
For security reasons, I did not want to use our personal computer so I invested in a new laptop with Microsoft Office software, and over the past few months I have built up my suite of editing tools. The Proofreader’s Parlour blogs have been a huge help with this objective, e.g. I now use PDF-XChange for my PDF files which is an excellent package and Louise’s PDF Proofreading Symbols have been a fantastic addition. Her Link of the Week blog has pointed the way towards many excellent editing-resource websites and software.
One of the pleasures of setting up my office has been the creation of my reference library. Good reference books have been essential tools for my work to date and they were a key component of my set-up costs.
4. Set up a Facebook business page
One of the crucial pieces of advice I read regarding setting up a freelance business was to tell everyone and anyone who will listen about your services. Should anyone doubt the value of that advice, let me assure you that I discovered it very early on: a neighbour approached me to say that they had just learned that I was a proofreader and had they known this they would have contracted me to work on their self-published book rather than the non-local proofreader they did hire.
So, one of the first ways I went about spreading the word was to set up a public Business Facebook Page, link to it from my Personal Page and invite all my friends to ‘like’ it. It was quick, free and very easy to set up and it was a great starting point for building an online presence. It has allowed me to publicise my services and to interact with other business pages such as publishers, local libraries and local businesses, using my business name.
5. Get business cards and posters
This was a somewhat time-consuming but relatively easy and cost-effective objective to achieve as I designed my own business cards and posters using an online service. I then personally delivered them to all my local libraries to let the library staff know about my services and my involvement with the local history book (of which the County Library had purchased several copies). One simple library visit and chat led to a librarian referring a local author to me – one who subsequently contracted my services! I also displayed posters in local and national colleges and universities. I always carry some business cards with me – you never know when you will need one.
Tip – Do not print too many business cards to begin with as your details may change. For example, I did not have a website address when I ordered my first batch of cards. Subsequent batches will list my website!
6. Join professional bodies
One of my primary aims was to establish and run my business in the most professional manner possible and for me this included becoming a member of the relevant professional bodies. Early on, I became an Associate Member of the SfEP. More recently, I joined their Associates Available List and, though I am an Irish-based proofreader, I remain hopeful that I will source some work via the List! Having now gained more experience, future objectives will include applying for Ordinary Membership.
I recently became a Full Member of the Irish AFEPI (Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers). This involved completing an application form detailing the past five projects I had worked on, and the checking of my client references. It took time and effort to complete but it was very worthwhile and the interaction with my Irish colleagues was a pleasant bonus
7. Start networking online
Working from home in rural Ireland with no previous in-house experience or existing contacts within the publishing industry was initially quite isolating. The Publishing Training Centre, SfEP and Proofreader’s Parlour websites were a great resource in the early days and I spent my spare time reading their articles and blogs. This interaction helped to keep me going during the difficult early days and to feel a part of the freelance community.
My most fruitful online networking to date has been on LinkedIn. I joined shortly after registering my business name and connected with friends and past colleagues. Almost immediately, a former colleague contacted me seeking my proofreading services for their online business. They had learned of my services solely through LinkedIn and have been a regular client ever since.
8. Start networking locally
While I had little publishing-industry experience, my 15 years’ administrative and research work involved a lot of business writing, editing and proofreading. The contacts I made from my previous jobs have been of great benefit when seeking commercial proofreading business. The first network I joined was my local Wexford County Enterprise Board network and subsequently the Women in Business Network. I recently attended one of their local business conferences and found it thoroughly inspiring. More productively, I met the managing editor of a local independent publisher for the first time and this led to a subsequent longer and informative meeting.
Slowly, but surely, I am starting to network with other local editorial professionals. I have yet to discover an equivalent of the SfEP local group network in the Ireland and the opportunity to meet fellow Irish freelancers has been limited so far (one for my 2013 objectives list!). Earlier this year, I declined a substantive-editing project that I felt was outside the remit of my experience; it would have been nice to have known a trusted local colleague to whom I could have referred the author.
9. Start contacting publishers
I have been extremely lucky in that I have had a steady stream of work since I set up my business. Most of this work has come from, or through, previous contacts. I have successfully contacted some small independent publishers and secured some work in this manner, with hopefully more work to come in 2013.
10. Design and publish my own website
The achievement of this objective has been one of the highlights of my first year in formal business. My budget did not stretch to having one designed professionally, yet all the advice indicated the importance of having a website. Thanks, once again, to some excellent advice in the Proofreader’s Parlour, I decided to design the website myself using Weebly.com. It was so much easier than I'd expected – building the site was nothing compared to having to write the content! Overall, it was a great learning experience.
Tip – Proofreaders need proofreaders, too. Have someone else proofread your content before you publish it!
11. Do not give up!
In June, I handed in my notice at my regularly-paid ‘day job’ to concentrate fully on proofreading. I have never once regretted that decision though, like all freelancers, I have had periods of no paid work. In the early days, I had a couple of very promising leads for proofreading work that never came to fruition and this really tested my resolve and self-belief. I used these quiet periods to concentrate on the mechanics of my business, e.g. building my website, networking and reading industry-related material on all aspects of proofreading and freelancing – things not covered in a training-course manual!
It is a great privilege in life to work at what you love and I absolutely love what I do. It is the sheer thrill of working with words that drives me to keep going and not give up. One of the most heartening experiences of changing careers has been the support from established freelance proofreaders (the competition – or ‘frenemies’). I am still amazed at the kindness and help I have received from Louise and others. This goodwill has sustained me and helped me to keep going despite the challenges and knockbacks of the early stages.
12. Accept invitation to write a guest blog
As I may have mentioned (!), I have found the information and advice in Louise’s Proofreader’s Parlour blogs posts and guest blog posts to be completely invaluable during this past year of establishing my business. It was an honour when she invited me to write a guest blog for the Parlour and it is with great pleasure that I now put a tick against my final Business Objective of 2012!
New freelance proofreaders and editors might also find Louise’s books Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers and Marketing Your Editing & Proofreading Business very helpful.
Related posts:
5 marketing tips for the freelance editor or proofreader
Marketing resources for editors, proofreaders, authors and freelancers
Setting up an editing business: lessons learnt
Book review: Content Marketing Primer for Editors & Proofreaders
5 marketing tips for the freelance editor or proofreader
Marketing resources for editors, proofreaders, authors and freelancers
Setting up an editing business: lessons learnt
Book review: Content Marketing Primer for Editors & Proofreaders
