So You Want to Be an Editor . . .
Editing and proofreading are among the most popular services offered in the gig economy. Being a successful freelance editor is a dream job for many who want to get paid to read.
The sad truth is that many of these individuals lack the skills and experience needed to do a proper job of editing or proofreading text for publication. They hang out their shingles far too soon, despite suffering from imposter syndrome, and charge lower rates to attract clients—and to make up for their lack of experience while they learn on the job—that don’t generate enough in revenues to even begin to sustain their efforts. Others are guilty of unsubstantiated overconfidence. They lack familiarity with style manuals or style sheets, add more errors than they fix, and edit out the author’s voice, unknowingly failing not only their client but themselves as well.
But Can You Edit?
But how do you know if you can’t edit? Who can you trust in this industry to tell you if you’re not ready or how to improve?
This book is for you if you want to learn:
- How to determine whether you have what it takes to be a successful editor
- What’s required to make a career of editing or proofreading
- Costs of being a faux editor
- Different types of editing and how to find the right fit for you
- How to determine your real starting point and which skills to develop
- Where to find education and proper training
- Whether you should find a mentor or a coach and key differences between the two
In So You Want to Be an Editor . . . But Can You Edit?, Tia Ross, 35-year veteran editor, mentor, and coach, offers straight talk laced with humor. Ross shares insightful tips, thought-provoking scenarios, and sage advice, shining a light on salient focal points to help you find footing in your career and become your professional best.
Grab a free excerpt from So You Want to Be an Editor . . . But Can You Edit? (coming soon)
“So You Want to Be an Editor is a blueprint for editorial character, filling the gap between "I want to be an editor" and "How do I become one?" Tia addresses the questions whose answers direct a new editor's initial efforts and determine what kind of editor they will eventually become. Highly recommended.”
Christina Frey, Editor & Co-Executive Emeritus of Editorial Freelancers Association
“Ross pulls no punches. This veteran editor shows the wannabe freelancer why being a professional editor isn’t a quick-fix career switch. Instead, we must understand the scope of the editorial landscape, our duty of care to clients, and why training is essential. If you want to be an editor, this is the book you read first to ensure you don’t make mistakes later. Highly recommended.”
Louise Harnby, Fiction Editor & Co-Host—The Editing Podcast
“Tia Ross clearly and succinctly explains the many nuances of effective editing backed by her vast knowledge and experience in the profession. Her straightforward examples of editor types, client scenarios, and training resources are accessible and insightful, and her considerations for both the work and the business of editing are pure gold. If you are considering a career in editing, read this book.”
Sherian Brown, Copyeditor & Proofreader
“Thank you, Tia Ross, for spelling out clearly in your book that there is much more to being a professional editor than enjoying reading and spotting typos. Tia explains what editors need to know and what experience they need so they can succeed in self-employment. Readers, pay special attention to the checklist in her last chapter about how to determine you’re ready.”
Katharine O’Moore-Klopf, Medical Editor & Curator—Copyeditors' Knowledge Base
“With a clever blend of hard-earned wisdom and dry humor, Ross keeps it real as she shares her career journey and lends her expertise to inspire and instruct aspiring editors on the different types of editing, dealing with clients, and avoiding common pitfalls. With insightful examples, words of encouragement, and links to additional resources, So You Want to Be an Editor . . . But Can You Edit? is a gem for both freelancers and full-timers.”
LiVatia “Gwyn” Jordan, Editor, Literary Agent,
and Founder—FiBBooks.com
“Tia is the real deal. So You Want to Be an Editor...But Can You Edit? is well-written, strongly convicting, and a must-read for editors who want a real shot at winning in this market.”
Shaundale Rénā, Developmental Editor & Book Coach
About the Author
Tia Ross
Tia Ross is an editor and coach with more than 35 years of experience assisting authors with their manuscripts and editors with their careers. She has coached and mentored both writers and editors toward mastering their crafts and launching professional and freelance careers, and she specializes in helping editors to create and streamline thriving freelance editorial businesses.
As a sought-after copyeditor, Tia works with “Big 5” publishers Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster as well as public and private entities across myriad industries. She is the founder and CEO of WordWiser Ink Copyediting Lab, a company of elite editors specializing in copyediting and proofreading (wordwiserink.com). She’s also an ISSA-certified yoga instructor, RYT (registered yoga teacher) with Yoga Alliance, and the creator of Writeful Retreats (writefulretreats.com). Her global retreats are getaways that blend beautiful destinations, luxury venues, yoga, meditation, journaling, and writing instruction for writers and relaxation, networking, and coaching programs for editors.
Further aligning her passion for nurturing fellow wordsmiths, Tia is founder of Black Editors & Proofreaders Directory (BEP), a top-ranked directory of Black editorial professionals (blackeditors.net), and Black Writers Collective (BWC), a network of support groups and programs for Black writers (blackwriters.org). Tia is coach and mentor through BWC and BEP as well as Professional Editors Network, Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), and The Young Writer’s Initiative. Tia has also served as a member of the EFA’s board of directors, co-chair of the EFA conference, and conference planning consultant for EFACON 2018 and 2023.