This document provides advice for new editors on finding work through marketing and networking. It discusses developing a website as a "business card" to showcase skills. Networking events, conferences, and professional associations are recommended for meeting potential clients. Cold calling publishers may lead to tests but has low success rates. Leveraging past experience and contacts is emphasized, such as telling colleagues, friends, and anyone you meet that you are an editor available for work. Maintaining an online presence on LinkedIn and through article writing is also suggested. Volunteering editorial work can provide references and experience to help build a client base. Perfectionism should be avoided, as starting marketing through any available channels is better than waiting until materials are perfect.

2. NB Before anyone comes in and says this is wrong or that’s wrong… I’m not an expert, I’m just an
editor passing on my OWN experiences! There are different ways of doing everything.
Starting Out
You’ve decided to become an editor/proofreader. Now what?
I asked you to send me your questions, because I wanted this session to be about what YOU wanted,
and not to spend it telling you things you already know.

3. Finding Work – Marketing
The main thing that any new proofreader wants to know!
Marketing
Marketing ongoing:
 Try to aim for repeat business (offer high quality work, design your marketing that way)
Look at how you go about obtaining people’s services and mimic that (looking for a plumber =
different to hiring an editor, but find one in a similar way)
First rule of marketing: you DO TALK about what you do.
Second rule of marketing: you DO TALK about what you do.
Tell everyone. Even the bloke sat next to you on the train.
 You don’t know where work will come from
 My first job came from training to become a volunteer youth moderator. She then referred
me to someone else, and I’ve had repeat business from that 2nd
person three times now.
 For most people, first jobs come through people we know or have met rather than big
publishing houses.
Website: general or specific?
Yes! Have one!! Some people don’t.
Your website won’t be your main marketing stream, everyone has a website.

4.  It’s a “business card” – use to showcase your skills and experience (“Don’t have skills and
experience?”… you do – word it accordingly)
 Extra Authority (if I am looking for an index for a book I’m working on, I will go to Society of
Indexers: I open up a series of entries but I only look at people’s entries who have a website)
 Provides information that others can go and find when they need it
 It’s a tool you can market elsewhere.
To put together your own website, I recommend looking around at other peoples and decide which
bits you like and work from that. DON’T take their site word for word, because that’s plagiarism
(believe me, it happens!) but it’s OK to reword things for your own purpose.
General or specific?
Depends on your own services:
Question: “I’m transitioning to fiction editing. Should my website just focus on that or should I be
more general?”
Be specific when:
 Your area of editing is very specific: e.g. medical books that deal with rare blood disorders =
specific
 If you only want to offer one service
 If you only want to work in one medium (e.g. only journals, etc.)
Don’t be afraid to be general. When I started, everyone said specialise. I didn’t. So long as you listen
to your integrity (and shut up your inner doubt) and believe that you can do it; have a go.
Whatever you decide, tell them what you do! I’m a general editor, so my website
(www.handyeditorials.co.uk) covers all areas that I will work on. I personally am not keen on working
with indie fiction authors (non-fiction is OK), but I keep the info up there so I can pick and choose if I
have time.
Also, don’t delay starting your services just because you don’t have a website. And don’t delay
your website just because it’s not perfect. A single page will do to start with. You can add to it.
Networking events/Conferencing
There are a lot of benefits of networking, and certainly this conference! But People buy from people.
Don’t go into networking to see what you can get from people: offer to give to get
Some of my first jobs came from coming to the SfEP meetings (students, a publishing house
contract). Even now, if I get too much work in, the first people I contact to see if I can pass on the
work are the people in my local group.
Membership in professional (niche) associations
Memberships in editing assocs. are great:

5.  more networking (remember, people use people they know),
 great opportunities for CPD
 Some have job adverts. E.g. SfEP Marketplace, etc.
 Keep an eye in Editing Matters: jobs are often mentioned in the (e.g. Taylor and Francis)
o BE AWARE THERE WILL BE TESTS. (See later)
Membership in other associations depending on your own skills, experiences and niches:
 Offers more opportunities. Less likely to have other editors in the association, so monitor
conversations online and in person and offer whenever you can.
“If there are any people in your network of past colleagues who you haven’t told now is the time to
do so. People who know and respect you from working together can be a great source of new
business. If they don’t need you (or can’t afford you), they may well know people who do — but you
might have to let them know (a) that you’re available and (b) what you offer. They might assume
that you’re too busy for new clients or projects, or not be sure of what you want to do in your
freelance role.” —Facebook post (didn’t note down who!)
“I still get good work through personal contacts in academia. Not in the sense that former colleagues
always give me their books to copyedit - they leave that to the publishers - but if Prof. A is chatting
with Prof. B who knows (of) me, and mentions that he is looking for a copyeditor with the
appropriate expertise, perhaps for a series of volumes he edits, B may recommend me to A.”
—Mandy, conference delegate and SfEP member
Business cards! TELL EVERYONE
You can get business cards really cheaply
You never know what giving someone a business card could lead to…. Maybe not now, but a couple
of years down the line… Offer them to everyone.
Note: some editors keep some white space on their business cards; that way they can make a note
where they met that person, pass extra info, etc. Don’t worry if you haven’t done this.
CVs
I’ve attached a copy of my CV for you to take a look at. I’ve kept it to one page, and very simple. But
as you can see, I have a little bit for each of my client-types – I have mirrored it to my website.
However, you can have a CV for each client-type. These can also be handed out like business cards.
Social media
I don’t use social media for my own marketing – simply for my own sanity so I’ve found answers
from other people.
CHOOSE ONE OR TWO PLATFORMS!!!
Social Media can be very good for content Marketing (especially good if you’re specialising/niche)

6.  Shows you’re an authority on a subject
 More shares/likes – become more well-known: People can pass on your articles for others
o “I've had a LinkedIn profile for years, and did little with it (so felt it was a bit of a
waste of time). Then someone mentioned something about 'writing articles on
LinkedIn' and when I investigated that I discovered a whole newsfeed of interesting
people, interesting material, and interesting ways of getting yourself noticed
without seeming desperate.
(Probably everyone else already knew about this, but I didn't!)
So now I try to share links - or at least react to the links other people share
(especially if I'm short of time) - on a regular basis. I've had a small amount of work
from LinkedIn, but have also connected with lots of interesting people, both within
and outside the editing world.
A couple of days ago I wrote a post about how it's easy to get stuck in a rut as a
freelancer, with no in-house career structure etc. It's had over 1,700 views.
If you'd like to find out more about making the best of LinkedIn, I'd recommend John
Espirian's LinkedIn Learner Lounge: https://espirian.co.uk/linkedin/”
—Helen, conference delegate and SfEP member
 You can “meet” colleagues and display your knowledge in comments or guest posts (contact
me if you have an idea for a guest column)
 Offers another area/opportunity for networking (Remember, people buy from people they
know/trust): Facebook: EAE + associated areas, Unofficial SfEP, Louise Harnby’s pages
o A whole Twitterverse of editors
o SfEP FORUMS => A newbie forum with a lot of answers on.
 Also offers areas of learning/CPD. You can learn an incredible amount from the questions
other people ask and things they discuss.
Cold calling – doing and being
 If you’ve got a specialism: apply on spec to publishers/document producers or
proofreading agencies within your field, as you can offer a specialist service of
expertise in that area.
 BUT “I've found it soul destroying to contact publishing companies out of the blue, as 99%
don't even grace you with a reply!” —Lisa, SfEP member
 Taylor and Francis are fairly open to being contacted by new proofreaders
 Keep an eye out on Twitter/EM/SocMed etc. for places that are advertising and apply (e.g.
Prepress Projects are looking for development editors atm. Advertised on Twitter)
 Be aware that you may have to do editing tests for people you apply to.
o WRITE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES AS YOU GO.
o Tests are marked to a mark sheet, rather than an editor going through and looking
at subjective decisions. If you decide to leave something alone, it shows the person
marking your test that you’ve considered it.
Unfortunately, you may also be cold called. This can be a great thing…
But beware of scams:
 Phishing scams

7.  Monetary scams (Current one is client offers to pay with a cheque; they send you a sum
much larger than the amount you quote and say “It’s OK, please return the extra”, and you
do… and then the cheque bounces.)
 That’s why being a member of professional groups on FB, LinkedIn, etc. can be useful as
these are discussed on the pages (you can search) and helps you be aware.
Being perfect or being paralysed…
REMEMBER: MARKETING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT: IT’S BETTER TO SPEND TIME ON JOBS
HAVING MARKETED A LITTLE THAN SPEND TIME ON MARKETING THAT DOESN’T GO OUT TO
POTENTIAL CLIENTS UNTIL IT’S PERFECT.
It’s better to do something sporadically/have partial information out there than have nothing out
there.
And if you think you’ve got nothing to market… YOU DO! I’ll show you how in the next bit.
Overwhelm
Don’t get overwhelmed though. Look at where you can market in one place and make that a routine.
You’ll probably find that once it’s routine, you’ll have space in your life to consider another place to
market… Slow, sustainable growth is far better than an enthusiastic start of many many places that
leads to pressure and stress that you can’t sustain.

8. Finding Work – What else you can do
On top of the tips we’ve talked about in the previous slide
How other proofreaders do it
Leverage what you know/who you know
Most people get first work through people they know/have worked for
Think about what you've done in the past, and how you can leverage that
 T was an academic before becoming a proofreader: “I have a friend who's a copy-editor,
and she asked me if I'd be willing to do some work if she had too much, and from
there it spiralled out of control. The only advice that I'd probably give is something
about thinking about what you've done in the past, and how you can leverage that; so
in my case, I made sure that every academic that I used to work with and various ex-
PhD students all knew that I was now working as a copy-editor. I've had a bit of work
from that, but mostly it's been centred around the academics who were editing those
first collected volumes that I did for my Swedish friend, and then they told their
colleagues and students, and then they ...”
 L worked in HR: I told a visitor we had at work whose business was packages for employees.
It turned out he had some new brochures that he wanted ‘proofreading’.
 After C’s initial job, I got my first few through coming to the SFEP events and meeting people
who passed on work they had no capacity for.
 Someone asked about approaching businesses: again, talk to people. Offer to proofread
where you work, tell friends who work in businesses that produce documents (even reports
and things like that). Once you have one or two businesses

9. SWOT
A SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and is usually used in business
for strategic planning, but it is also a great way to brainstorm who you can market to.
In each quarter, make a list detailing the following:
 Strengths: skills you have, including
those that may not be immediately obvious as editing skills (i.e.
transferable skills). Make a note next to each point of everything you
can do with these skills for your business/work. Also include any
other aspect of your business that adds value to your products or
service that you could include in your quotation emails. Make sure
you shout about all of these when you market yourself: writing a
website can be hard for some people. We’re not used to blowing our
own trumpets. This can help here too.
 Weaknesses: where you need more training or further information, or any other issues that
may trip you up. Also brainstorm alongside each point what you can do to address each one so
that they can be addressed (e.g. do a course, research how to use Track Changes, buy XX book,
speak to YY about picking son up from school on Fridays…, etc.) In strengthening our
weaknesses, we could take the opportunities to market ourselves to those who are helping us.
 Opportunities: List anywhere you could possibly go to tell people about your business. List any
specialist areas you could look at. Speak to past colleagues, email groups you are involved with,
talk to people… Again, look at all areas of your life, not just the bits of it in the box “editing
business”. Also list things you could do if you have an elusive free hour (e.g. find out who to
contact in publishing houses, go through back issues of Editing Matters to see past adverts,
write emails to xxx, etc.)
 Threats: These could be internal or external. Look at areas which may clash with what you hope
to do for your business. This could involve family, health, other commitments, etc. Also look at
where and how your competitors are marketing (although in the world of editing, competitors
are more “frenemies” than traditional competitors. We help each other!) Not being able to
support ourselves because of low income is another problem
For every problem you list, consider how it can be solved. For every solution, try to brainstorm how
you can use it to market yourself.
For every strength and opportunity you have, consider how you can market this.
Keep an eye out for adverts
 My first big client eventually came from a tip in Editing Matters as there was a
mention in one issue a few years ago of Taylor & Francis being open to contact from
fairly inexperienced proofreaders. So I emailed T&F, took their test and got into their
proofreading pool, which provided quite a lot of work and experience. There have
been a few other adverts too.
—C, conference delegate and SfEP member

11. Timely adverts
 Keep an eye out of what’s going on around you. Is an event happening in your town that has
literature that may need proofreading? Do you live near a university and can put notices up
on noticeboards across the university around final/masters/thesis handing-in time with little
tear-off strips all along the bottom with your phone number and email on? Contact people
in this situation. Anything else that is happening at a specific time/place.
Volunteer
 If you volunteer for charity/community group that have literature, maybe offer to
help out there.
 “I got started by doing some voluntary proofreading. I had just finished my initial
course when I saw a request for voluntary proofreaders for the quarterly
magazine of a group that I'm a member of. When I was ready to start my
business the editor very kindly gave me a testimonial for my website.”
—L, conference delegate and SFEP member
 I started out proofreading friends’ essays at university. They told their friends,
who told friends in the years below… and so on.
—J, Editors’ Association of Earth (FB) member
 There is nothing wrong with volunteering at the beginning (or anytime!)
o Make sure you get of value out of the deal. Don’t give away your services for
nothing. Payment doesn’t have to be monetary though. If you’re happy for
experience, testaments, first job free, swapping talents (you edit, they do
your books), etc., these can all be payments.
o Keep an eye on how long you are doing all your jobs for free for! Eventually
you’ll need to pay the bills.
What doesn’t seem to work
 A lot of people say signing up for things like FindAProofreader, upwork, fiverr,
etc. Most people I spoke to didn’t hear anything through those. However, if it
doesn’t cost much to advertise on there, it would never hurt to do so. BUT be
aware that proposals can be a race to the bottom.
DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!!
In the first few years of most people’s business, it’s grown very slowly and almost
entirely from recommendations. However, it can – and does – grow. Keep at it!
UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP – Directory and website
I know this is a catch-22 situation; at the moment, you are looking for experience. But you will get
experience, and you will get work. This is a long-term goal, but one worth keeping in the back of
your mind. The best piece of advice I ever got was “get yourself a good website and get yourself up
to professional membership and onto the directory”.
ANYTHING YOU DO – ASK FOR A TESTAMONIAL.
The SfEP Marketing Yourself book is very useful in this situation.

12. Money
Pricing up a project
What rates of pay should you expect as a proofreader at the start of your career?
How to know how much to charge.
Tricky one to answer: we can be very British about talking about money.
How much to charge
SfEP website offers suggested rates of pay, but this doesn’t mean much. It’s quoted per hour, and
that will depend on how fast you work. It’s also quite hard to quote “that high”…
Client types will dictate how you quote
 per project
 per hour
 per page/1000 words
Publishing houses will offer a per project price. In this case, it usually is a “take it or leave it” option:
you get offered the price and the deadline and it’s up to you to just say yes or no. There may be
minimal negotiation option, but not massive.
Other publishers and business client-types will ask for a per hour quotation. That may be up to you
to negotiate or you may be told the amount..
Indie publishers and students will appreciate the per page/per 1000 words quotation as it offers
them a tangible idea of what you’re charging for. They are less likely to understand what we do, and
you could be doing anything per hour. Businesses and journal publishers are also more likely to ask
for per page quotations.

13. Be aware: These are generalisations…
There is no reason why, as a new proofreader, you can’t charge same amount per project. Don’t tell
them you’re new! (Keep on the fine line between integrity and shooting yourself in the foot!)
As you get used to working, your time will speed up, which means your “rates per hour” will go up
If you’re quoting per page/1000 words, remember to factor in global checking, post edit checking,
email writing, etc. (time is money).
As time passes, you will want to move:
Long hours, low pay....... >>> .......fewer hours, more pay (or if you want, long hours, more pay)
Be aware that some clients may not have your budget. I cover this in my initial quotation email with
the statement:
If this does not fit within your budget, but you wish to use my services, please
contact me for either further service options or different payment plans. I take
installments, and can work with you within a budget.
Be aware what you’re quoting for
Suggest asking for a sample edit when negotiating.
Clients don’t always know what they’re asking for. A request for a “light proofread” could mean a
what’s wanted is a heavy line edit. You won’t know this until you’ve seen the project. Make sure you
know what you are both talking about. Often students, indie authors, businesses, etc. don’t
understand our language and have other expectations. It is up to us to ensure that our clients
understand what they are signing up for. Managing client expectations before you start a project is
easier than managing client disappointment afterwards.
CHECK YOU CLARIFY THE WORK YOU’RE DOING. Are you quoting for one pass or until the author
believes the project is completed? BE CAREFUL
Make sure you have a contract (see later
Monitor your time/payments
Find your own way: Start quoting a specific amount for your work, then time how long it takes you
to do a full job, how fast you work.
Keep records; what kind of job takes average of what time? What are you earning vs what are you
charging. As you collect more information, you will be able to adjust your prices accordingly
- Was pleased to see that for a usual read through of a proof/edit I take about 2,500 words
per hour; one Sfep member said similar in her blog, and a lot of other people commented
that they were the same.

14. Also, as you progress through SfEP membership scheme, you will need to submit evidence of hours
worked. If you keep records from early on, you will have it all to hand to submit if/when time comes.
Don’t undersell yourself
New proofreaders often quote lower for several reasons:
- own belief in their skills:
o Don’t sell yourself cheaply; there is a psychological connection between higher
prices and higher quality work… but this also has to be balanced out with the client’s
budget
o Most people starting a business undervalue what they do
- Less experienced often have more time/are more keen to get a job. A more experienced
proofreader may be fully booked so just thinks “stuff it” and quote a much higher amount
because they don’t care if they get the job or not.
Don’t race to the bottom. Don’t feel you have to quote low prices because you are new OR to
underquote others as a long-term strategy. It’s a balancing act between understanding their budget
and your value, and this knowledge is something that will come with time. In the beginning, you are
testing the waters and feeling your way.
BUT Race to the bottom – payment vs pride. There is a lot of conversation between editors who
disapprove of low prices, and some can be a bit judgemental about it… but we have to live and we
have to eat. I’d rather take £100 for a job that should pay much more than not have work at all that
month!
Tax and NI
Tax bill: Recommend moving 25% of every invoice into a separate account WHEN YOU GET PAID; this
will cover tax/NI at the end of the year, and if you don't have to pay it, you have a bonus. It means
you’re not trying to find the money (which could potentially be thousands of pounds) in January.
Also be aware that any student loans will come out of your January payment if you hit the threshold.
SfEP Pricing A Project book
Louise Harnby Testing Editorial Pricing Models free booklet offers one example of how an editor or
proofreader might approach testing which pricing model works best for their editing and
proofreading business.

15. Legal stuff
NB: I am not a lawyer or an accountant! The information here is bits I’ve gleaned over 10 years as an
editor. PLEASE use this information as a starting point and double check anything.
Contracts
Contracts are legal agreements between two parties and are the best way to protect yourself as
a freelancer. A contract lays out the details of the relationship with your client and what's expected
from both parties – ensuring freelancers get paid for their work on time and in full.
The word Contract sounds scary. It’s not.
An email can serve as a contract
 If you don’t want to draw up a formal contract and take the time needed for both parties to
sign it and return it, an email where you specify what you will do, how long the project will
take, and the overall or hourly fee will also suffice as long as you have a statement of
agreement from your client in a return email.
 This acceptance email will serve as the contract for the job.
EXAMPLE:
Student emails to enquire about proofreading an essay. It’s 3000 words and they need it returned by
Friday
I reply: Yes, get to me by Wednesday morning, I will charge £30 for my services
They accept
This is a contract. They’ve asked you to do some work. You’ve said under what conditions you will
work. They’ve accepted.

16. Where you need more information in your contract is to protect yourself.
Example: “get to me by Wed morning”. This allows you time. It also means if they send it Thursday
evening needing it back for Friday morning, you can say no (it happens!! Students can be notoriously
bad at times and deadlines… and often don’t understand that yo*u may not work weekends!)
It means you have parameters defined: Don’t allow yourself to be bullied.
My contract was based on the SfEP website (www.sfep.org.uk/standards/contracts/contract-
guidance)
I’ve added my contract to the bottom of my T&Cs. I based my T&Cs from SfEP website
(www.sfep.org.uk/standards/contracts/model-terms-and-conditions). I added some.
Your Contract could include:
 Material supplied
 Material still to come and by when
 Tasks to be performed by both you and the client
 Delivery date: when you expect the document(s); when you are expected to return the
documents
 Fee and payment terms
 Expenses to be reimbursed: Any out-of-pocket expenses can be reclaimed. They are not
part of the contract unless you both agree they are. Make sure you client knows this
before you start. They may object; or they may just go away with a less than good
feeling about you/your work. Manage client expectations and they’ll think you’re
wonderful!
 I’m freelance: This means you dictate when you work, how you work and who you work
with. This is a defined status by HMRC; if your client insists you work under certain
circumstances, you may become employed. (www.gov.uk/employment-status)
 Payment terms: Payment terms: fee per hour OR per printed page OR an agreed flat fee.
OR deposits
 What will happen if document isn’t to standard, extra tasks expected, etc.
 I can use their name and title of work for my promo material. There may be an Non-
Disclosure Agreement (NDA), but you can still negotiate using certain information for
your marketing.
I’ve also added:
 My contact times – One client insisted on phoning me at 10.30 Saturday nights
 That this quotation is for one pass, one revision. Any further work after that will have to
be negotiated.
 I will take the document they send me as the draft I am working on; Any changes made
after I have started work needs to be negotiated
 My editing does not guarantee consequences: acceptance of your manuscript for
publication, peer review for a desired publication, or any specific academic mark, if
applicable.
 Payment-related information
 Time scales

17. Invoicing
Your invoice must include:
 a unique identification number (the invoice number)
 your company name, address and contact information
 the company name and address of the customer you’re invoicing
 a clear description of what you’re charging for
 the date the goods or service were provided (supply date)
 the date of the invoice
 the amount(s) being charged
 VAT amount if applicable
 the total amount owed
Some companies will dictate when you are paid. A common one is 30 days end of month IF you get
the invoice in before X date. So if you get an invoice in by e.g. 10 Feb, you will be paid 28 March!
Other clients, you get to dictate when they pay (e.g. 14 days, end of month, 30 days, etc.)
Record when an invoice goes out and make sure it is chased. This will mean you can keep an eye on
outstanding invoices and keep a record of what invoices you have sent.
I find chasing for money difficult, so I have a pre-written email to make it easy to chase for the first
contact. I keep these under canned emails in my Gmail:
I was just wondering if you'd had chance to think about the attached invoice? It's now overdue and
requires payment.
If you have any problems, or need any help with anything, please let me know and I will do what I can
to assist.
Kind regards,
Claire
I usually get paid within the fortnight.
Late payment legislation
You can charge for late payment. However, use your discretion; you don’t want to alienate potential
repeat business.
http://payontime.co.uk/late-payment-legislation-interest-calculators
I have the following on my invoice:
I understand and will exercise my statutory right to claim interest and compensation for debt
recovery costs under the late payment legislation should payment be later than 30 days from the
date on this invoice.
I got this from a book. When I remember which one I will add the details here.
Accounts
For most freelancers/sole traders, accounts are fairly simple. Book keeping: use a book keeper or
accounts software. Must be disciplined. It’s far easier to upload an invoice every time one is sent, or

18. even end of month, than it is a whole year’s worth in January just before the Self-assessment
deadline!
Some recommended accounts software include:
 Quickbooks
 Freeagent
 Freshbooks
 Xero
 Zoho
Many of us get an accountant for their first two years just to see what tax relief we can get in our
own personal situations; e.g. half internet bill, working from home expenses, etc. See
www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed and www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-
homeworking for more info, and have a chat with an accountant.
Tax and NI: Put 20–30% aside from all income. You will have to pay tax!
https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-ready-reckoner leads to the income tax calculator
Insurance
 Professional indemnity insurance covers financial loss, personal injury and property damage
resulting from your negligent act, error or omission while you're working for a client.
SfEP have an arrangement with PolicyBee
https://www.sfep.org.uk/members/benefits/professional-indemnity-insurance/
 Contents insurance: CHECK IT – does it cover your computer, etc.
 Other insurances you may want to consider:
o “Key man” insurance
o Health insurance/Life insurance
o Loss of income insurance
www.hse.gov.uk/legislation
www.hrmc.gov.uk
Other stuff
Office
Make sure you don’t have a dedicated space for working, that your office can also be used for
another purpose. HMRC could charge you taxes for having a dedicated space: It’s then seen as an
office rather than a home!

19. Staying sane
Work–Life balance, Healthy working and Morale when doing courses
Work hours
Make sure you keep an eye on your work hours. When you are working out how to fit work into your
days, remember that work doesn’t just mean the hours you are proofreading. There are other things
that need doing: emails, admin, accounts… LUNCH! Make sure you schedule those hours in each day
too.
Be aware of project creep and deadlines.
Family
Family is important. And it’s so easy to “just need to get this done” day after day. Make sure you
schedule time in for them.
Other bits
Get a hobby, a part time job, join a group, co-working. Get out amongst people. Talk to people!
Get out of the house. See daylight (and I don’t just mean through a window!)
Find someone to be accountable to.
Tips for getting through imposter syndrome
Talk to people. (Create a whatsapp group, facebook page, etc.). You won’t be the only one going
through this. Even the big names in the editing world get imposter syndrome.

20. Go to local groups, conferences, and other places where editors hang out.
Write down your successes – It's easy to forget our successes when the bad times hit. In those
moments, it’s always been bad. If you have your successes written down, it’ll help you remember.

21. Other questions
What happens if you make a mistake in a piece of work and how to deal with it.
It depends very much on the mistake you’ve made! We are not robots and no-one is perfect. The
industry standard is 95%, not 100%. We're all human and even the best copy-editors/proofreaders
make mistakes.
If you’re able to rectify it, then do. Speak to your client as a professional. Apologise and offer to
rectify it free of charge. We’ve all been somewhere where an error or a problem has occurred, and
often what makes the impression isn’t the mistake but how it was dealt with.
If you’re not able to rectify it, then there really is nothing you can do about it.
Mistakes are OK. They happen.
Again, don’t go through it alone; reach out and talk to people; go on the forums and ask. You won’t
be the first to have made a mistake, and you won’t be the last. We all have made mistakes.
Would you recommend joining the mentor scheme?
I didn’t do the mentor scheme… I signed up for it then failed to do anything! But it is a positive thing.
Comments about the mentor scheme:
The varied and challenging assignments can prepare you well for real work.
Might be an idea to do whilst you’re trying to find steady work – don’t know what it will lead to.
Successful mentees can gain up to 10 points towards upgrading their membership. (Specialist
mentees can gain up to 12 points.)
To have an editing professional look over my shoulder while I practise on real materials has been
invaluable.

22. Transitioning from academic publishing into fiction editing
There are several courses out there:
 The SfEP does a Fiction Editing course: https://www.sfep.org.uk/training/choose-a-
course/introduction-to-fiction-editing
 Louise Harnby’s Switching to Fiction course:
https://www.louiseharnbyproofreader.com/switching-to-fiction.html
 Sophie Playle talks about fiction editing: https://liminalpages.com
 SfEP Forums have a Fiction Editing forum
Looking back what’s the best piece of advice you would have given yourself when you were starting
out?
Believe in yourself. You can do this. Don't be scared of putting up your prices. You’re just as good as
everyone else… and what you don’t know you can learn.
SfEP Courses and Morale
 Write down your wins to keep your morale up.
 Talk to others doing the same course…
 Set up accountability groups with people doing similar courses. I have a whatsapp group for
my CPD; we all realised we’d had courses sat on our desks and hadn’t touched them so we
all set up on whatsapp and check in every Tuesday, even if we don’t do any work! It’s a great
group.