Why My Focus is on Freelance Editing (+ Why I Stopped Freelance Writing)

Freelance editing is what I am made to do!

My focus is now on freelance editing instead of freelance writing.

Do you think you’re made for editing instead of writing?

I have always loved words and I have always loved writing.

When I first started blogging and got an offer to write an article a month for Dear Blogger, I decided to try my hand at freelance writing. This was all before Wording Well was born… back in 2013.

When I founded Wording Well in 2014, I started out offering only freelance writing services. It wasn’t until later that I began offering editing services. Looking back, I realize that I should’ve had my focus on freelance editing all along. It’s what I love to do most of all!

Is freelance editing “your thing”?

If you want to become a freelance editor, let me know. Send me an email and tell me if you would be interested in receiving special instructions on how to do this. (Visit my Contact page to obtain my email address.)

How I Built Up My Freelance Editing Reputation

I used to get free books from authors I met online in exchange for my promise to write a book review for them.

I did this for many authors. Most of them were relatively unknown… but I really lucked out when the famous author, Lisa Jackson, saw that blog post, sent me a Tweet, and then took me up on this offer!

I was thrilled when she sent me an autographed book because she has been one of my favorite authors for years!

Lisa Jackson's autograph on my copy of "Tell Me"

While reading books published from authors I met online, I noticed that many of them didn’t have a good editor. I ended up editing their books for them!

At first, I did this for free. This is how I started to build my reputation as an editor. (Remember, I was an unknown editor back then!)

Why I Began to Diversify My Services to Focus on Freelance Editing

After editing for free for a while, I realized two things:

1: It takes a lot of time to edit a novel. (It takes longer to edit a novel than reading it does!)

2: My time was valuable.

Consequently, I started charging people for my services. That is when I added my editing services to my website and began marketing myself as an editor.

As the months passed, I learned about self-publishing. I wrote two books and self-published them. I continued freelance writing, blogging, and editing. I made friends with influencers online.

Once I became a published author on Amazon, I also added author assistant services to my website.

I even coach others and help them grow their websites as well as their businesses.

BUT…

Over the years, I have found that editing is my passion. I love making words perfect. I don’t care whose words they are. They could be your words, they could be my words, they could be the words of someone else.

When word got around about how great an editor I am, I didn’t even have to go looking for work. People would simply email me!

I loved that! I still love it!

There are so many awesome things about being an editor. These are 12 benefits of being a freelance editor that I get to enjoy EVERY DAY.

I am extremely happy that I (basically) quit freelance writing to focus on freelance writing. I have definitely learned to diversify myself as a freelancer, and you should, too!

Freelance Writing Involves Hustling, but Freelance Editing Does Not!

Shortly after I met Dave Chesson, a bestselling author on Amazon and the owner of Kindlepreneur.com, I talked him into publishing a sponsored post on my site.

Looking back, I can see how much work went into this venture. I don’t want to be hustling like that ever again!

Dave and I had two methods of communication: email and Facebook messages.

We exchanged many messages, over several MONTHS… all for a measly $175 USD:

Facebook Messenger screenshot 1

Facebook Messenger screenshot 2

Facebook Messenger screenshot 3

While my many exchanges with Dave also allowed us to build a rapport with one another, they were extremely time-consuming!

Other exchanges with clients (and potential clients) were also a huge time-suck, especially when the potential client didn’t end up hiring me.

I decided that freelance writing was not worth my time, at those rates. So I raised my writing rates!

Since then, I have been paid what I am worth.

I actually began raising my rates back in 2013, when Greg from Dear Blogger was my client. He was my first and only client back then, and I learned a lot from the whole experience. Read 10 Lessons Learned from My First Freelancing Client (who was both My Worst and Best Client).

Plus, my editing business has flourished.

There is no hustling involved in finding editing gigs. As I mentioned earlier, they just come to me! That is yet another reason why my focus is now on freelance editing.

I Had Help Getting Noticed for My Editing Skills

Everyone knows that word-of-mouth marketing is powerful. When others constantly say nice things about you, other people pay attention. They become curious about you. They want to know more. They will, in all likelihood, end up hiring you, too!

To show my gratitude to those who have helped me, I want to mention a few people here.

I cannot possibly mention everyone who assisted me during the last 5 years, but I do want to give a shout-out to these very deserving folks!

Karen Dodd Helped Me

When I edited Karen Dodd’s book (for free), she ended up sending me a gift card in the mail along with an autographed copy of her book. What editor could ask for anything more?!

She also gave me another surprise… recognition as her editor!

I was so pleased with this that I made a video to show my appreciation to her. Plus, I wanted to show off my autographed copy of her book! 😉

Having her mention me as an editor was wonderful for me. She even gave me a testimonial!

You really did a fabulous job and you’re right — you really DO know how to punctuate a sentence and you have an eagle eye!

~Karen Dodd, author of DEADLY SWITCH: A Stone Suspense

Check out Karen’s book on Amazon!

Melissa Bowersock Helped Me

Melissa was one of the first people I encountered when I began my online journey back in 2013.

She taught me about self-publishing and allowed me to interview her. (I had SO MANY QUESTIONS back then!) I was torn between deciding whether or not I should self-publish my books or go the traditional route, which is more laborious and allows you less control over what happens with your books. This route involves sending out query letters, finding a literary agent who will represent you (whom you have to pay), finding a publishing house interested in accepting your book(s), and so much more. Melissa even taught me about vanity publishing houses, which combines both the self-publishing and traditional publishing routes (and costs a lot of money!).

Melissa was another for whom I did free editing… or editing in exchange for an autographed copy of one of her books. I actually read several of her books (she has written many!), and reviewed three of them.

Check out Melissa’s books on Amazon.

I’m so grateful to Melissa for all she has done for me. But that’s her nature; Melissa is all about helping others, especially independently-published authors (known as Indies).

Melissa was one of the first people to interview me after I published my first book. Plus, she introduced me to fellow indie authors, including Yvonne Hertzberger, who, in turn, helped me by promoting my first book, Risky Issues, on her website!

Melissa also gave me a testimonial.

Lorraine Reguly has all the qualities that writers need–not necessarily what they want, but what they need. None of us likes to have someone point out our mistakes, but that is exactly what is essential if we are going to polish our work to publication readiness. Lorraine’s sharp eyes and attention to detail become the stone that grinds away the impurities. She has an excellent command of language, syntax, punctuation, spelling and grammar, as well as the retention for continuity and cohesiveness.

While working together on Stone’s Ghost, she found errors that many other readers did not, and asked questions about ambiguous points that made me rethink my intent and increase my clarity. Her editing skills are both helpful and essential. I am extremely grateful for her help and would gladly recommend her to any writer.

~Melissa Bowersock, Author of Stone’s Ghost (and many other books!)

Check out Melissa’s books on Amazon!

Don Orwell Helped Me

Don Orwell hired me to edit one of his books. He, too, mentioned me as his editor.

He even listed me as his editor, PUBLICLY, on Amazon!

Don Orwell listed me as his editor

Plus, Don, too, gave me a testimonial!

Before my book was edited by Lorraine, the rank of this book was terrible.

After editing, it sat at the triple #1 spot for weeks! (See Lorraine listed as the editor, too.)

~Don Orwell, author of Superfoods Cookbook: Over 95 Quick & Easy Gluten Free Low Cholesterol Whole Foods Recipes full of Antioxidants & Phytochemicals (Natural Weight Loss Transformation Book 29)

Check out Don’s books on Amazon!

Maxwell Ivey Helped Me

Everyone who knows me already knows that Max and I have an excellent relationship.

Max is a blind man whom I met many moons ago via a blog comment that Max left on a guest post I wrote. I was so surprised that a blind person was able to do that, plus I had so many questions about how blind people live that Max allowed me to interview him.

He introduced me to Kerry, another blind writer. I interviewed Kerry, too. Together, they taught me to see. (This is a link to an inspirational poem I wrote.)

I love Max. He is a wonderful, talented entrepreneur who has a heart of gold.

Max has mentioned me many times over the years… in his blog posts, on social media, in his email newsletters, in emails to others… and I’m so grateful to him!

Naturally, he gave me a nice shout-out when his book, It’s Not the Cookie, It’s the Bag, was released. He did the same when The Blind Blogger’s NYC Adventures, was released!

He also mentioned me when I wrote his press release (which he included in his post Learn about Promoting Your Events from #TheBlindBlogger).

Plus, he gave me a testimonial!

I am thoroughly impressed with how Lorraine edited my book, Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light, because she managed to weave the idea of walking a path and taking steps throughout it. Also, she reworked the sections to where they make more sense and are more organized.

One of the happiest things I’ve done in a long time was to click the “pay now” button for her on PayPal.

In short, when you hire Lorraine to edit your own work, you are getting a qualified full service wordsmith who will produce something you will be proud of.

~Maxwell Ivey, Jr., Author of Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light: A Blind Man’s Inspirational Guide to Success and owner of The Blind Blogger

Check out Max’s books on Amazon. Alternatively, you could buy them from Selz, which allows Max to keep a higher percentage of the royalties. Visit Max’s website and his Books page to access the links.

Dave Chesson Helped Me

Dave has helped me in many ways over the years. He hired me to write a post that mentioned KDP Rocket, a fabulous tool for authors!

He paid me for publishing articles on my website.

He also gave me a testimonial.

Lorraine is my go-to editor for books, PDFs and some of my blog posts because she has improved and even salvaged most of my works without forcing it to lose its personality.

Thorough and professional, she will surely help you take that next step as an author or blogger.

~ Dave Chesson, Kindlepreneur

Dave even included me in his ultimate list of book editors (allowing me to get even more editing gigs!)

Plus, he was the one who came to my rescue when I needed it. That is why making friends with clients is important! (Read that post. It details the story of HOW he came to my rescue… and why I needed help in the first place!)