One of the major perks of being an editor is that you can be your own boss, but going it alone can be daunting. With Editors Canada resources, you can find community and important information and tips to guide you every step of the way. These resources take you through setting up your business, financial and legal considerations of your business, nurturing returning clients, along with growing your business and the importance of self-care.
Starting a Business
A Proactive Approach to Diversifying Your Editing Business
Kelly Clancy suggests how the emerging freelancer can diversify and tailor their business to their skillset.
Book Review: Networking for Freelance Editors
Are you looking for resources to help you on your freelancing journey? In this blog post, freelance writer and editor Jasmine Peteran describes the two key things that Brittany Dowdle and Linda Ruggeri’s Networking for Freelance Editors taught her.
Business Planning for Freelancers
Struggling to stay focused with your business? Feeling overwhelmed about everything you need to work on? You need a business plan! This webinar outlines the different elements you should include in your business plan and offers tips for how you can make good use of it on an ongoing basis (so it doesn’t gather dust in your desk drawer).
This section of the Hub offers valuable insight for editors in all fields about the importance of maintaining strong relationships with your clients.
Diversify Your Editing Business
Being a freelance editor can be financially stressful—especially as you’re building your client base. This webinar will help new and experienced editors think strategically about how to grow their editing business to generate multiple income streams in a way that feels authentic and organic.
Are you struggling to find work in the current job market? This webinar, editors Letitia Henville, Lara Hinchberger, and Marion Soublière shares tips on finding freelance, in-house and government work as an editor.
Finding Work: Tips for Students and New Editors
You’ve learned all the necessary skills to become an editor and now you’re wondering what is next. How can you make the move from student to professional? This webinar will teach you what skills to highlight, how to stand out in the crowd and how much you should focus on your brand as a freelancer.
Freelance Editing in the Cookbook and Recipe Niche
In this webinar, attendees will be introduced to the exciting world of cookbook and recipe editing. Lauren will cover the basics of editing recipes and speak to some of the unique challenges associated with this niche.
Freelance Editors’ Guide to Low-Stress, Authentic Selling
Discover a fresh approach to sales that aligns with your values as a freelance editor.
The Fresh Freelancer: Starting and Building Your Freelance Editing Business
Starting your own business can be daunting and scary. It can also be exciting and rewarding. In this how-to book, freelance editor, writer and ghostwriter Lorna Stuber draws on her experience of starting her successful business and advises new freelance editors, or those thinking of venturing down that path, how they can set up their own editing business.
Going Solo: Choosing to Freelance After Layoffs
This post shares about the mindset for making a career change in editing.
How to Build an Editing Website
Michelle Noble talks about building a website for editors, including the specific platforms and content for an editing website.
Introduction to Project Management and Time Tracking for Freelancers
This webinar introduces some basic project management principles that will help freelance editors develop more accurate timeline estimates for their projects, track their progress on current projects, manage multiple simultaneous projects and much more.
Kickstarting Your Online Magazine: A Roadmap and Workshop
This webinar will provide a step-by-step guide to build your online publication. Whether it’s an indie magazine, a personal passion project or an editorial extension to your brand, you’ll receive practical tools for launching your publication and growing its presence over time.
Making the Shift from Student to Freelance Editor
Are you a new graduate looking to start freelance editing? In this blog post, freelance copy editor, proofreader and writer Natalia Iwanek discusses her experience going from student to freelance editor and how networking and other activities can help launch your editing career.
As a member of Editors Canada, you can use the Editors Canada logo on your professional profile.
Niching Down: How Specializing Can Boost Your Business
Need convincing that developing a niche is a good idea? In this webinar, Brenna Bailey-Davies and Erin Servais explain how developing an industry niche can help you get more clients, make more money and build a bigger and better reputation as an expert and thought leader.
Panel: Running an Editorial Agency
Have you ever considered starting your own editing agency? Would you like to work with an editing agency and wonder how that works? In this webinar, editors Erin Brenner, Crystal Watanabe, Aalap Trivedi, and Janet MacMillan discuss how they run their editing agencies.
Persuasion Wins: Creating a Persuasive Website for Your Freelance Business
Clients hire editors they trust. So how do you build trust in the online world? Start by adding persuasion to your website. In this webinar, editor Erin Brenner provides five easy-to-apply steps for adding persuasion to your editing website.
Trello for Editors: Three Ways to Make It Your Own
Three experienced freelance editors share how they customize their editing projects with Trello, a task-management tool.
The Pros and Cons of Sample Edits
Sample edits demonstrate the type of work an editor does to prospective clients. But how does a freelance editor know if they should offer sample edits and which approach should they take in doing them?
Quick Wins for Editors: Essentials of a Professional Online Presence
This 60-minute free webinar is designed to give editors practical tips for improving their online presence without investing a lot of time or money.
This blog post discusses why starting an editorial blog is a great way to attract new clients and maintain relationships with past clients. It also offers some content and promotion strategies.
Rates for editorial work can vary depending on the type and complexity of work being performed, the deadline(s), the industry, and the editor’s level of experience and training.
Finance for Freelancers
Count Your Hours to Boost Your Freelance Editing Business
Do you count your hourly rate as a freelance editor? In this blog, Erin Brenner shares insights on the benefits of knowing your hourly rate and practical tips.
Feeling Financially Out of Control? Start Here
Freelance finances can be messy. We are taught to be express in services we offer, but most editing programs don’t cover what to do when you are not salaried and are accountable for your accounting. Heidi Turner, content strategist, recognizes this and, in this Substack post, offers tips for taking control of your freelance finances. (Note: you can access Heidi’s post for free, but it requires a Substack account.)
Quick Method of Accounting for GST/HST
As a freelancer, the quick method of remitting GST/HST may be right for you. This link also contains useful information about the current GST/HST rates across Canada.
Strategic Pricing and Persuasive Estimating
In this webinar, Jake Poinier, writer, editor and freelance consultant, offers practical, actionable strategies for securing better freelance jobs at higher rates.
Strategic Pricing in the Changing Market
Most emerging freelancers and independent consultants struggle with deciding what to charge, negotiating their rates and aligning their value with their values. This webinar is designed to help editors decide what they want, ask for what they’re worth, and use pricing as a point of entry to build strong client relationships and a sustainable business model.
Legal Considerations
Agreement Template for Editing Services
Written agreements are standard business practice for editors. Editors Canada developed this Agreement for Editing Services template for members to use when they are preparing to work with clients.
The Hidden Traps of an Online Platform
The internet is a part of our world now, but there are so many ways that we find ourselves in trouble. This webinar looks at how to keep yourself, your family, and your reputation safe.
Indemnity clauses will only get you so far. Know what defamation is and how to protect yourself as an editor from this short post by R. Franklin Carter.
Using Contracts to Clarify Expectations, Get Paid, and Protect Yourself
Contracts are an important part of a freelance business because they lay out the plan for how and when you’ll get paid and help ensure that you and your clients are on the same page. This webinar covers the reasons to use a contract, the elements you should include in a contract and what to do if clients don’t fulfill their contractual responsibilities.
Growing Your Business
A Case Study in Content Marketing
Letitia Henville explains how content marketing, when done well, can support both your own business and our shared profession, because it shows potential clients what editors do and the wealth of knowledge we hold.
Diversify Your Editing Business
Being a freelance editor can be financially stressful—especially as you’re building your client base. This webinar will help new and experienced editors think strategically about how to grow their editing business to generate multiple income streams in a way that feels authentic and organic.
You can spend an awful lot of time and effort looking busy instead of getting things done. In this blog post, web editor and trained linguist James Harbeck considers how “being busy” can look different whether you’re an in-house or freelance editor.
A Proactive Approach to Diversifying Your Editing Business
Kelly Clancy, an academic developmental editor, a book coach and a writing retreat host, shares insights on different methods for diversifying your editing business.
Editing for Authors on a Budget
How can you help an author who has a limited budget for editing? In this blog post, freelance fiction editor Laura Bontje discusses how an editor can help a writer on a limited budget without sacrificing their business.
An Editor’s Top 3: Amy J. Schneider
In this blog post, full-time freelance copy editor and proofreader Amy J. Schneider shares her top three professional editing tools, marketing channels, life-work balance rules, and suggestions for clients and editors.
An Editor’s Top 3: Erin Brenner
In this blog post, author and award-winning copywriter Erin Brenner shares her top three professional editing tools, marketing channels, life-work balance rules and suggestions for clients and editors.
An Editor’s Top 3: Jake Poinier
In this blog post, freelance editor Jake Poinier shares his top three professional editing tools, marketing channels, life-work balance rules and suggestions for clients and editors.
Free (or Cheap) Tools for Freelance Editors: Part 1
Free (or Cheap) Tools for Freelance Editors: Part 2
Free (or Cheap) Tools for Freelance Editors: Part 3
Looking to optimize your processes? These three blog posts share some helpful tools to keep your planning, goal setting and editing sharp.
From Chaos to Control: Streamlining Your Editing Agency Operations
This webinar explores examples of processes and systems, as well as templates and technology, all tailored for editing agencies.
Getting Work with the Online Directory of Editors
Let’s be frank: some people are getting a lot more work from their ODE listing than others are. In this webinar, editor Greg Ioannou shares how you can make the most of your ODE listing so that you can find more work.
How (And Why) I Developed a Digital Tool for My Freelance Clients — And Then Gave It Away for Free
Freelance academic editor Letitia Henville discusses how she developed a digital tool for academic writers as well as how and why you should develop your own digital tool or resource.
How Editors Can Maximize Referrals
It is important that freelancers build quality relationships with their clients so that they can increase the number of referrals they receive. Copy editor Tanya Mykhaylychenko shares a list of ideas for how freelancers can build and maintain clientele through referrals.
How Freelance Editors Plan for the Year Ahead
As a new year approaches, Letitia Henville interviews freelance editors to discuss how they make annual plans.
How I’m Hiring a Student to Support My Freelance Editing Business
Have you ever considered hiring a student to support your business operations? In this blog post, freelance academic editor Letitia Henville discusses why she decided to hire a student to update her website, what the hiring process looks like and how much it costs.
Increase Your Profits Using Business Data
Where are the opportunities in your business to grow and increase your profits? This webinar looks at three types of data that can help you evaluate the profit of different projects, target your marketing toward more responsive audiences and discover which of your current clients deserve more love and which should be shown the door. And you don’t have to be an analytics genius to do the work!
Introduction to Project Management and Time Tracking for Freelancers
This webinar introduces some basic project management principles that will help freelance editors develop more accurate timeline estimates for their projects, track their progress on current projects and manage multiple simultaneous projects. It also suggests some methods for tracking and visualizing time and earnings that will help freelancers collect meaningful data to proactively develop their business.
Louise Harnby: An Editor’s Top 3
In this blog post, Louise Harnby, line editor, copy editor and proofreader, shares her top three professional editing tools, marketing channels, life-work balance rules and suggestions for clients and editors.
Visit this section of the Hub for information specific to marketing.
Newsletters, Emails and Presentations: Improving the Tools of Business Communication
This webinar uses plain language principles to help you improve the clarity and effectiveness of these tools.
Online Job Application: A Checklist for Freelancers
Looking for ways to make your job search more efficient? In this informative blog post, copy editor Tanya Mykhaylychenko provides a list of action items you can follow that will ensure you navigate through the job application process with ease.
Praise & Criticism: Editing Book Reviews
This post discusses why reviewing books is a good practice, both professionally and casually; good book reviewers can earn attention for themselves with their insights and opinions.
Ten Strategies for Growing Your Editing Business
You’ve successfully launched your editing business and you’ve got some experience. How can you grow your business to meet your income or other business goals? Freelancing veteran Erin Brenner shares 10 strategies for moving to the next level in this webinar, including breaking into new markets, adding products and expanding your services.
To Be More Efficient and Consistent, Build a Better Checklist
Anyone writing, editing or managing any type of communication for a living is feeling the crunch. In this webinar, editor Kelly Schrank discusses how to address a multitude of modern dilemmas with a relatively old-school hack: a checklist.
Working with Other Editors: What, Why and How
In this webinar, Letitia and Katherine will present several ways editors can work together with an anti-hustle approach for mutual benefit.
Self-care
Asking for Help: Lessons From Toddlerhood
Whether it’s at work or in another aspect of life, we all have something to learn from the toddler’s unabashed willingness to ask for support when they need it. In this blog post, communications specialist Marianne Grier gives us all permission, regardless of our age, to ask for help in our work and our life when we need it.
About 1.2% of people in Canada suffer concussions every year. As an editor, how can you manage a concussion so that you can keep working?
Discussion Scenario: Editing While Under the Weather
In this post, Laura Bontje shares some tips on editing through illness and invites readers to share their strategies.
Do Freelance Editors Know How to Work at Home?
Freelance editors work from home and have for many years. But do they know how to achieve a work-life balance? In this blog post, writer and editor Anita Jenkins provides tips for freelancers to make working from home efficient and sustainable.
Editing With the Seasons: Indigenous Storytelling and the Rhythm of the Land
Indigenous storytelling is a living relationship. In this post, Kaitlin Littlechild shares how understanding Indigenous storytelling and how working with the seasons can help you better approach your work. She also offers advice for engaging in respectful editing practices.
Editing with Vision Loss: Accessibility Tips
In this post, writer and editor Alex Benarzi shares tips on managing editing and vision care.
Editing in Times of Chaos and Loss
How to cope with crises in life as an editor? This post has some tips.
Embracing Your Needs as a Neurodivergent Editor
E. Prybylski shares how they learned to embrace their needs as a neurodivergent editor—as well as learn their unique strengths.
Working as an editor can be incredibly rewarding and also physically and mentally demanding. The science of ergonomics provides answers on how to optimize our workspaces to be more productive, focused and energetic as editors.
Freelancing While Parenting Young Kids
In this blog post, freelance editor Laura Bontje talks about the challenges she has faced while managing her freelance editing business and being a parent to young children, and offers tips on how you can do both too.
Harness the Power of Neurodiversity to Maximize Your Potential as an Editor
For many neurodiverse editors, meeting deadlines, keeping up with administrative work and maintaining focus are well-known barriers to doing their jobs more effectively. But editors with ADHD often haven’t been taught that they also gain strengths.
Know What You’re Getting Into: How to Vet Projects for Sensitive Themes
While there are many great reasons to work directly with indie authors, one of the challenges is that you have no built-in filter to protect you from highly difficult or insensitive subject matter. In this session, Amelia Winters teaches you what she’s learned and how you can use the tools she’s created to identify your own boundaries and effectively vet clients for sensitive themes.
Maintaining Editing Boundaries
What do you do when feedback becomes overwhelming? In this blog post, Erin Brenner provides some tips for keeping yourself sane amidst a flurry of emails that may be reflecting a client’s frustrations.
Mastering the Tight-Rope Walk: Achieving Work/Life Balance
In this webinar, you’ll learn strategies—such as adopting the right mindset, setting boundaries, and saying no without guilt—that will help you achieve more balance in your life.
Maintaining Your Joy as a Copy Editor
Jamie Banks shares lessons from Jamaal D. Pittman’s The Copy Editor’s (Life)Style Guide. She highlights Pittman’s experience of the feast-or-famine cycle of freelancing and the toll it can take on your mental health and your career aspirations.
Perfectly Imperfect: Accepting and Embracing “Good Enough”
Participants will get Rhonda Kronyk’s strategies for accepting that “good enough” does not mean submitting substandard work and is better for their mental and physical health.
The Power of Positive Self-talk: The Most Important Conversation You Never Heard Out Loud
Get ready to realize that the power to decrease your levels of stress and increase reported life satisfaction are only a few new thoughts away.
Taming the Inner Perfectionist: Turning a Potential Enemy into an Ally
Perfectionist qualities can help you become good at your craft but they can also cause paranoia and poor performance, ultimately leading you to burnout. So how can you balance your perfectionist tendencies with the realities of editing and the hard truth that no one is perfect? This webinar discusses strategies that you can apply immediately to work toward a high level of accuracy and overcome the fear of failure.
The COVID-19 pandemic made Zoom meetings and online interactions a common occurrence. In this blog post, Frances Peck, editor, writer and instructor, discusses the phenomenon of “Zoom fatigue” from too much screen time, including online meetings, videos, webinars and lists the benefits of this technology despite the overwhelming fatigue it causes.