Where Are My Clients?

Posted on April 17, 2024

“I don’t know what a writer wants in an editor.”—put yourself in their shoes.

“But no one sees me, and social media is such a time-suck.”—schedule posts and show up consistently. 

“Okay, but I tell writers about my skills all the time.”—you can’t help others if you only talk about yourself. 

Have some cheese with that whine…

QUICK TIPS: 

• Examine in detail who you should market your skills to.
• Social media can be fickle, but Facebook has a calendar to schedule your posts, and it’s user-friendly.
• Support and be supportive of others in your chosen field. It’s not all about you.

My first step was volunteering as a beta reader. I offered writers insights and constructive suggestions, helping them enhance their stories. Remember to ask for feedback, a testimonial, and whether they would be willing to refer you to others. I gained experience, valuable insight to improve my skills, and several testimonials to use when I started out. You’ll then begin to see how your value can benefit writers, so now you can offer solutions to their problems in your social media posts. It takes time and experimentation to discover what suits your needs as well as theirs. No excuses. Have confidence in your abilities.

MORE QUICK TIPS: 

• Join professional editing associations and add new skills to your resume. 
• Post about that glowing testimonial you just received. It’s okay to celebrate your wins.
• Don’t hesitate to reach out to your connections and editor network. Be genuine and tell them if you are overwhelmed or unsure. They’ve been where you are and understand entirely.

Then it happened—my first client saw my offer on social media to beta read. I was thrilled! After completing the beta read, he offered a glowing testimonial and asked me to proofread one of his manuscripts. It was a great feeling and a boost to keep going. I was still nervous but more determined than ever. Was it luck? Was I in the right place at the right time? Absolutely! Building your business and clientele takes time. It won’t happen overnight. But you can’t sit back and expect clients to come to you. 

Lastly, make sure you know where to find the answers for your clients. To offer the best editing service, you can’t memorize every editing, grammar, and punctuation rule. Not gonna happen. You need to love research, learn how to use online tools like CMOS, and get your hands on some editing books or manuals. My library contains The Copyeditor’s Handbook by Amy Einsohn and Marilyn Schwartz, English Grammar & Usage by Mark Lester and Larry Beason, and Dreyer’s English written by Benjamin Dreyer, along with other excellent resources by June Casagrande and many more. 

You are the writer’s assistant and are there to help them make their words the best they can be.

Next time: Laugh At Your Mistakes

Susan

Susan will be the first to admit… she’s a nerd. 

Whether tending her garden, fearlessly experimenting with flavors in the kitchen, or putting the first brush to a blank canvas, she’s constantly immersed in creative/nerdy pursuits.  

When an opportunity to leave her 9 to 5 arrived, she didn’t hesitate to pursue her love for language. Her goal was to become an editor and motivate writers to share their stories with the world. Ironically, it was in the world of words and children’s literature where her creative spirit truly blossomed. Drawing from memories of the barn she grew up in, her stories for young readers beautifully capture the essence of farm life and family values, along with kindness, caring, friendship, and acceptance.

She and her hubby live on a small farm in Princeton, Illinois. As her kids grew up and left home, she became caretaker to a flock of escape-artist chickens, her daughter’s lovely Saddlebred horse, and a cantankerous goose who became a beloved character in her children’s stories.

Find more about her and her books at www.finelineproofs.com