Why Academic Editors Should Read The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors

In September, the academic editing book club will host author Erin Brenner for a 60-minute Q&A about The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors. This book club is run by the Academic Editing Special Interest Group, a collaboration of Editors Canada and the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).

During my University of Washington Certificate in Editing, my digital hand was raised, oh, probably 50 per cent of the time. And at least half of my questions had to do with the business of editing: how do we set our rates? What’s the difference between a sole proprietorship and a  limited liability company (LLC)? What does a winning project proposal look like?

Even three years into my work as an academic developmental editor, I still feel like my hand is raised half the time with career-continuing questions: how should I re-do my file structure for longevity? What does it mean to “act like a CEO” in a single-owner business? What should I do about this difficult client?

Now that I have a copy of The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors, I can finally put my hand down.

About the book

Geared toward a broad readership of beginning-to-early-career editors across genres and disciplines, Erin Brenner’s book offers confident and compassionate advice on how to set up a sustainable freelance editing business that works for you. Recognizing that this stage of the game can be fraught and busy, every chapter ends with actionable key takeaways to help you process information. 

Additionally, she highlights the importance of genuine self-care, not only in a chapter entirely on that topic but also in chapters that teach us about “Handling Difficult Client Situations” without driving ourselves to exhaustion, or “Increasing Your Work Efficiency” to avoid burnout. 

Finding your brand

For academic editors, I especially recommend the chapters “Being Uniquely You” and “What is Marketing, Anyway?” These are as rich with information as any Hubspot marketing course I’ve taken. While their advice is as broad as the rest of the book, they offer academic editors the opportunity to think beyond “academic editor” as our brand, niche and focus. 

Even though we all work with academics, the range of work we do is breathtaking. It’s important to carve your place with a “brand story” that addresses “not only who you are and what you do but also who the client is and what their needs are” (77). What goals might your specific clients have, and how are you uniquely situated to help meet them? 

Depending on the answer, you might create a website that touts your proven knowledge of the academic publishing process, make sure your professional headshot exudes the kind of keen warmth that early-career scholars are looking for in a writing coach or come up with a business name that speaks to your academic specialties.  

Networking your brand

When academic editors think about marketing, it can be tempting to narrow in on specific university departments or specialized conferences without considering the transferability of our skill sets. 

Marketing work “isn’t just for one client,” says Brenner, “but for every client and every other person who will spread your message and lead clients your way” (109). For that reason, it’s important to create a brand message that networks well — and to think creatively about the “solutions” and “benefits” your approach offers to a broad range of academics (113). Not sure yet? The book can help you think through these questions via the psychology of marketing and persuasion, giving you a head start on  brainstorming.

Final thoughts

A vital addition to any editor’s bookshelf! Personally, I will be taking this one down on my planning days to reassess my relationship with sales, making sure my templates are as informative and straightforward as my busy academic clients need them to be. I’m also using the planning exercises in “Creating Goals and Working Toward Success” to create SMART goals I can launch at the end of the spring semester, when academics dream of diving back into their writing.

Join the discussion

The Academic Editing SIG is hosting Erin Brenner for a Q&A about her book on September 19 at 1 pm ET. Please consider joining us for what promises to be a generative conversation. RSVP here to receive the Zoom link. 

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