CHAPTER 10: CASE STUDIES – TALES FROM NEW STARTERS

It’s all well and good reading the advice from colleagues who’ve been running their own editorial businesses for years. Indeed, I hope that you’ve found the information in this guide a useful introduction to how you can think about building your future enterprise. Nevertheless, the world we live and work in is constantly changing. While the choice of many to become freelance has in the past been driven by a desire to have greater control over, and flexibility with regard to, their work lives, the economic downturn that began in 2008 has caused even more people to consider building their own businesses.

So what’s it like for new starters operating in this increasingly competitive marketplace? Here, three UK colleagues who have entered the field within the past two years share their stories: what drove them to become editorial freelancers, how they’ve gained experience and acquired clients, the challenges they’ve faced on their journeys, and the successes they’ve started to enjoy. These candid accounts illustrate just how tough it can be, but also show that with determination, honesty and strategic thinking you too can navigate the sometimes bumpy, often rewarding, but never dull world of running your own editorial business.

Mary McCauley

At the time of writing I’ve been the owner of a proofreading business for one year (not including my amateur days and my professional training). I live in the southeast of Ireland. Having graduated with an honours degree in Marketing, I spent fifteen years working for public bodies in research and business administration. The catalyst for my career change to freelance proofreading was my experience as a co-author and co-editor of our local parish history (published as a community fundraising project).

Setting up a business of any kind can be a little overwhelming so, using my project management experience, I found the best way to approach it was to take things one step at a time, i.e. to set myself business objectives.

The first objective was to obtain an industry-recognized qualification in proofreading: for someone outside of the publishing industry in Ireland, this was a daunting first step. I knew that it was important to gain a recognized professional qualification, not only in order for potential clients to take me seriously but also for my own knowledge and confidence. I wanted to ensure that I was investing my training budget wisely. There were numerous proofreading courses on offer: a key decision was to choose the right one for me. On the advice of the Irish Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers (AFEPI), I chose the PTC’s Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning course. It proved invaluable though very challenging; successfully completing it has given me the confidence to pursue a career in freelance proofreading.

The next objective was to register a business name. In Ireland, if you operate a business under any name other than your own true name, you must register it with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), so this objective was next on my list. I also made contact with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Ireland) regarding my tax and VAT status.

Next I set up an office space and office systems. My business background came to the fore here. While it involved the more tedious side of freelancing, it was vital in terms of sending out a clear message, both to myself and my nearest and dearest, that I was taking my business seriously. So I set up a home office space; prepared account spreadsheets to track my income and expenditure; created client spreadsheets to track my client work; determined my charges; designed quotations, invoices, receipts and statements; drafted my terms and conditions; and established a backup procedure for my files.

For security reasons, I did not want to use our family’s personal computer so I invested in a new laptop with Microsoft Office software; over the past few months I have built up my suite of editing tools. One of the pleasures of setting up my office has been the creation of my reference library. Good reference books have been essential tools for my work to date and they were a key component of my set-up costs.

The next objective was the exploration and application of business promotion tactics. One of the crucial pieces of advice I read regarding setting up a freelance business was to tell everyone and anyone that will listen about your services. Lest anyone doubt the value of that advice, let me assure you that I discovered it very early on: a neighbour approached me to say that she had just learned that I was a proofreader and had she known this she would have contracted me to work on her self-published book rather than the non-local proofreader she did hire.

I also created Facebook and LinkedIn business profiles. My initial most fruitful online networking was on LinkedIn. I joined shortly after registering my business name and connected with friends and past colleagues. Almost immediately, a former colleague contacted me seeking my proofreading services for her online business. She had learned of my services solely through LinkedIn and has been a regular client ever since.

I also printed business cards and posters, which I delivered by hand to all my local libraries to let the library staff know about my services and my involvement with the local history book (of which the county library had purchased several copies). One simple library visit and chat led to a librarian referring a local author to me – one who subsequently contracted my services. I also displayed posters in local and national colleges and universities. I always carry some business cards with me – you never know when you will need them.

Working from home in rural Ireland, with no previous in-house experience or existing contacts within the publishing industry, was initially quite isolating. Networking online has therefore been very important to me. The Publishing Training Centre, SfEP and Proofreader’s Parlour websites were a great resource in the early days and I spent my spare time reading their articles and blogs. This interaction helped to keep me going during the difficult early days and to feel a part of the freelance community.

I’ve also exploited local networking opportunities. Whilst I had little publishing-industry experience, my fifteen years’ administrative and research work involved a lot of business writing, editing and proofreading. The contacts I made from my previous jobs have been of great benefit when seeking commercial proofreading work. The first network I joined was my local Wexford County Enterprise Board network and subsequently the Women in Business Network. I attended one of their local business conferences and found it thoroughly inspiring. More productively, I met the managing editor of a local independent publisher for the first time and this led to a subsequent longer and more informative meeting. As a result I have been introduced to a wider network of media and communications contacts within the Wexford area.

Another core goal was to join professional bodies. One of my primary aims was to establish and run my business in the most professional manner possible and for me this included becoming a member of the relevant professional bodies. Early on, I became an associate of the SfEP and once I had gained more proofreading experience, I became a full member of the AFEPI. I recently attended their AGM in Dublin and, as I didn’t know anyone, it was daunting. I am glad that I made the effort, though, as I met some lovely Irish colleagues.

The final objective was to design and publish my own website. The achievement of this goal has been one of the highlights of my first year in formal business. My budget did not stretch to having one designed professionally, yet all the advice indicated the importance of having a website. I decided to design the website myself using Weebly. It was so much easier than I had expected – building the site was nothing compared to having to write the content! Overall, it was a great learning experience.

So where are things now, a year on? I’ve learned that professional editorial freelancing is hard. In the early days, I had a couple of very promising leads for proofreading work that never came to fruition and this really tested my resolve and self-belief. I used these quiet periods to concentrate on the mechanics of my business, e.g. building my website, networking and reading industry-related material on all aspects of proofreading and freelancing – things not covered in a training-course manual.

My listing in the AFEPI Directory of Members has led to a large increase in the number of enquiries I receive and I have sourced work from some of these. I have also had success in gaining work through the SfEP Marketplace forum and through my website.

Could I make a full-time living of it? At the moment it’s definitely just a second income and will be for the foreseeable future. (This is owing to its part-time nature as a result of my parenting responsibilities. Though, if I am working to a tight project deadline, the concept of ‘part-time’ goes out the window and working early mornings, late nights, weekends and ten-day stretches without a day off becomes the norm.).

I had taken a five-year career break from my local council job in 2006 and during this time (when my three children had all started school) I was invited to work part-time as a (paid) parish secretary. After two years I resigned from that job (June 2012) to concentrate on my proofreading business and to try and make a real go of it before my return-to-the-council-job deadline. Over the past year there have been periods where I’ve had dry spells. Things have picked up in the past few months. I had nearly a full workload from New Year’s Eve up to the start of March 2013 but, even so, it was an agonizing decision to make – whether to return part-time or resign and concentrate on my business. But I’ve done it – I handed in my notice and have just received my confirmation letter. No more safety net of the secure government job. My nine-year-old said to me, ‘But, Mammy, you are a proofreader. Why would you want to go back to your old job? And what would we do with your office in the front room?’ Out of the mouths of babes …

This is a tough business and I am extremely lucky that my family can afford for me to provide only a small second income initially. I am truly blessed that I do not have to hand my children over to a childminder and that I can be their main carer. I am now proceeding with steadily growing my business over the coming years, honing my specialities, continuing to invest in training, upgrading to ordinary membership of the SfEP and positioning myself to become a strong player in the industry in Ireland in the years ahead, once I can dedicate myself full time to it.

Resigning was a leap of faith but I know that I have made the right decision. I’ve never been happier. I adore my job and I have always wanted to work with words. I know that I am on the right path and that it is onwards and upwards for me, but only because I am completely determined to make it work.

Johanna Robinson

I began the PTC Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning course in December 2011 and received my final assignment back in July 2012. I took the course while I was on maternity leave with our second child. It turns out that I had considered the career years ago: when I moved house in June 2011, I found an old copy of Trevor Horwood’s Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing. However, as I had been the family breadwinner for many years, a change of career from lawyer to proofreader had not previously been an option.

When I started, I was very clear that I would focus on one service. I think this comes from having been a lawyer, where general practice is rare these days; a lawyer will usually specialize in one particular area (mine was property). I decided that I would advertise my services as a proofreader. While in reality I have ended up doing a small amount of onscreen editing and a small amount of writing for a regular client, I do not call myself a copy-editor (indeed I would not do so without the relevant training) and certainly not a copywriter. My thoughts are, if someone is looking for a proofreader, they don’t want to be distracted by all the other things you offer that they don’t want. I think this has worked well in terms of marketing. At present, I love the proofreading, its variety and the relatively quick turnaround it gives me, and I have no immediate plans to train in anything else.

Initially I concentrated on the legal side of proofreading because of my background, although in reality this has only formed a small percentage of the jobs I’ve done. I have carried out some academic proofreading for a law professor and some subcontracted legal proofreading. However, I have just submitted my application to the SfEP for the legal mentoring programme. My other work has been in a range of genres, for a variety of clients.

I had originally retrained in order to become a solicitor (my BA and MA were in English Literature) and, while I enjoyed the job itself and valued my firm, the demands and stress attached to the job seemed to be getting more intense. Balancing a full-time workload and two children with a husband who worked away most of the time was going to be tough. I used my maternity leave as an opportunity to plan my new career, but this option was far from safe, as my husband had been made redundant during my maternity leave/PTC course. Had he not been able to find a new job, I would have had no choice but to return to work as a solicitor. Had I been able to work as a lawyer part time, I may well have taken this option and built up my proofreading career alongside.

I was well aware that starting my own business and being a proofreader came hand-in-hand, and I did lots of research before and during the PTC course. I would say that I probably spent the same amount of time on the business side as on the study side: for example, the PTC’s Successful Editorial Freelancing course, building and writing my website and Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn pages, designing my stationery/logos, and lots of online research.

Having worked with small businesses as a property solicitor, I knew that investing time and money in a new career or new venture is essential if it is to succeed. Thankfully, the difference was that I didn’t need to lease a building – just a desk in the bedroom! But I bought the books I thought I’d need, joined the SfEP, bought my website package, a printer, had posters and business cards printed, and downloaded the software PerfectIt. I still need a reliable computer, and a proper office chair. And an eye test.

I chose the PTC’s distance-learning option because all my research told me this was the course most recognized in the industry. As I was coming from a non-publishing background I wasn’t ready for the emphasis on publishing in the course, but in fact it made me consider that working for publishers might be an option. Not only did the rigorous course provide me with basic skills, but also the content, training and exercises made me think in a certain way and helped me look out for certain things. I still refer back to my notes frequently.

The PTC’s online Successful Editorial Freelancing course contained valuable information and useful short exercises, and I was examined on my business plan. I had never done a business plan before but it was an excellent exercise in focusing my attention on the practicalities of freelancing: the small details and the big picture. I came up with lots of ideas for marketing, some of which I’ve used and some of which are on the back burner. Some of the course exercises involved setting up spreadsheets for expenses, invoices, etc., so these essential resources were already in place by the time I got my first piece of proofreading work.

I’ve also attended the SfEP’s Proofreading Problems course. It made a change to do face-to-face training, and it is a prerequisite for the mentoring scheme that I’ve applied for. Ultimately I hope to upgrade from associate to ordinary membership of the SfEP. I’d also like to do the onscreen editing training and a grammar course. The training isn’t cheap, but I would strongly recommend that anyone thinking of setting up as a proofreader have a ‘training fund’ in place before starting, and to look at this as one of the essential expenses involved in starting a new business, particularly if you have no other official experience behind you. You have nothing to invest in if not yourself.

I also have Margaret Aherne’s book, Proofreading Practice, which I am working through (very) slowly, but which is an excellent, value-for-money resource. I hope to get round to taking non-proofreading courses, such as those provided online by HMRC and Business Link.

Other vital resources are forums: large ones such as the SfEP’s and others such as a small online group of editors and proofreaders I am a member of. There is also lots of useful information available if you follow the right people on Twitter.

I received my first job in August 2012 and, as it was a hard-copy proofread (on paper) using the BSI proofreading symbols, it was an excellent starting point. It was a book written by a solicitor on the legal issues surrounding branding, aimed at entrepreneurs. She had set up her own publishing company and is therefore essentially a self-publisher, although she did use a book consulting service. The job was posted on the UK freelance website PeoplePerHour and I got the job because, unlike most freelancers applying for it, I could use the necessary symbols (the document had been copy-edited and typeset) and because I had been a lawyer.

I am aware that such websites can be controversial for various reasons: the quality of the work; the quality of the freelancers; the fact that ‘bidding’ can drive down prices and hence earnings, not just for the individual but arguably across the board. While I am sure these arguments are often valid, my own experience does not actually bear them out. My first job paid in line with rates often paid by publishers. The client did not choose the lowest bidder, but the person they considered could do the job best. As it was then my only job, I could take the time to do the job well and do it accurately. The lack of feedback is often quoted as a downside to this job. However, I have received good-quality feedback via this medium. While clients may or may not be able to tell the difference between good and bad proofreading (and I think they can), I was fortunate that at the book launch for my first project, a well-known editor of a legal journal complimented me on the proofreading I had done, meaning I could move on to the next job with more confidence.

I have since carried out another job for my first PeoplePerHour client and have had many interesting and decently paid jobs from the site. This is, however, due to various factors: I have a good, concise and well-written profile; I submit accurate and comprehensive bids; I have positive feedback for previous jobs; and I have a PDF CV that I attach to most of my bids. I also pay attention to the quality of the job. I am quite picky about what I bid for. I won’t bid for badly paid jobs and I assess the quality of the language in the job posting itself. Now that I am an established freelancer on the site, I am being approached by clients rather than having to bid for work.

I also asked friends and family if they had any ideas for marketing; one suggested offering to proofread law students’ training contract applications (she sifts them) and I added this service to my website, which has resulted in a couple of interesting jobs. I contacted everyone I knew who was even vaguely involved in publishing, and while nothing has come of personal contacts so far, my list is still there, so as my skill base increases and CV improves, I can return to those contacts.

While I trained I created my website using MrSite, a company I had used previously for other websites. I set up a Facebook page (which I am very guilty of neglecting) and a Twitter account (marginally less neglected). LinkedIn has all my education, work history and my proofreading-related training and courses; one of my clients has left a lovely, unsolicited recommendation on there. At the outset I created a ‘short’, leaflet-style CV in PDF format. It lists very basic information and a couple of short testimonials, but it shows, when I email it to a potential client, that this is my job, my business – that I’m not ‘dabbling’.

In my previous job as a lawyer I did some face-to-face networking, mainly with women-focused networking groups such as Forward Ladies. I used to find that these kinds of events can be difficult to get work from – but not impossible. There can be some fun things to attend, and interesting people to meet, but I don’t really have the time to attend such networking events regularly at present. I have attended one SfEP North West group and hope to attend the Manchester group meeting in future.

I also set up a marketing spreadsheet so I could see exactly what I had done, and when and what the results of my efforts were. Louise Harnby’s blog was invaluable in pointing me in the right direction. After finishing my training, I sent emails to a handful of very small local publishers – who wouldn’t have had the resources to pay for a proofreader – offering to work for free. In response I had an ‘on file’, a ‘no’ and two no-replies. Had I not managed to get some paid work I would, however, have continued down this route. I did some proofreading for a creative writing charity, I proofread for my son’s school, and I contacted the National Blind Children’s Society as its website said it wanted voluntary proofreaders. (I didn’t hear back but would have pursued this by telephone if I had been desperate for experience.)

And I sent Christmas cards to my regular clients …

There are challenges. At the moment, I have a toddler and a school-age child. My toddler has a lengthy nap in the afternoon so I am able to work at that time. My husband works away for five days at a time and so this allows me to work in the evenings. It’s not easy fitting things around the family, but it’s a lot less stressful than being a full-time solicitor.

I will say that if we were relying on my income then things would become more stressful. I supported my husband for many years while he trained/looked for work and now the roles are reversed. Having said that, my proofreading is by no means a hobby. The time I spend working is valuable and I want to get paid as much as I can for that time. We need and value the income, and as both children get older I hope to be able to invest more time in my work. Proofreading is a challenging area of work to get into. There are many, many experienced freelancers out there. Work will not fall into your lap. But, if you’re well prepared, in a financial and a business sense, have a useful background/former career, and have exceptional client care, it will come together – it might just take time. No one starting a new business would expect it to take off the day it opens its doors – or even some months or years down the line. And when the work does arrive, there can be lots of late nights!

I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved so far. My jobs have included a YA science-fiction novel (for a self-publisher but professionally copy-edited), a six-monthly design magazine, daily website editing for a commercial property agent, monthly in-flight magazines, a higher-education college brochure, a 100-page travel brochure, a start-up fashion magazine, a self-publisher’s crime novel, a paediatric training manual and various other bits and pieces. I have also had some work from Find a Proofreader (especially in September: dissertation month).

Two months after finishing the PTC course and having completed four or five jobs, I was working down my list of ‘legal publishers’ to contact. I decided to send a couple of emails out at a time: one, briefly listing my experience and background, was to a well-known UK academic publisher. I was surprised that they sent me their test, and more surprised that I passed! A trial project followed a couple of months later and I’ve now been added to their panel of freelancers. I would love to have a combination of publishing clients, serious self-publishing clients and businesses.

I find that now, I still rely very much on skills that I learned as a lawyer: following a client’s brief, attention to detail, client care, and practical IT skills.

Grace Wilson (pseudonym)

My decision to become an editorial freelancer was very much driven by my personal circumstances. I’m a widow and my daughter has learning disabilities. Until a few years ago the two of us had lived together on a package of state benefits related to her needs. When my daughter moved into independent living, her benefits transferred with her. I knew this was coming and had time to prepare, so I completed The Publishing Training Centre’s Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning course. I felt that freelance proofreading would suit me because I’d been a full-time single carer for years – the idea of trying to sell the skills necessary for an office environment was, frankly, unthinkable. I’ve always had a good eye for detail and my written English is good, so editorial freelancing seemed a viable option, and something I could do to supplement my pension later on, too.

Setting up your own business is so tough, though. I had no idea. The thing about this business is that in the early days you have to keep pushing; I’m emotionally very sensitive and prone to depression, so even when I acquired my first few pieces of work, the fact that the rates I was earning in no way reflected the suggested minima advertised by some professional societies made me feel I was failing in some way. Rather than seeing these recent jobs as experience gained, and hooks to sell on to potential new clients, I withdrew. Freelancing can be a lonesome experience but depression can be utterly isolating. I ended up back on state benefits and lost complete faith in my ability to build a proofreading career.

The story of my editorial freelancing journey might have ended there had it not been for the amazing free advice, support and training I received from the staff at the benefits office. In particular, the free business training injected me with a huge dose of fresh determination, and the staff helped me develop a business plan, which then qualified me to get the enterprise allowance. With renewed confidence I set about building my company.

Initially, I relied mainly on word of mouth. That generated some nice references but I wasn’t extending my network beyond friends and family. The business tutors encouraged me to attend a business college meeting for new start-ups. There I met other new business owners, including someone who was launching his own website development business. He built my website for a discount and I proofread his web content for the same deal. Extending my network into a community of other business owners taking a similar journey was a good move. We help each other out and promote each other’s services. And I’ve continued to make a point of telling everyone what I do; I’m always waving my business cards around!

Talking with my business tutors helped them to understand what makes me tick, and me to understand how I could use those qualities to find a focus. I decided to target the ‘small man on the street’ – people like me, my family and friends who want to deal with approachable people who make them feel that they are in safe hands; they want to be stroked. And I’m good at doing that – that’s my USP! I created the strapline of ‘Customer-friendly proofreading at comfortable prices’. Understanding the kind of editor these types of private client want to work with, and ensuring the message I communicate expresses this, has been really important and helped attract independent writers to my website. Many of my self-publishing clients have told me they feel intimidated and nervous when looking for somebody to tackle their writings, but that I reassured them.

I’ve also been very targeted regarding my contact with publishers. I decided to get experience by contacting an independent press that specialized in genre fiction – Wildhorse Publishing (name changed for confidentiality). Prior to meeting me, they did all their proofreading and copy-editing in-house. I didn’t bother them with unsolicited letters that offered them nothing in return for the boredom of reading them; I carried out a check on one of their books and sent them a friendly list of errors I’d found, ostensibly so that they could maybe correct them for the second edition, but really to show them how marvellous I am! And I was shameless! I made them a financial offer they couldn’t refuse, and they gave me a break. I didn’t feel bad about this – I wasn’t undercutting anyone else in the freelancing marketplace because Wildhorse didn’t contract out editorial work. I work on a fixed rate per book and now that I’m familiar with their house style, and we’re all clear on the brief, I’ve managed to improve the amount of money I earn per hour.

If I want to expand my business, the next step is to write to the production editors of fiction publishers and sell on the experience I’ve gained with Wildhorse. I could probably get better rates (though still way below the SfEP or NUJ’s suggested minima) and I think I have enough experience to be able to stand out.

Things I’ve learned: (1) If I did it all over again, I’d do all the business planning and courses before, or while, I was doing my editorial training, not after. I think this would have given me more confidence in the beginning and prepared me for the reality. I might not then have let things get on top of me to such a degree. (2) I wish I’d been more realistic about what I was going to earn; perhaps I wouldn’t have judged myself so harshly. There’s nothing wrong with taking small, lower-paid jobs when you’re a newbie. These keep the skills that you’ve learned while training from rusting away in the early days and they give you confidence that you can actually do the work.