Most days, I’m not half a bad writer. However, my editing skills aren’t quite so hot. I can spot an error if I see it, but editing just takes me a lot longer than writing does. If I couldn’t depend on editors to check out my work, my productivity would probably crater.
The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with needing an editor. Most professional writers rely on them for a second set of eyes. Plus, they take a load off your back so you can focus on what you do best – writing.
In this article, we’ll talk about why you should hire a freelance editor and how they can help increase your productivity. I’ll even introduce you to a couple of places where you can look for one to get started. Let’s get to it!
Why You Need a Freelance Editor
In some cases, you may get lucky and a land a long-term writing gig someplace that has their own editors. However, as a freelance writer, in most cases, you’ll be expected to edit your own work and deliver drafts that are ready to go. That means if you want one, you’ll have to hire a freelance editor out of your own pocket.
If you’re just starting out in freelance writing, it’s probably an expense you can’t afford. However, if you already have a few clients under your belt, it’s definitely something you should look into.
The correct way to think about a freelance editor is not as an expense, but as an investment in your business. Throughout the next sections, I’ll break down all the different ways having access to an editor can improve your work. Plus, we’ll talk about a couple of places where you can look for one online.
3 Ways Hiring a Freelance Editor Can Boost Your Revenue
Personally, I don’t like to look for freelancers on platforms such as Upwork. I’ve used them myself in the past, but it’s always a challenge to look through all the submissions until you find someone that fits your needs perfectly.
Instead, I’m more partial to working with other freelancers whose work I can vouch for personally. If I can’t find the right person, my second stop are freelance job boards, which tend to attract a more professional type of crowd than other platforms. When it comes to editing work, I’ve heard great things about Editing Crossing. With that out of the way, let me convince you why hiring a freelance editor is a great idea.
1. You’ll Consistently Submit Better Articles
As good of a writer as you probably are, not everyone can hit a home run every time they step up to the plate. Most importantly, a first draft usually requires at least a few fixes before it’s ready to be published.
If you’re working alone, it can be hard to spot your own mistakes. Whenever possible, I try to come back to an article the day after I’m done with a draft so I can take a look at it with fresh eyes. However, that still doesn’t guarantee I will spot every typo or grammatical error. However, editors are trained to find these, so they’ll zero in on any mistakes with pinpoint accuracy.
The result is you’ll be able to submit higher-quality articles each time. Over time, clients will almost always prefer to work with the person they know they don’t need to micromanage because their deliverables are always up to par. That’s 0-1 in favor of hiring a freelance editor to work with you.
2. You Can Spend More Time Writing
How much money you can earn as a freelance writer depends mostly on two factors: what your rate is and how fast you can complete each job. In other words, the more time you can dedicate to writing, the more money you should have coming your way.
To give you an example, on a good day, I can write 1,000 words in about an hour or less. However, once I have a working draft, it often takes me twice as long to edit it because I get bogged down in all the little details. Those are two hours I could have dedicated to working and generating money, but instead, I spent them editing.
Just to be clear, editing is necessary. However, it’s up to you to decide whether that’s the best use of your time. If you’re at the point where you have your hands full of work and you want to scale your business, hiring an editor is often the best way to do it. Once you have someone you trust working with you, that editor can polish your drafts until they are perfect, while you take on more work comfortably.
3. It Can be the Start of a Freelance Business
A lot of people that are attracted to freelancing like the idea of working on their own. Personally, I love not working in a crowded office. However, after several years freelancing, I can tell you the most successful people in the field get to the top because they’re capable of building a team around them.
When it comes to freelance writing, your team may very well be a single editor, but that’s a start. Once you hire one, you should be able to take on more work. However, at some point, you’re going to hit a hard cap on how much you can get done without burning out. At that stage, you should consider whether you would like to scale your business by bringing in more freelancers.
Tons of excellent freelance writers have problems signing new clients because it’s just not their forte. If you can land those gigs (using the Paid to Blog Jobs board, for example), you could even set up a small agency of your own and offer more services to your clients, such as proofreading, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for blogs, and more.
Of course – working with a team isn’t for everyone. I prefer the lone wolf approach, but that’s just because management isn’t my thing. If you have the leadership skills for it, then it’s something you should consider!
Conclusion
As a freelance writer, you probably work on a lot of pieces each month. Having an editor watching your back can help you take on more work without impacting its quality. By investing in an editor you can work with over the long term, you should be able to grow your freelance writing business beyond what you might be able to alone.
If you’re still on the fence about hiring a freelance editor, here are some of the ways having one on your team can boost business:
- They enable you to submit better content consistently.
- If you don’t have to worry about editing, you can spend more time writing.
- The more members your team has, the wider variety of services you can offer, and the more clients you can take on.
Do you have any questions about how to hire a freelance editor? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!
Image credit: Pixabay.