How Is Working with an Editing Company?
Maybe something you want to do professionally
While I can’t address what every editing company is like, as they all have different models, I’ll refer to my own experience with one that offers us clients that we can chose to audition for. I’ve worked an editing company for a good while, and find it has pros and cons.
Pros
You can work from home on your own schedule.
While some companies require you to provide an exact date for completion of the work, others do not.
You can pass on jobs if you’re busy or don’t feel drawn to the piece need of editing, or you do a sample edit if you feel qualified.
You don’t have to do your own marketing to find editing clients. The company will have its own website.
The company takes care of billing and some problems that may come up with clients.
Helping people improve their manuscripts is rewarding for many people, and you can communicate with them in person, developing a caring relationship.
You can stop working for the company any time you want. If you have a good relationship with them and have performed well, they can write you a letter of recommendation for similar work.
Cons
The editing company may not market itself as much as you’d prefer them to, so you might go long stretches without editing options.
In the model I’m referring to, the editing company takes a percentage of what the client pays. While I don’t mind that, some people might prefer to find their own clients and keep the full amount.
For me, being accepted into the company was easy, as I have an MA and MFA, have taught writing in universities for seventeen years, have edited with my own company and have hundreds of publications. However, if you don’t have similar qualifications, the company may not consider you. Some companies require proof of English degrees, require you do well on a test they administer and expect you to do a sample edit. They they may allow you to be a probationary member as they watch how you do with clients. Some people, especially if they don’t like administrators “looking over their shoulders,” may find that intimidating or condescending.
The companies that require you to do sample edits for clients may bring you a lot of work — or not. You will be competing against other editors who might reply more quickly to a client to do the audition, might have more experience, fancy software and letter headers, be available at any time to talk with a client on the phone. The clients might resonate with the other editor’s feedback more than with yours, so another editor at the company wins the audition.
Often clients don’t pick anyone from the company at all and try a different company. This can happen if they expect the feedback to be glowing, for example, and they are faced with the problems in their writing.
Many clients have no intention of hiring anyone but just want a free edit.
Doing sample edits is time-consuming. Sometimes you might do a few sample edits a day, each of which might take more than an hour to complete. You put your heart into it, maybe delivering audio bonus replies. And then you don’t get the job.
Many clients are from other countries and don’t speak English well, speak ebonics that you may be unfamiliar with. The most challenging situation is when they don’t speak English well and also record a casual audio or video and use free (poor quality) automated translation software. Then — and this is a nightmare — they send it to you to edit without having proofed it at all. You might do a sample edit to help out the person, yet it might not work out.
I hope this is a helpful breakdown of the pros and cons of working with an editing company as an editor.
