Editors

book-penYou’ve been freelancing as a proofreader, editor, ghostwriter, and/or writing mentor for a while now, and you’ve found that you enjoy it and are good at it. But you occasionally experience the “feast or famine” syndrome. Some months there’s more work than you can handle, and other months you wonder if you’ll have enough income to pay the bills (and your friends and family members start nagging you to “get a real job”).

Or maybe you’ve got plenty of jobs, but they’re not all ideally suited to your preferences, background, or areas of expertise. You don’t want to turn down the work, but you know your skills could be better applied to projects that are more closely matched to your unique abilities. And to be honest, some of the jobs you’ve taken on would probably be better handled by someone with different specialties.

We can help!

This “editorial matchmaking service” puts authors, publishers, and agents together with established, professional editorial freelancers using a database approach. Editors who are interested in being listed in the database fill out a simple application describing their business, provide references from satisfied clients, and take a brief test in whatever area(s) of editing they want to offer.

Authors, publishers, and agents who visit the site fill out a request form identifying the type of editorial service they’re looking for, providing a brief description of the manuscript(s), rate range, turnaround time, etc. We match up requests with editors, then pass along the lead to qualified members of the network. Those editors are then free to contact the potential clients and deal directly with them.

You are under no obligation to work with a referred client, or even to respond to a lead. If it looks like a good fit to you, go for it. If not, you are free to pass on it at any step in the negotiating process.

This service is offered free to authors, publishers, and agents. For the editors, there is a $20 fee to have each editing test assessed, as well as an annual membership fee of $50. There is also a 15% referral fee for the first year the editor works with any referred client.

Interested in becoming part of this network?

Applicants must have

  • at least two years of experience as a professional freelance editor, beginning with your first paying client*
  • at least two references
  • thorough knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition
  • thorough knowledge of The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, 4th edition
  • an introduction letter to potential clients that will be reviewed by the CEC Coordinator

*Experience includes paid freelance editing—a monthly church newsletter, short stories, full-length books, etc.—and does not include work performed as an employee or intern.

Click here to fill out the Editorial Freelancer Application.

Are you fairly new to editorial freelancing?

The Christian Editor Connection is for established, professional, and experienced editors. If you are an aspiring editor or new to freelancing, check out The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, a professional support organization for freelance proofreaders and editors. It has an email discussion loop, networking, professional discounts for members, and more. The PEN Institute offers online courses, webinars, and mentoring for new and experienced editors. We recommend starting with “Establishing Your Freelance Editing Business,” “Freelance Editing 101,” “Communicating with Clients,” and “Proofreading 101,” but we encourage you to check out all the offerings to see which are the best fit for you.

These organizations can help you gain the two years of paid experience required to qualify you as an established, professional, experienced CEC editor.

To find out more, visit TheChristianPEN.com and PENInstitute.com.