The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors: How to Take Care of Your Business, Your Clients, and Yourself from Start-Up to Sustainability

by Erin Brenner

The definitive guide to starting and running a freelance editing business.

You’ve been thinking about shifting into the world of freelance editing, but you don’t know where to start. In a time when editors are seeking greater flexibility in their work arrangements and schedules, freelancing is an increasingly common career option. But deciding to go it alone means balancing the risks with the rewards. From the publisher of The Chicago Manual of Style comes The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors , the definitive guide to running your business and finding greater control and freedom in your work life.

In this book, Erin Brenner—an industry leader and expert on the business of editorial freelancing—gathers everything you need to know into a single resource. Brenner has run her own successful editing business for over two decades and has helped hundreds of editors launch or improve their businesses through her teaching, blog writing, and coaching.

The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors will walk you through the entire process of conceiving, launching, and working in a freelance editing business, from deciding on services and rates to choosing the best business structure to thinking through branding and marketing strategies and beyond. This book is ideal for beginning freelancers looking to get set up and land their first clients, but it’s equally valuable to those who have already been freelancing, with detailed coverage of such issues as handling difficult clients and continuing professional development. You’ll find a collection of advice from other successful freelance editors in this guide, as well as an extensive list of resources and tools. In the final and perhaps most important chapter, Brenner teaches you how to care for the key component of the yourself.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Writing

350 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice today, people have asked me, "I want to be an editor. Where do I even start?" I used to give them a handy PDF cheatsheet I made of course providers, editorial organizations, links to great blogs about running your business, marketing podcasts, etc.

Now I just tell them to study Erin's book. Because it covers everything. And it's clear, easy to understand, efficient, thorough, and just utterly brilliant.

All the great advice I've gathered from all the different places I've gone to network and learn from other editors is just a fraction of the helpfulness contained in this little book.

Stop wasting your time reading reviews. Just go read it!

[Dorlisa Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am DEVASTATED this book wasn't out when I first started freelancing. It has answers to every single question I had when I first launched my business.

Whether you've been at it for decades or you're just getting started, this book has something for every freelance editor to learn.

Erin Brenner doesn't gatekeep ANYTHING in this book.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent hundreds of dollars taking a freelancing course as part of my Editing Certificate. It was useful, but Erin's book surpasses it by almost every measure -- and at a fraction of the cost.

I appreciate that Erin takes a holistic approach to freelancing, exploring not just business acumen, but topics like self-care, too. I love that Erin acknowledged the challenges presented by introversion, providing guidance and encouragement when it comes to connecting with others and forging ahead when one might otherwise prefer to turtle. This book will be close at hand as I seek to launch a freelancing career. Right now, it feels like a goal that is within reach, and that's in no small part due to Erin's book. ❤️

[Natalie Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for freelance editors. This would have been most helpful when I launched my freelance career eleven years ago, but it still contained helpful insight and advice as a seasoned editor/writer.

[Blake Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easily recommendable book for every aspiring freelance editor (and the book I desperately needed when I started freelancing a decade ago).

[Joni McNeal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for any freelancer, not just editors. My to-do list is a mile long now.

[S.S. Scott | Romance Author and Fiction Story Coach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I wish I had *before* I opened my doors as a freelancer three years ago. Erin Brenner takes readers from the earliest days of when you're even thinking of becoming a freelance editor, up to establishing yourself over the next 3–5 years, and into the future of a truly sustainable business. I loved every piece of this business guide, and will be re-reading it every year.

[E. Prybylski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying, I rarely give full five-star reviews to anything. This book has earned it.

Erin Brenner's guide is meticulous, thoughtful, encouraging, and detailed. She provides insight and information from everything from initial setup for your business to helping with self-care and even recommendations on file structures to help you locate files swiftly.

I have been an editor for sixteen years, and I went into this book with the thought that I likely knew a lot of it (and in the more basic chapters, I definitely did). However, after the basics of setting up a business and putting out a shingle, Erin does a deep dive into a number of topics that I hadn't really given deep thought to.

The warmth of her voice and the kind humor woven throughout the work makes it read like she's sitting next to you at your desk, gently poking you for not having set up a process for writing invoices yet while wearing a smile. Having met Erin on several occasions, I can confirm that her tone in real life is just as wonderful as it is in the book.

Truly, freelance editors at every level will benefit from the content in this book. It not only reaffirms things I already knew (which feels good to hear from such an illustrious source) but also offers new perspective on things I may have known but never really put thought into (such as efficiency of keyboard shortcuts versus mouse). There are little gems of wisdom sprinkled throughout this that you will want to highlight (or underline) and go back to time and time again to remind yourself.

Honestly, it may be a book I read through once a year to make sure I am keeping up on her excellent best practices. From this freelance editor, thank you, Erin! You have my undying gratitude and appreciation!

[Danielle Szabreath · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

an excellent resource; Brenner is no-nonsense when giving practical advice with real-life examples; I revised my business plan several times with each new chapter and I'll keep referencing the book in the future

I didn't give a full five stars due to how she mentions AI use. At first, she addressed the topic on all our minds: "Will AI take editors' jobs?" But then, she made several suggestions to use ChatGPT to draft and/or brainstorm emails and marketing copy without any caveats (apart from that obviously an editor would carefully edit the material before posting). Personally, I'm not sure how I feel about ChatGPT as a writing tool yet, and I suppose I wanted to see a more robust discussion about it in this context.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin Brenner does an amazing job of spelling out what it means to be an editorial freelancer. Her advice is helpful and timely. The biggest takeaway that I got from this book, was her advocation of peer groups. Editing can be a lonely world, but Erin's recommendation of a peer group where accountability and friendship are a must.

I have been dragging my feet about getting a real start in editing, but this book helped me to overcome my fears. The information in this book is a wonderful deterrent to fear and anxiety. Follow Erin's advice and you will be on your way to a successful future in freelancing.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone new to the freelance editing world or thinking about becoming a freelance editor. Erin breaks down what to think about for your business: not only things like branding and marketing but thinking about rates, LLCs, contracts, and more. I've been freelancing for less than a year and this book did a great job of boosting my confidence in some things, giving me other things to consider that I hadn't thought about before, and providing tons of helpful resources to check out!

This is a must-read to anyone just starting off in the freelance editing world!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine book, but I can't give it higher than three because she twice recommends using ChatGPT to write important content (website content and emails to client). Not only do I think this is bad advice, it calls into question all the content in this book. Is it good content written by an expert or AI hallucinations and plagiarisms from unknown sources?

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic resource. I will keep it near my desk and refer to again and again.

[Morgan Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin is generous in sharing all the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to be successful as an editor, regardless of your career stage. I believe there’s something here for everyone, and the resources alone are well worth checking out.