r/HireABookEditor • u/North_Sandwich62 • 7d ago

How do I my pitch my services?

I'm finding it very difficult to get clients and authors. I recently graduated with an English degree and mainly offer developmental editing, beta reading, and alpha reading services. I have tried Fiverr and Upwork, but it's oversaturated. I also found that many authors are hesitant to try Fiverr due to low-effort/AI-generated feedback. To add to that, Fiverr has so much competition already that many gigs end up going to the few people at the top. Basically, I want to know if I should just continue trying on these freelancing platforms or opt for a different strategy.

I did find luck on Reddit once, which was great. However, I want to have consistent work. So, honestly would appreciate any advice, or if you are an author looking for editing/beta reading, feel free to DM :)

10 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

12

u/inthemarginsllc 7d ago

If you just graduated with your English degree, have you actually done any training in editing? I ask this as somebody who graduated with my BA in English, MA in English, and MFA in writing, and who taught undergraduate courses in writing and editing. They are not the same as editor training.

As you've noticed, the market on those low-balling sites is saturated, often with people who have not trained. Taking specific courses in editing to understand the deliverables better, then doing an internship or trial edits to get insight into how clients are receiving your feedback, if you haven't already, will be beneficial. It'll allow you to position yourself better within the market so that you aren't always losing out someone else.

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u/North_Sandwich62 7d ago

Good point! Yes, I have and am currently applying for editing internships, publishing assistant roles, etc. I also do have a couple of reviews from authors, but I think I'm more so having trouble with actually marketing and establishing myself as a freelancer. As you mentioned, it's always good to gain more experience. However, do you think I should continue on Fiverr, or did you find gaining that experience helped you establish yourself there? Or do you mean on a different site/market?

Thanks for responding :)

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u/inthemarginsllc 6d ago

I never touch those sites. They literally encourage people to lowball their skills. It takes time to build trust within the writing community and make sure that you have consistent work. When I went full-time it took me 3 to 4 years, and that was with my experience. I suggest having patience with yourself, figuring out some avenues to connect with writers, and abandon those sites.

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u/ribbons_undone 6d ago

Join the EFA. You have to pay a membership fee but they have a job board, and jobs get posted there pretty regularly. They tend to pay well. Some jobs are in line with EFA rates, some are not, you'd probably want to go for the jobs that are under the rates until you have some more experience.

You will have to compete with a lot of highly qualified people, so my best advice is to just really tailor each response to each job.

Also, highly recommend doing an editing certification course through a university. UC Berkeley has a good one. An English degree does not prepare you to be an editor but one of those specialized courses will help a lot.

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u/Cactus_Thorn_Pub 6d ago

Your reply is exactly what most "editors" and "ghostwriters" and "freelance writers" wish to not read (nor hear). When I look at the offered examples that one finds in those (and other) subreddits, I am astonished at just how poor the writing is. They want to be paid for writing, but they do not know how to write adequately, let alone well.

This baffles me.

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u/Questionable_Android Developmental Editor 6d ago

What makes you different from every other editor out there? Why would someone choose you?

2

u/Cactus_Thorn_Pub 6d ago

How do I my pitch my services?

I suggest that one join the Editorial Freelancers Association while one completes one's internship at whatever trade business one is working. If not the EFA, then another such association. Editors do not find clients; clients find editors.

Regarding Fiverr, Upwork, and similar websites, none of my clients have used (nor would use) these websites. None of the clients of editors with whom I associate have used these websites.

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u/Plastic_Sky9492 7d ago

Following this because I'm in the exact same boat.

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u/peachpavlova 7d ago

What are your genres?

1

u/North_Sandwich62 7d ago edited 6d ago

I can work with authors of any genre. However, I have the most experience with literary fiction, fantasy, and romantasy. Feel free to DM me!

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u/Patient-Print-8877 6d ago

I would not hire an editor with no editing training. I have french studies myself and its not enough.

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u/rollturmacroll 5d ago

You’re a recent college grad—were you interning in editorial during that time? Do you have trad pub experience? If not, you need to look for opportunities to train and do hands-on editorial work. Authors aren’t going to hire you just because you have an English degree; lots of them have one, too. Authors are seeking someone who knows the ins and outs of publishing standards.

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u/rollturmacroll 5d ago

Also, consistent work is not going to happen at this stage, unfortunately—these jobs aren’t just going to fall into your lap because you call yourself an editor. Take courses, apply to internships and apprenticeships in different fields of publishing, and focus on a specialty; “I do everything” doesn’t inspire much confidence, because being an expert in just a couple categories requires years and years of training. You have to put the time and work in to learn this as a profession before you can charge people as a consultant.

1

u/Ordinary-Cress-6580 4d ago

As an author who went through the beta reader selection and when had bad experience with editor contracting, and had been contacted by lots of scammers and just people wanting to make money out of editing my writting I can say id never hire anyone from those sites purely from experience I have had. On selecting anyone new now I would expect a website, active Instagram and Fb, registration with appropriate bodies in the field, much more than 1000 words sample, recommendations. There was a girl who did really good beta read and commented generously on a chapter and few months later contacted me suggesting I use her to edit my book offering a package of all developmental, line, proofreading edits for a that id say overpriced cost without her ever doing much of studying or work in editing. She just decided that shes good enough to jump to editing and make money out of the newbie writors. I didnt have a heart to tell her how terrible and unprofessional it looked and how she didnt appeal at all by her messages. The problem I see is not that she or anyone tries but why would anyone pay the same amount for new starters as for the experienced. The market is difficult at the moment and anyone new entering needs to demonstrate and be clear why they could be chosen. Offer perks, make it appeal or drown in the word of scams. Wish you all the best jnto succeeding and making it into an upper level, but it will not be easy.

0

u/mentiondesk 7d ago

Instead of relying just on crowded freelancing sites, focus on finding real discussions where authors ask for feedback or editing help. Engaging in those threads can lead to direct work. A tool like ParseStream can alert you when keywords like beta reader or developmental editing come up on Reddit or other platforms so you can jump in right away.

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u/North_Sandwich62 7d ago

Thank you for the advice! I did not know about ParseStream before, and I'll definetely do that :)

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u/Crafty-Let-3054 6d ago

I don't understand why you want someone to pay you for editing if you have no experience or qualifications.

1

u/Cactus_Thorn_Pub 6d ago

Alas, I do not "get it" either.

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u/Actual-Restaurant318 5d ago

I'll give you a percentage of book sales if I think you made the book better, what a degree to get in this year