tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post2783194863025762029..comments2024-03-27T04:00:02.294-04:00Comments on EditorMom: How to Find Medical Editing Freelance WorkKatharine O'Moore-Klopfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-72149265951699764062019-06-14T19:21:13.157-04:002019-06-14T19:21:13.157-04:00Hezi, I had posted an additional reply to you in 2...Hezi, I had posted an additional reply to you in 2016, but someone recently (2019) spotted an error in it that I could not edit out. Here it is again, but corrected:<br /><br />P.S. Hezi, you can also subscribe to the <a href="http://www.hittmedicalwriting.com/thehittlist.html" rel="nofollow"><strong>HittList</strong></a>, a free weekly subscription email that includes job listings, for potential freelance opportunities. In addition, you may need to take some courses on topics specific to editing. See my guest post <strong>"<a href="http://www.editor-mom.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to-become-medical-editor.html" rel="nofollow">How to Become a Medical Editor</a>"</strong> (for the blog of Editors Canada) for ideas.Katharine O'Moore-Klopfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-22829110978008748692017-07-31T12:08:13.366-04:002017-07-31T12:08:13.366-04:00Hello, Sell My Books. Editors who oversee manuscri...Hello, Sell My Books. Editors who oversee manuscript submission and peer review nearly always have in-house jobs as journal employees; journals generally are not willing to subcontract that kind of work to freelancers. That's why you aren't finding advertisements for such work. You may have to start out as a freelance copyeditor. Please see my advice above to Hezi.Katharine O'Moore-Klopfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-89184168916744131112017-07-26T09:06:36.447-04:002017-07-26T09:06:36.447-04:00Hi
I came across your Message and I am wondering ...Hi <br />I came across your Message and I am wondering if I can pick your brains regarding my situation as it is similar to mine in some ways. <br /><br />I am a scientist with a PhD in biochemistry, followed by 9 years postdoctoral experience at Oxford. About 4 years ago I had a family situation which forced me to leave my postdoc job. I want to stay in touch with science and am wanting to pursue a career in scientific publishing in order to stay within science. The career I am interested in is as an editor in an open acces journal, overseeing the process of submission and peer review...etc. What would work for me is a freelance or work from home model. From your experience, what would you suggest as a starting point? I've tried looking through job listings in nature and the like as well as on the plos jobs page but I can't seem to find adverts for such positions. <br />I look forward to hearing from you very soon. <br />Kind regards <br />Ashraf Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00900368813504148787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-15843132178363058572016-05-13T09:08:46.687-04:002016-05-13T09:08:46.687-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Katharine O'Moore-Klopfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-55047731914736942682016-05-13T08:53:16.441-04:002016-05-13T08:53:16.441-04:00Hezi, with all of the changes in publishing, there...Hezi, with all of the changes in publishing, there are very few in-house jobs for medical editors, so freelancing is the way to go. It will take you a few years to get established, however, so be persistent. And yes, it does work to call and email publishers, though you will have to contact a lot of them, and most of them will require that you take an unpaid editing test before they agree to give you editing projects.<br /><br />Yes, it can be hard to get freelance work if you don't have some experience, but you have to keep contacting publishers you want to work with. Eventually, someone will give you a chance. And you can take freelance projects from editing services like Cactus to build experience and your list of clients. You won't make much money working with such services, but at least you will be able to show better-paying potential clients that you have the editing experience that they want. There are other editing services besides Cactus. I maintain a folder on Dropbox that contains a <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/isusr3iy8au98dx/AACM1B4-bSBVDNL7TvG3RYUfa?dl=0" rel="nofollow"><b>periodically updated document</b></a> listing quite a few editing services and links to their websites. You might want to seek projects from some of them.<br /><br />After you have built up editing experience, you eventually will want to move on to better-paying clients. You will have to become very good at hunting for them. Read this post on <a href="http://editor-mom.blogspot.com/2009/07/marketing-tips-for-freelancers.html" rel="nofollow"><b>marketing for freelancers</b></a> for ways to get your name out there in front of potential clients.<br /><br />I wish you fortitude and good luck.Katharine O'Moore-Klopfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-72434383165321664042016-05-12T18:03:30.176-04:002016-05-12T18:03:30.176-04:00Dear Katharine,
Thank you for your wonderful blog...Dear Katharine,<br /><br />Thank you for your wonderful blog. I was wanted to hear your opinion about working as freelancer for huge scientific editing companies such as Cactus (Editage, which you've mentioned elsewhere in your blog in a different context).<br /><br />I've recently finished my PhD in biology, and I really would like to become a scientific editor. Nailing such a job with a publisher seems impossible. I've been rejected dozens of times, even though I hold a reference letter from a world-leading scientist that says "This guy has to become an editor!"<br /><br />Seems right now that Cactus is the only way of getting my foot in the door, albeit very tentatively. Jobs are highly irregular, the company tries to deduct from your pay in every way possible, and at its best your pay is 12 USD per 1,000 words, which is shameful. But what's the alternative? I can hardly see any right now. I was surprised a bit by your advice to call publishers and offer my services. I'm skeptic. Don't they advertise if they need editors? What will I show them if I barely even started?<br /><br />Becoming an independent freelancer seems too like an unachievable dream right now. Companies like Cactus control the market. How is there any place left for individual freelancers? How will anyone hear of me? The fact that I have no savings to fall onto certainly doesn't help.<br /><br />I'm quite baffled. Thanks in advance!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01248184357700741975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-42474372861817857832016-05-06T17:13:59.490-04:002016-05-06T17:13:59.490-04:00Yes, thank you very much for this helpful informat...Yes, thank you very much for this helpful information! Best of luck to you!!!pbwsaxohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01684257618117938193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-81779054640610833912013-05-09T07:23:18.449-04:002013-05-09T07:23:18.449-04:00Katharine, this is enormously helpful information,...Katharine, this is enormously helpful information, thanks for this, and for a very useful blog.A. B. Syedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03190226661105906969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-62616065537609333192011-09-12T10:38:28.686-04:002011-09-12T10:38:28.686-04:00Great techniques, Juliette. Thanks for sharing the...Great techniques, Juliette. Thanks for sharing them.Katharine O'Moore-Klopfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699159708036532202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188674.post-57294633006940950122011-09-12T10:33:07.980-04:002011-09-12T10:33:07.980-04:00I've found that making personal contacts in a ...I've found that making personal contacts in a university setting has proved foundational in growing my client base. <br /><br />As somebody who's always had an affinity for international students (I even married one, ha!), connecting with and offering my editing services to internationals was a natural effort. Granted, I now live in Germany and finding new connections isn't difficult, but getting connected to internationals at US/UK/Canadian universities isn't hard to do if you have a school nearby.<br /><br />One thing that grew out of these connections was my involvement in teaching at a local university. I work with about 15 PhD candidates per semester in a 'Scientific English Writing Lab'. Not only have I personally enjoyed working one on one with the students, but I've also grown my client base as they graduate and 'take me with them'. The bonus is that it gets my introverted self out working with people on a regular basis! =)<br /><br />While it's important to stay abreast of online sources, I think it's also a good idea to try and 'reach out and touch someone'. =)Juliettehttp://www.jrautenberg.comnoreply@blogger.com