Your Personal Twitter Guru

If you've followed my blog for at least the last 12 months, you know that I'm a huge fan of using social media—Twitter in particular—as a marketing tool. And yes, I mean marketing your business, all of you editorial freelancers out there. Using Twitter is fun, but every little detail of how you do so effects the impression you make on Twitterdom.

Scary? It doesn't have to be. Want someone to help you figure out how to do it well but don't have much money for a huge campaign? I know just the person who can help: Marian Schembari. She's smart, young, energetic, knowledgeable about social media, full of ideas, outspoken, direct, and funny.

She's offering Twitter critiques that provide personalized and actionable tasks that will make you immediately more effective once you complete them. Here's how it works:

• E-mail her with your Twitter handle (translation for newbies: Twitter name) and a brief summary of what you want to accomplish with your online presence.



• Within 2 days, she'll get back to you with a half-hour video critique of your profile, along with a written report with the strategy outlined in the video.



• You'll also receive a follow-up evaluation of your progress whenever you want, usually 2 weeks after implementation.

The cost? Only $100. Even for someone new to freelancing without a large budget, that's affordable. Just do it!


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Audio Conference on Handling Difficult Authors

On Thursday, August 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, I'll spill my secrets in an audio conference, sponsored by Copyediting newsletter, on how copyeditors can work with authors who actively resist being edited, don't see the problems that the editor does, or are downright hostile. What are your options, as a copyeditor, when an author digs in his or her heels, and what can you do to avoid an impasse in the first place? You can get more details and register by going here.

The main topics will be

• How to set authors at ease at the start of editing



• How to write effective author queries



• How to set boundaries with authors who hover



• How to navigate relationships with prickly authors



• How to communicate effectively with ESL authors



• How to turn authors into repeat clients



• How to deal with authors when a breakup is inevitable

I have been in publishing for 26 years, the first 11 as a production editor for various publishers, and since then as a full-time freelance copyeditor. I am a medical editor with a specialty in editing manuscripts written by non-native speakers of English. My editing has helped researchers in 20-plus nations get published. I am also the creator and curator of the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base. On Twitter, I am @KOKEdit.

If you can't change your schedule to participate in the audio conference, you can go here to order a CD of the conference. If you can't afford the cost of the conference yourself, you and one or more colleagues can register under one name and make arrangements among yourselves to share the cost. International callers are welcome; consider using VoIP to decrease the cost of your time on the phone. And remember, if you're already self-employed as a freelance editor in the United States, the cost of the audio conference (and the audio CD, if you purchase it) is a business expense that you can write off on your income tax forms.

Get ready to pick up your phone and learn from the comfort of your employer's office, your home office, or your home. If you've wanted to improve your relationships with authors, this is the conference for you.


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Twitter Tip: Résumés and Business Cards

I'm reading a great new book, The Twitter Job Search Guide, by Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan, and Deb Dib (published by JIST) so that I can eventually review it. (It's taking me a long while, not because the book is boring or a tough read but because I have so little spare time.) Meanwhile, I found a good tip in it that editorial freelancers might want to take advantage of:

List your Twitter handle (account name) on your business cards, résumé, and LinkedIn profile.

I'd add that you should also list it on your business web site and wherever else your business profile appears online, such as directories of those in your profession or members of a professional association.

I'm on Twitter all the time, mostly for business purposes, but it hadn't occurred to me to include my Twitter handle (@KOKEdit) on my business cards or résumé, even though I list it on my LinkedIn profile and on my web site. Including your Twitter handle on all of your project-seeking materials, including e-mail signatures, is a great idea because potential clients can then follow you on Twitter and get a sense of who you are, what your outlook on work and your profession is, and how you think.

Take a look at how I've incorporated my Twitter handle into my résumé (near the top of it).

Maybe including your Twitter handle on everything you can think of seems like a minor detail, but these days, it's important to take advantage of every possible tool to help potential clients to find you.


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Social Media Platforms as Marketing Tools for Freelancers

I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Mastodon, in addition to my own website, as part of my business presence. If you're a freelance editorial professional, I think that you should do so too.

To learn what X (formerly known as Twitter) did for me and to read instructions for how to get it to do the same for you, read my article in volume 25, issue 2 of the AMWA Journal. I believe so strongly in the usefulness of such social media platforms that I was once one of the people who serve as the official voice on X for both the Council of Science Editors and the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences.

The book I've coauthored that I've recently posted about here—my first ever authorship of a book produced by a traditional publisher—came my way solely because of X. The book's publisher found me on X, liked how I represented myself and my skills, asked me to contract with them first as a copyeditor and then as a developmental editor, and then offered me the chance to be a coauthor.

My Facebook page is in my personal name, not my business's name. That's because when I signed up for Facebook, I wasn't aware that businesses could have Facebook profiles, and by this point, I don't want to have to do the work of setting up a business profile and then to have to remember to post only nonwork stuff on my namesake profile and only work stuff on my business profile. I do post the occasional personal note on Facebook, such as announcing that I believe I have the sweetest husband in the world, but I don't believe that that reflects negatively on my professionalism. After all, editorial professionals do sometimes have life partners. ;-) But generally, I post information and links about the publishing industry, science publishing, freelancing, and health-care news ... because I am a full-time freelance copyeditor, working mostly with medical manuscripts. Some of my clients have friended me there; lots of my colleagues have. I like Facebook because it's much more up-to-the-moment than my fairly static business website is. As I did with X, I believe so strongly in the usefulness of Facebook that I was once one of the people who managed the Facebook pages of the Council of Science Editors and the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences.

LinkedIn, for me, serves as a more traditional-feeling venue for showcasing my résumé, work background, and related information. I think it's an excellent tool especially for freelancers who don't yet have their own business websites; the free version of LinkedIn will let you display all that you need to without the headaches of setting up and maintaining a website. Your profile will, though, have pretty much the same look as everyone else's on LinkedIn, which isn't the case on your own business website. You can establish your authority and reputation on LinkedIn by participating in group discussions and sharing your expertise when less-experienced folks ask questions. And you can use LinkedIn to find out information about potential corporate clients by studying their profiles.

I figure that through my website, potential clients get a good idea of my professional qualifications. Through Facebook and platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon, they can get a fairly real-time sense of what it's like to work with me and deal with me. Let's face it: Many of us have fired clients because even though they offered plenty of work, they treated us shoddily. It would be great to be able to determine ahead of time whether a potential client is going to be hell to work with or out of touch with industry best practices. Shouldn't I give potential clients the chance to see whether, in addition to being well qualified, I'm also pleasant to deal with and knowledgeable about current events and trends in the fields I work in?


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An Answer to Haters of Comic Sans

You know who you are. Comic Sans is mad as hell and isn't going to take it anymore.


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What Do I Use Twitter For?

My article "I'm On Twitter: Now What Do I Use It For?" is in the current issue of the AMWA Journal (volume 25, issue 2). AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) members can read it here; nonmembers can access it at this link (PDF).

As I say in the article, "Twitter is ... a place to keep up with industry news, learn what industry leaders are doing and thinking about, make new client contacts, and meet and build online relationships with colleagues," and I explain ways to do these things. My industries are publishing and, more specifically, medical publishing, and Twitter is a wonderful tool for me to use in keeping up with those industries.

What do you use Twitter for?


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My New Book!

I heard back from the publisher today about my additions to the book I'm getting coauthor credit on:

The manuscript looks fine to me . . . send me an invoice and we'll get your final payment in the works. [The book was a work-for-hire project.]

I'm glad you enjoyed this project. On our end, you really saved us with the quick turnaround time and quality work. Certainly, as we need books updated in the future—some of those TechCareers publications are about ready to be updated for second editions—we'll be happy to kick some of that work your way.

We'll keep you posted as events warrant on Taking Charge . . . we'll do everything we can to make you and Karen [my coauthor] media darlings!

That made my week! I couldn't have asked for more. I got praise, the promise of more writing work, and the promise of publicity for the book. The publisher, TSTC [Texas State Technical College] Publishing, doesn't have a page up on its web site yet for this new (second) edition of the book, and the current page for the first edition (for which I wasn't a coauthor) is down while the web site is being redone. But here is the publisher's blog post about the book.

The publishing intern who wrote that post also assisted me in doing some of the research for the second edition, and I've asked that she be given credit on the title page as researcher. My publisher has agreed. I'll have a short bio and a head shot on the back cover.

The first edition was 236 pages and cost $40-something. The new edition will be longer, but I don't know the estimate page count yet or the price. If you're interested in getting a copy because someone in your family will soon be a brand-new college student, the ISBN is 978-1-934302-83-5. The book is scheduled to be available this coming September.


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Audio Course: How to Price Projects

A trusted colleague of mine, a medical writer and editor, highly recommends the audio course How to Confidently Price, Quote and Win More Projects at Higher Fees for freelancer editorial workers. For $49 (the live teleclass was $39), you get an MP3 audio file of the class, a worksheet, and a transcript.

I haven't taken the class, and I do not have any connection with it or its creators.


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Elegance from My Husband the Master Cabinetmaker

My Husband the Master Cabinetmaker^tm, otherwise known as Ed, is building an intricate half-round bench with back slats for a kitchen breakfast nook. He'll soon install the bench in the guesthouse of a home in the Hamptons.

Here are some progress photos. (Click on any photo to see a larger version of it.) The picture at the top left shows a cutting jig (pattern) that he had to make up before he could even cut any pieces for the bench. The vertical back of the bench (the part that people will rest their backs against) will eventually have 33 vertical tapered slats on it. The actual seat (the horizontal surface) will have no slats; it will be solid. The vertical part that will show behind where people's legs will be will have 14 vertical tapered slats on it.

I'm always astounded at my husband's brilliance in the wood shop.

Updated June 1, 2010, at 8:36 a.m.: More photos added.

Updated June 2, 2010, at 10:35 a.m.: And more photos added.

Updated June 6, 2010, at 7:01 p.m.: Ed finished installing the seat today. I've added photos 24 through 27. After this, the painters hired to paint the room will paint the bench (Ed was asked to just prime it), and then the home owners will have a cushion added to the seat.

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Reporting in From the Writing Trenches

I've been very quiet here lately, so I thought I should report in.

My workload has been heavy. And right now, I'm writing updates to the second edition of a college's how-to-be-a-successful-student-and-grown-up textbook, for which I will be given coauthor status.

I am so amazed—I can do this book-writing stuff! But writing is requiring so much more brain power than editing does for me, most likely because I haven't been doing it on a daily basis in decades. (The last time I wrote for pay was as a journalist in the early 1980s.) I get a reprieve from the intensity of writing today because today is an edit-the-Indian-gentleman's-giant-cultural-history-and-genealogy-manuscript day, but I might sneak in a little writing anyway just because it keeps astounding me that I can still write, and I want to check to see if that ability has suddenly disappeared. I'm wiped out at the end of a day spent writing because of (1) the brain-power usage issue, (2) the exhilaration of being able to write, (3) fear that I will blow the deadline, and (4) worry that I'm missing important things at home because I've been concentrating so intensely on what's on my screen. You know: "Oldest child—any new grandkids from you? You other two kids—either of you grow up while my brain was away?"

Remember that feeling, way back in your student days, right after a final exam? That feeling that you'd just dumped all of your intelligence into the test and temporarily had none left? That's how I feel at the end of a day of writing. I suppose that if I were to do it for pay more often—instead of mostly just for personal use or for blogging or for mentoring—it would feel easier and take a little less out of me.

But damn, I do feel so alive!


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Giving Advice All Over the Place

I've been so busy tweeting and working that I've been neglecting my poor blog. But I've kept on giving out plenty of advice about how editorial freelancers can get and keep clients. And the divine Marian Schembari has kindly written up some of that advice.


Updated March 22, 8:10 p.m.: And here I am being quoted again by Marian at Digital Book World, as are some of my colleagues and one of my clients.


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Safe!

The world is a very, very good place for my family today: We get to keep our house!


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How to Transition to Copyediting From Another Career

I'm always being asked how to get into copyediting by people who are in related fields such as teaching. Please note that having been an English teacher does not necessarily prepare you well to be an editor. There is no One True Way, but this is a path that I often recommend:

• First, read "So, You Want to Be an Editor."

• Then read the blog posts "Becoming an Editor" and "What We Do" [Note: This item was updated August 20, 2011.]

• If you're still seriously interested, buy and work through The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications and Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers: A Guide for New Starters. [Note: This item was updated August 20, 2011; April 10, 2013; and October 8, 2019.]

• I used to advise would-be editors to subscribe to Copyediting newsletter. But the newsletter's materials were sold at the start of 2019 to ACES: the Society for Editing. You can find some of its articles in the News section of the ACES website. [Note: This item was updated October 8, 2019.]

• Next, take the certificate program that the UC San Diego Extension offers. [Note: This item was updated October 9, 2019.]

• Meanwhile, follow the links found in the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base on my web site. Take action on those that will help you fill gaps in your knowledge.

• Then buy and read my onscreen booklet, Getting Started as a Freelance Copyeditor.

• After all of that, take any additional courses that you need. There are plenty available, many that can be completed online.

• Then begin contacting publishers and other organizations, offering your editing services. You will most often be required to take a copyediting test, time for which you will not be paid.

• If you have gotten this far in the process, join a profession-related organization for networking and continuing-education purposes and to have colleagues who can answer your questions and teach you client-relations skills. I highly recommend the Editorial Freelancers Association, of which I have been a member since 1995. There are many more such organizations that you may find helpful. [Note: This item was updated April 10, 2013.]

• Take courses periodically for the rest of your life. Above all, being a copyeditor requires being willing to constantly learn: Both language and grammar practices change over time, as does the technology used to edit. You may also want or need to learn related skills, such as indexing or page layout, to stay in demand in the industry.

• Educate yourself about the financial and tax implications of being a self-employed freelancer and about how to market your editorial services. You will be a businessperson, so you will need to know how to act like one.

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My Germ-Away Tea

Because it's the season for upper respiratory infections, at least in the northern hemisphere, I thought you might want my recipe for Germ-Away Tea:

Steep 2 teaspoons of dried, crumbled spearmint leaves and a dash each of ground turmeric, fennel seed, ground sage, and ground ginger in 12 ounces of steaming-hot water for 2 minutes. (You can substitute a small bit of grated fresh ginger for the ground ginger.) Fills two 6-ounce teacups.

Here are the health benefits commonly ascribed to the spices in the tea:

• Spearmint: digestive aid, nausea fighter, indigestion fighter


• Turmeric: antioxidant, antibacterial, digestive aid.


• Fennel: digestive aid, diuretic, expectorant, sore-throat soother


• Sage: antibiotic, cold fighter, anticongestive, digestive aid, disinfectant, flu fighter, immune-system booster, sore-throat soother


• Ginger: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bronchitis fighter, circulation booster, cold fighter, anticongestive, flu fighter

It's a little spicy and tastes best hot.

Feel better.

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Get to Know the Council of Science Editors

If you're a medical editor or copyeditor employed by or freelancing for science journals, publishers, authors, or medical associations, you can enrich your career by getting to know the Council of Science Editors (CSE). One way to do that is to follow the association on Twitter.

CSE, originally called the Council of Biology Editors, was established in 1957 by the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Today it has more than 1,200 members from around the world. It provides career development, provides educational opportunities, and develops resources for identifying and implementing high-quality editorial practices. It offers plenty of resources on its web site, including a member forum, access to publications on editing and the publishing process, and periodic white papers on issues in science publishing. Its journal, Science Editor, addresses all aspects of editing, from the technical to the interpersonal, from science education to ethics in science publishing.

CSE also puts together an annual meeting that offers educational courses, networking opportunities, and presentations of research posters and papers. This year's meeting will be May 14–18, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Check us out. Yes, I'm pleased to be a CSE member.


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What 26 Years in Publishing—15 as a Freelance Copyeditor—Have Taught Me

The publishing industry, which includes both books and peer-reviewed journals, has undergone tremendous changes since I first began working in it in 1984. Back then, manuscripts were all still edited on paper, not on computer screens; authors saw both galley proofs and page proofs of their typeset manuscripts; and the only methods for contacting authors were phone calls, faxes, and letters delivered by postal services or express air couriers. But some things haven’t changed over the years:

• If an editor treats authors respectfully, authors will return the favor.



• Authors accept edits more willingly from an editor who explains the reasoning behind changes than from one who doesn’t.



• Clients and authors always appreciate clear, straightforward, timely communication with an editor.



• Misunderstandings can occur when there are language barriers, so both author and editor must assume good intentions on the part of the other as they work at communicating.



• It’s important to respect boundaries. Authors are the subject-matter experts; the editor is the expert on grammar, syntax, overall flow, and the need for additional details.



• No matter how experienced, an editor can always learn new things. I learn something new from each manuscript I edit and each client and author I work with.

Books and journals may eventually stop appearing in paper form and be available only onscreen, but success in publishing will always require attention to the human beings involved.


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The Journals in Which My ESL Authors Get Published

I like lists; I keep them for many different subjects. They're good for organizing how we work and how we think. In looking at lists I made in 2009, I came across this one, a list of the medical journals in which my ESL (English as a second language) authors went on to have their research articles published after getting some language help from me:

• Anesthesia and Analgesia



• Anesthesia and Analgesia



• Archives of Medical Research



• Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery



• Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications



• Biophysical Journal



• Biotechnology Letters



• Chinese Medical Journal



• Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal



• Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research



• Injury



• Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science



• Journal of Arthroplasty



• Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery



• Journal of Bone and Mineral Research



• Journal of Clinical Anesthesia



• Journal of Comparative Human Biology



• Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics



• Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery



• Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care



• Molecular Vision



• Oncology Reports



• Orthopedics



• The Permanente Journal



• Protein Expression and Purification



• Radiology



• Spine

I am grateful to all of the authors who trust me to handle their writing with care while helping them to describe their research as clearly and succinctly as possible.


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How to Find Clients Who Need ESL Editing

I work with a lot of ESL (English as a second language) authors, physicians from outside the United States who have written articles that they want to submit to U.S. medical journals for publication. This is a rewarding, mentally stimulating niche to work in. How can editors find ESL authors? There's no straightforward way to find them individually in order to offer editorial services.

But there are roundabout ways:

Make it known that you specialize in ESL editing. Do this on your business web site, in your resume, in your entries in online directories of professional editors, in your LinkedIn profile, and everywhere else online where you have a presence, and explain what ESL editing is and what your work process is. You might even consider adding a line about ESL editing to your signature for posts to profession-related e-mail lists. Listmates have been known to refer potential clients to one another.

Do a version of hanging out where these authors are likely to be. For example, if you like working with university students who need ESL editing, contact various university department heads and let them know that your services are available and that you will abide by university regulations about students hiring editors. Contact various universities' international student organizations and ask if they'd post your contact info and a description of your services on their web site or their page of the university web site. If you want to work with researchers who need ESL editing to get their journal articles published, contact professional organizations that deal with subject matters you like to edit (engineering, psychology, physical therapy, economics, linguistics, education, business management, etc.) and ask to make your contact info and services description available to their members.

One of my versions of hanging out where these authors are involves contacting the editors-in-chief of journals whose subject matter I feel comfortable working with and letting them know that I know that there is great research being done by ESL authors but that because of budget and schedule limitations, the journals' staff members likely can't spend the necessary time to heavily edit these authors' manuscripts. I add that I can solve that problem for them by working directly with authors (i.e., the authors—not the journals—pay for my services, as an investment in their careers) and that I would be pleased if they (the editors) would consider referring promising ESL authors to me. I don't ask for exclusivity for such referrals; if the journals already have a list of freelance ESL copyeditors to whom they refer authors, I'm happy to be added to the list.

Seek referrals and cultivate continuing relationships with current ESL clients. As you gain ESL clients, those who are pleased with your work will be happy to tell others about your services. Make it clear in your communications, especially written ones, that you'll gladly accept referrals. You can even put a note to that effect at the bottom of your invoices or your payment receipts, if you provide these for individual authors, as I do. When you finish a project for an ESL client, be sure to mention that you'll be available for editing additional materials that the person writes in the future. E-mail these clients periodically to say hello and remind them that you enjoyed working with them and would like to work with them again.

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Internship for a Budding Copyeditor?

I know an English major looking for a spring 2010 internship with a freelance copyeditor. She hopes to eventually go freelance full time. If you're willing to work with her for about 200 hours, e-mail me at editor at kokedit dot com and I'll put you in touch with her. Her name is Luann, and here's what she has to say about herself and what she can do for you:

I am in college right now working on an English degree. My goal is to work as a freelance copyeditor when I graduate. Before I returned to school in January 2008, I studied a lot about copyediting. Since I returned to school, my professors have been very pleased with the quality of my work, and this last semester I worked as a tutor in my school's writing center.

I am going to take the spring semester off school with a new baby, and I would like to use this time to complete a copyediting internship with an experienced freelance copyeditor. This will count as a class toward my degree. I will need to work at least 200 hours between now and mid-April.

Through this internship, I hope to gain more editing skills and confidence in my editing abilities. I also want to network more with other copyeditors and publishing companies and gain experience to add to my résumé.

The person I intern with will need to ensure that I have learning opportunities, supervise my work, and provide an evaluation at the end. My work should save my supervisor a lot of time, though certainly not 200 hours. I do not expect to work as quickly as a more experienced copyeditor, and my supervisor will need to review at least some of my work and answer questions.

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Is It Copyeditor Appreciation Week?

This must be unofficial Copyeditor Appreciation Week.

Check out "Ode to a Copy Editor." You'll also like "Hail to the Copy Editor."

I could so easily get used to hearing praise for my profession.


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