No matter how you look at it, if you are heading down the road towards publication, then you are running a writing business. Most of us don't start out thinking of it that way. We just want to write. But with publication comes money, taxes, marketing, and sometimes hiring others.

I have written on this topic before, highlighting how this whole running-a-business thing tends to just creep up on us. But for today's post, instead of focusing on how we are all little business owners, I want to delve into the different hats that we all need to wear.

It would appear that yet again I have found myself in a situation where a client might have had different expectations regarding the cost of editing. It was actually a disconnect between what I was contracted to do (and my editing process) vs what they thought I should be doing. However, regardless how you look at it, everything comes down to the cost and value of the editor's time.

I see it time and time again. There is this expectation for the editor to do more work than they have time allotted for and to be paid the same amount of money for that "more" work. This results in a devaluing of the editor's time. Believe it or not, this is the Number 1 gripe among editors.

We want to be of value to our clients, but we also have to make a wage that will actually pay the bills. So, many editors will develop practices that assist them to get through the workload faster.

Today, I want to discuss what my editorial process is like—how I do things.

My process is based on over five years of experience of working as a developmental editor. It is about ensuring that I provide the best value for money while at the same time keeping the number of hours required to do the job to a minimum.

Please note that every editor is different, so my process is not necessarily the same process as another editor.