Category: The Business of Writing

There comes a point in every writer's career when they need to start making decisions about what their writing means to them. They need to examine their goals and strategize on how to get there.

For many writers, there is a shift in mindset, where writing moves from being a hobby to being a business.

Before I go much further, I do need to stress that there is nothing wrong with writing as a hobby. I know of a few hobby writers, and they are extremely knowledgeable about the craft. However, if you are looking at publication with the intent to sell your books (and I do mean books plural), then you have migrated past being a hobbyist and into the realm of running a writing business. Exactly how that business looks will depend entirely on your goals and ambitions.

This decision about making writing into a business can come very early within a writer's career, and it should. It doesn't mean that it has to suck all the fun out of writing your stories, but it will help you focus your activities, hopefully becoming more productive and working towards your goals.

So, let's take a look at what writing as a business really means.

Within my various editing groups, there seems to be a common complaint among editors, and it revolves around the issue of appropriate rates to charge. We editors seem to be in this "damned if we do, damned if we don't" position.

Most of us encounter those who look at our quoted rates and balk at the price — but as one said to me the other day, it's not necessarily the people we think either. (She sent out two quotes the week before, with the same rate quoted: one to a lawyer and the other to a retired gentleman. It was the lawyer who complained about the cost. The retired gentleman smiled as he paid the bill.) The flip side of this coin is that some look at our rates and compare it to the rates offered by others, and go, "Oh, you mustn't be very good. You're not charging anywhere near enough for what you say you do."

What are we editors to do?

Most of us encounter the former type of writer more than anything. Let's face it, there's this inherent nature that people have to be stingy with their finances, complaining that they can't get something for free. There's not a lot I can do about the second category, but with the first, I can educate writers about what it is they really face when working with freelance editors.

I have tried freelancing sites in the past, all in the attempt to drum up business and the finances I need to support my writing/publishing ventures. Let's face it, struggling writers often don't have a lot of cash; however, on most freelancing sites, one can easily spot a trend in the job listings that is not good. And it stems from a misunderstanding (and misconceptions) about the true costs of editing.

Within many listings, the lister (i.e., the writer) had a budget of US$10, but they wanted their manuscript of unspecified length to be fully edited by an experienced editor. That in itself is a complete joke, but the sheer number of them (many of whom are located in the US) inspired this post. It's time to highlight to my readers exactly how much time goes into editing, and why you need to be prepared to pay in the order of US$600 – US$3000, possibly much more, depending on the type of editing you require and the editor's experience.