How to become a highly successful and high-earning freelance copyeditor, according 2 people who did it — plus, email templates you can use to set competitive rates (by RobinMadell)
Freelancing as a copyeditor can prove to be a six-figure career option, but staff positions can also command a high salary.
While full-time positions exist, a more common way to take on copyediting is to explore freelancing. Of particular relevance in the face of a global pandemic that has forced many more people to work remotely, her online editing gigs let her get her clients' projects done from anywhere — these days, from home, but in easier times for travel, her freelance role has allowed her to live in three different countries and visit more than 20.
The freelancer now recognizes that her wide range of experience gives her credibility for requesting higher rates — her hourly rate is currently $150 — but she didn't always have this perspective or confidence. "In my 20 years of freelancing, I have had very few prospective clients ask for a reduction in my rate," she said. "Those who did turned out to be less than desirable to work with, so I see a client who tries to drastically negotiate on rate as a red flag, and I find a way to politely bow out of the relationship."While Robbins knows how to properly price her work based on her experience and skill set, that doesn't mean that she never offers flexibility with her pricing.
"Almost all of my clients come through word of mouth, and since they generally have friends and colleagues with similar income levels, their contacts are likely to be able to afford my rates," Robbins said. "So after a few months of working with a client, I'll let them know of a discount I can give them if they refer a new client."
"It is my firm belief that some people are born to be editors/copyeditors, while some just don't have it in them, even if they have the smarts, as it takes a very specific skill set and temperament beyond just knowing the rules of grammar and punctuation," said Robbins. "I can't tell you how many clients have come to me after working with a lower-rate copyeditor whose work was so terrible that it had to be redone.
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