An editor new to the industry recently asked me why the job market is so tough for freelance editors and proofreaders right now. Why are new projects and new clients so scarce? Is it the current administration? AI? Something else?
Challenges in the Editing Profession
Editing and proofreading (I’m going to refer to both as editing hereafter for simplicity) are not highly valued in general, which leads not only to low fees but fewer people and organizations having their projects edited. Like writing, it’s tough to make a living doing just editing. It can be done and there are definitely people who are successful at it, but it’s hard work and the successful people are fewer than in other industries. So we’re already at a disadvantage.
Then we add project and spending slowdowns due to the economic climate, and the number of clients and employers lowers even more. So, yes, a government’s actions and policies can make people more fearful of spending money. If you don’t know whether your business will survive the next few months, you’re not going to spend money unnecessarily.
And if you can use technology to reduce costs (by not hiring an editor) or time (by having tech do something in seconds instead of hours), you’re more likely to do that. Especially if you don’t understand what editing is or why it’s valuable. You don’t realize that AI cannot edit the way a human can and its results are poor in comparison.
All This Has Happened Before…
What gives me hope is that we’ve been here before… sort of. When the introduction and subsequent explosion of digital technologies came about, editing changed drastically. Editing could be done more efficiently. Digital publishing suddenly allowed everyone to become a publisher—and not everyone understood the value of editing. Many editing jobs disappeared.
Yet a few decades later, editing is still here. More editing is done by freelancers than employees, so that’s a big change. And many freelance editors are doing more than just editing. They’re offering related services as well, like writer coaching or book layout, and they’re selling products and services to fellow editors, like business coaching, courses, and templates.
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Navigating the changing editorial landscape can be overwhelming on your own. Book a one-on-one business coaching session to develop a customized strategy for your editing business. Together, we’ll assess your skills, identify promising opportunities, and create an action plan tailored to your specific situation.
Practical Strategies for Uncertain Times
That doesn’t make it easy to navigate the current environment and it doesn’t guarantee that everyone will make it through this transition. But I do find hope in it, and that pushes me to continue to work on my business and advocate for editing.
What can you do to manage these lean times? It will depend on your specific business, but here are a few things to try:
- Diversify your services. What else can you do to help your current clients? For example, could you offer to update their style guide, advise on GenAI usage, or draft a GenAI use policy for content writers?
- Demonstrate your value explicitly. You could write up case studies showing the value of editing, particularly of the value humans bring to editing.
- Step into new industries. Right now might not be a good time for industries reliant on federal funds, but what about industries that are growing? Cybersecurity, telehealth, and alternative energies are all on the upswing.
If you’re not sure what direction to go in, take some time to think about it. You can also book a business coaching session with me. It’s okay not to know what’s next; no one really does. Give yourself permission to explore and see where you end up.
