Many freelance editors I know, myself included, do an annual review in December or January, making plans for the coming year. We look back at the previous year and dream of where we want to take our business next. We may even choose a theme or Word of the Year to guide us along.
But then what? How many of us check back in before November rolls around again?
On a rare quiet morning earlier this month, fueled by caffeine, I realized I’d been so busy with daily tasks that my monthly reviews had been limited to the lightest skims. Sound familiar?
So when the caffeine kicked in and the email inbox stayed quiet, I let myself go down a rabbit hole. I like the strategy and analysis part of running a business, and this midyear review let me see how my business was really doing.
Why the Midyear Mark Matters
What I discovered has re-energized me and allowed me to celebrate wins that previously went unnoticed. It also allowed me to see and accept how disruptions in the world are affecting my business and to adjust my goals to reflect reality.
The halfway point of the year is a great time to take a more detailed look at your editing business. You should now have enough data to see what’s going—both “hard” data, like your gross income and number of projects, and “soft” data, like how you feel about your goals. I find journaling an excellent way to uncover that soft data. There’s also enough time in the year for a major course correction, if it’s needed.
And if everything’s going well? Celebrate it! Then keep on truckin’.
What to Review at Midyear
What should you review? You don’t need to look at everything you would in an annual review. This is a tune-up, not an overhaul. Focus on those areas that best reflect your annual goals.
Key Areas to Examine
- Financial. Are you making your income goals? Are there any big expenses coming up to prepare for?
- Marketing. What are the results of your marketing efforts? Are they bringing you enough leads?
- Leads and signed clients. What do your leads look like so far this year? Do you have enough? Are they the right types of clients or projects? How many have become clients?
- Professional skills development. If you wanted to learn something this year, what progress have you made on it? Do you need to schedule time for learning?
- Operations. What processes in your business are working smoothly? What could use adjusting?
- Time and productivity. How are you using your time? Could you use it better? Is your editing as efficient as you’d like it? Where might you improve?
- Work-life balance. How is your current balance? Does anything need to be adjusted?
Don’t Forget Your Tech Stack
This is also a good time to look at your technology. With back-to-school and Black Friday sales on the horizon, this is a good time to research what you might need and start monitoring prices.
It’s Not Too Late to Start
Maybe you’re reading this in late July and panicking a bit. Have you missed your opportunity? Not at all!
You control your freelance business, and you can say when it’s time for a review. Anytime we pause to look closer at our business is the right time. If it’s later in the year, you can adjust your goals to accomplish what’s realistic in the time you have left until your next annual review.
Or you can push your annual review out to give yourself enough time to reach those goals. No one is forcing you to start your annual strategy on January 1. Do what works best for you.
Making Your Review Actionable
I ended my review with a doable list of tasks for June through August to move me closer to my goals. And I released myself from a lot of other tasks, either canceling them or flagging them for the fall.
After my review, I felt lighter and more focused. Since that morning, I’ve been pecking away at my list, making progress day by day.
You can’t do everything in a day. And you can’t always see progress until a significant amount of time has passed. I’m better than I used to be at being okay with that.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
My caffeine-fueled session of deep reflection changed my approach to the rest of the year. I went from feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities to having a clear, focused path forward.
Your midyear review could do the same for you. Use the bullet list above to get started.
If you want that same clarity and focus I found—without the trial and error—I’m offering a limited-time Midyear Review Coaching Session.
You’ll prepare for the session with my new midyear review worksheet. Then we’ll spend an hour reviewing your business goals, celebrating your wins, and creating a focused action plan for the rest of 2025. You’ll walk away with clarity on what to prioritize—and what to let go of.
I’m only offering this session through August 15. Sign up now to take a deeper dive into your editing business!
