The Modern Editor - Editing Tips for Freelance Editors

If you thought I was done talking about generative AI, I’ve got news for you: I’m not 😅 Things are changing and advancing extremely fast, and I think it’s important for editors to be vocal about their stance on generative AI. Recently, I came across something that piqued my interest: a database of creatives who do not use generative AI in their work. The concept got my wheels turning, and I debated starting my own database for editors. In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m going through my thought process and sharing where I eventually landed with these databases. Listen in to learn why I ultimately decided against the idea and some crucial questions you should ask if you’re considering joining a database. Inside the Freelance Editors Club, we do have a directory of members who now have the option to include a tag that labels them as an editor who does not use generative AI with editing.

Do you understand the difference between working ON your business and working IN your business? As a freelancer filling multiple roles, it can take time to figure this out. First things first, you’re an editor, and editing is your bread and butter. However, you’re also the head of marketing, CEO, sales rep…the list goes on. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one thing that can help is understanding the difference between working on your business versus in your business. Today, we’re revisiting one of the very first podcast episodes I ever released where I explain this difference and offer tips to make it all work. This episode is just as relevant today as it was when it was first released, so let’s dive in.

Springtime comes with a sense of renewal and new opportunities that always make me feel reinvigorated. To celebrate, this episode is a re-air of a previous episode where I offered six tips to refresh your editing business. Of course, you don’t have to wait for a certain season to follow these tips, but it’s natural to feel the itch to do a little spring cleaning at this time of year. Taking advantage of that fresh spring energy is the perfect way to set yourself up for success in quarter two. Consider this your spring cleaning checklist for your editing business.

Welcome back to our editor wellness series! Our last few episodes covered physical/environmental wellness and financial health. In this episode, we’re diving into mental and emotional well-being tips for freelance editors. Specifically, I’m talking about how our thoughts and emotions show up in our businesses and how I process my emotions. I’m also going to share some self-care ideas that can benefit your mental and emotional health. It goes without saying that this can be a loaded topic, so please remember that I’m not a medical or mental health professional in any way. I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned from fourteen years of running my own editing business so that you can take the insights you like and make them work for you.

Welcome to a brand-new editor wellness series on The Modern Editor Podcast all about health, wellness, and self-care. (I kind of hate those words, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important 😂) As freelancer editors, it’s easy to let our health fall by the wayside, especially in busy seasons. In this episode, we’re exploring physical and environmental health and how we can take care of ourselves in a holistic way. Content warning: We’ll be talking about food and exercise.

I can’t believe I’m typing this, but we’ve made it to the final episode of The Modern Editor of 2025. Naturally, I decided to use this episode to reflect on what I’ve learned this year, both personally and in my freelance editor business. I could easily talk about all the things that went wrong and the goals I didn’t hit this year as a freelance editor, but I want to focus on the good instead. Two things can be true at once: The world can feel like it’s on fire, and I can be excited about my business. I can feel proud of what I’ve built and also wish it were growing faster. I think it’s important to hold space for the good and the bad, but celebrating the good doesn’t mean you're ignoring the bad. So without further ado, let’s celebrate the best of 2025.

As today’s fast-paced world races toward AI and hyperproductivity, I find myself wanting to slow down and take a different route in my editing business. However, every once in a while, I start to second-guess myself. Am I making things harder by not maximizing every minute of my life? Should I be doing things faster? This is a topic that’s been on my mind for a while, so I wanted to open up an honest discussion about it in this episode of The Modern Editor. Specifically, let’s talk about when friction can be good for your life and your editing business.

Is social media marketing the right marketing engine for your editing business? In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, we’re wrapping up our series on social media, so make sure you catch up on the first two episodes where we dive into the pros and cons of social media and how to market your business without it. I’m sharing my favorite lessons and giving you a behind-the-scenes look into what’s happened with my business since I’ve been off social media for the past month.

If you’re anything like me, your relationship with social media is a bit on the rocks right now. So let’s talk about it: the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media marketing for your editing business. Listen in as I share about my hot-and-cold relationship with social media, my plan for moving forward, and some reflection questions to help you navigate your own relationship with social media.

Does your editing business need a reset? In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m sharing six quick-and-dirty ways to freshen up your business for the back-to-school season. But don’t worry, this episode can still apply to you even if back to school doesn’t impact your schedule, or if you’re listening to it at a different time of year. These six easy tips will make you feel reinvigorated, more organized, and get you starting off a new season on the right foot.

Ever wish you could hit pause on the day and just breathe for a minute? This special episode of The Modern Editor Podcast is your invitation to do exactly that—with a whispered twist. I’m exploring ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) for the very first time, combining soothing sounds with editing insights for a brief but blissful moment of calm. And yes, I’m whispering this entire episode thanks to a timely cold that made my voice unexpectedly ASMR-ready. I’m personally a big fan of ASMR and have always wanted to try my hand at it, so I thought it would be fun to do an entire ASMR episode. I am by no means an ASMR artist, but I love watching and listening to ASMR to help me relax.

Are you using PerfectIt? If not, I can’t recommend it to freelance editors enough. For years, I let fear and intimidation stop me from taking advantage of this software to improve my editing workflow, and now I wish I could get that time back. On this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I sat down with Daniel Heuman, CEO of Intelligent Editing and creator of PerfectIt, to talk about how this program can help editors. Listen in as he shares about PerfectIt’s origin story, its many features, editing tips, and an exclusive announcement about what’s next for the program.

You can do all the right things to plan for a break in your editing business, but coming back to work will still be hard. In this episode, we’re continuing our discussion on taking breaks as a freelance business owner. Listen in as I share three major lessons I learned about my life and business after coming home from a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. This is the third installment in my series on taking breaks. You can check out the previous conversations in episode 33, where we covered taking time off as a freelancer, and in episode 42, where we talked about why it can be difficult to step away from your business for a well-deserved break.