Why I Freelance with Reedsy: To Protect You

This past weekend, I celebrated my 30^th anniversary as an editor. I’ve had the pleasure of working for small publishers, national publishers, Fortune 500 publishers, and freelancing. In fact, eighteen of those thirty years have been spent working for myself. I love the freedom freelancing offers—but this article isn’t about me. It’s about you.

Because the one thing I’ve learned is that the editor’s job is to protect the writer. It’s to disappear into the background like hotel wallpaper. We’re supposed to make you shine while getting no credit at all. If we get noticed by the reading public, we’re not doing our job well.

And I take that role very seriously. Don’t alter an author’s voice. Find an editing style that fits their genre. Unlimited revisions on picture books. Hours poring over minutiae and in-depth reports about ways to make your work as smooth as possible. I want every story to get nothing but five-star reviews without seeing a single mention of the editor.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Out of all the freelance outfits I’ve worked for—and there have been several—Reedsy is one that best serves and protects the author’s interests. They get that that’s what we’re supposed to be doing.

How Reedsy Helps Writers  

1. Vetting. Every editor is vetted. They all have lengthy backgrounds in the business and solid qualifications. A minimum of 50% of their listed sample work has to be traditionally published. You simply don’t see that anywhere else. Some editors have worked on books that are household titles and some have worked far in the background, but they’re all professionals.
2. Genre. You can find editors that match your story’s genre. You can look me up among the children’s and humor authors, but if you’ve written a cozy romance, you’ll be smitten with the selection. Or you can take a hard look at editors who specialize in crime novels. The same goes for historical fiction, non-fiction, you name it. If you’ve written it, someone there specializes in it.
3. Bidding. Once you’ve picked five editors you think might be a good fit, you can ask them to bid on your work based on the services you’ve selected (everything from developmental editing to a final proofread before going to print). You can make your selection based on price, though I strongly suggest you get. . .
4. Sample Edits. Really want to know if an editor is a good fit? Get a sample edit. Then you can compare the work done with the cost. Sure, one editor might be cheap, but they might do less work. Reedsy lets you find out in advance.
5. Deadlines. You can set a firm deadline and won’t pay a penny until the editor delivers. Again, this is all about protecting you.
6. Resources. This is one of the coolest features on the site. Reedsy offers a ton of free resources, including updated lists of agents and publishers, plus instructional seminars, free blogs, and videos. They really want you to create the best, most polished story possible whether you go the traditional route or self-publish.

Reedsy understands an editor’s job is to make you look good. To protect your reputation and work. And once that’s done, they even have editors who can help you craft your query letter to help you get published. Heck, I take a query writing workshop or two every year just to make sure my skills are up to date—because I’m a professional. After thirty years, I should be, just like everyone else on Reedsy. One of us should be able to help you.

To find me on Reedsy, click here.

To find other editors in your genre, click here