Being Organized In Freelance Editorial Services

When you are in freelance editorial services, the work is comprehensive but it’s a very satisfying job. When a freelance editor begins any client’s project, whether it’s for a company, a publishing house or a professional, it is essential to be organized. If your organization skills are lousy, what is your idea of good editorial services?

When starting any editorial service, having a break time and looking at the project in summarized details will guide your work on the right track. Whatever kind of freelance editorial services you are dealing with, this article will help you to hone your organization skills while you are working on a project.

You can use file folders or any kind of filing system to stay organized through your entire freelancing career. Do not throw any spare copies or other important notes that you have worked on in the past. Who knows you might need them for future reference or clienteles. It is always good to have the filing system, which will let you browse any project you have done before.

Always review the project contract. Your freelance editorial services may be varied. So, to stay on the top of your career, carefully read the instructions you received from your clients. Place the instructions and your client details in a separate file for easy reference while working on the present project.

A desk calendar is a necessity. You may have a sharp memory, but it may fail you. Determine the important dates to remember and if you have agreed on a deadline, analyze your present project and figure out how many pages each day you need to work on to finish the job at least on due or before the deadline. Give extra time to clean up your project which we will discuss later.

Never put-off any project. Begin your work as soon as possible. After analyzing the project details, work on it right away so that the details are still fresh on your working mind. You can break the freelance project into absorbable chunks. You can work one page a day, or a chapter a week, based on your time constraints and work load. However, never compromise the quality of your editorial services since it will give a bad impression to your reputation as a freelance editor. Particularly, if your client has been reprimanded because of your wrong editing, he will never hire your services and will never refer you to possible clients.

You can follow these guidelines when you are working with an editorial project to complete the job in a well structured and efficient way:

1.    Review the entire project to check sense and style
2.    Review all illustrations such as diagrams, figures, pictures and ensure they have proper identification, or caption according to your style, or as instructed by your client.
3.    Review the project for suitable format, or as directed by the client.
4.    Review the project focusing on the jargon of the field or those terms that most standard dictionaries and guidebooks may consider wrong, but are used in a specific field. For example, if you are editing medical transcriptions, you should have a good medical dictionary for medical terms.
5.    Match up all citations, table of contents to the contents of the project.
6.    Read aloud the whole project. If you have stumbled on a particular part, it may need revision.
7.    Send the edited project to your client. Ideally, you should send the complete project before the deadline to allow time allowance if your client has some additions and further inquiries about the job.

You can clean-up on any project that needs revision. Freelance editorial services are not an exception for editing. Your edited projects always need further editing. Check the details again, and be sure that they were followed.

# Editorial Services For Book Manuscript

In editorial services, you may receive book manuscripts from different clients. Most of these manuscripts have different errors as a result of no prior editing. Let me give you some pointers on how to edit book manuscripts for your clients. Ask your clients if you can have the electronic copy of the manuscript. You can edit the manuscript in your computer with the installed spell checker, grammar editor and thesaurus. However, computers may give your manuscripts the appearance of being perfect, so it is also better to edit the book manuscript in hard copy.

When you review the book manuscript, preview the genre it is written. Base your editing style on the kind of the book genre. If it is a cookbook, edit it as you would edit a cookbook.

After you edit the manuscript, set it aside for at least a few days. When you come back for it with a fresh eye, you can also notice things such as grammatical errors or awkward sentences you hadn’t seen before.

Be organized. You can use post-it notes to take note of some pointers you want to remember and check and re-check for other errors and inconsistencies such as sense and style.

Most editors use a red pencil to edit the manuscript for errors. When you are all finished, edit the electronic copy and always save your work. However, it is always safe to save the first draft of the manuscript to compare it later.

If your client has a very complex manuscript, you should organize it thoroughly for each part of the book. Take down the details as you edit through the manuscript. In this way when you notice some parts that need more editing, you will have all your notes and you can also use your notes to check for accuracy and consistency.

It is also important to have an open communication with your client regarding with his preferences. You should comment on the positive features of the manuscript as well as those parts that needs further editing. You should review the synopsis to check it indicates the general assumptions of the manuscript. It should give well introduction of the book.

Read the entire manuscript, as an ordinary reader. The manuscript should flow naturally and grab your interest. The contents should suit the genre of the book. If it is a fiction manuscript, then you should ensure the plot will be smooth-sailing, or as preferred by your client.

Ensure that the book is not jammed with scattered ideas. Delete unnecessary words and even needless chapters. Edit for poor usage including the passive voices and redundancy.

After the content of the manuscript, you can review it for format. Check with your client about the correct format. Follow the format since book editors in big publishing houses are very meticulous when it comes to format.

Tell your client what you have loved from the manuscript and share your comments honestly. Explain what you have noticed from the contents.

Most people who would hire editorial services for their manuscripts are those who are beginning in book publishing, most probably those who are just about to launch their first book. Imagine if you have edited a manuscript who would hit the bestseller list. Wouldn’t it give you the reputation as a good editor?

# Editorial Services For College Essays

College students who are required to submit their essays would normally hire a freelance editorial service to develop their essays. If you want to add college essay editing to your freelance services, you should have enough background in college writing, for someone who already went to college, this could be a cinch. Familiarize yourself with the different styles such as APA, MLA and Chicago. Before you accept any editing project from a college student, try to ask for details and instructions. Ask specific information as it would help you go through with your editorial services.

College essays vary in style and required number of words or pages. Thus, it is better to know this before you begin editing. As an editor, you should consider the style of college writing, which is academic and serious. If the essay is improperly formatted and edited, you will have a bad reputation with your student clients.

Since you are editing a college essay, you should also have enough background with the topic being discussed. If your client writes about air pollution, it is better to check the data he presented with your resources. Once you have looked into the authenticity of these data, you can format the paper and start editing for minor errors such as sense and style. The usual format for college essays is double-spaced and typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman, or Arial, depending on the instructions of your client’s professor.

The content of the essay should have the basic parts: the introduction, body and conclusion (in simpler sense, the beginning, middle and end). Unless instructed, a thesis statement should end the beginning of the essay. The thesis statement is essential for college essays. It is a declaration of what the essay is all about. As an example: “Since the increase of population in Brooklyn, more people in New York are complaining of overcrowding in the subway than ever before.” To edit the thesis statement, you should check its consistency with the over-all discussion in the essay and it should have appropriate and accurate citations.

Once you have edited the essay, re-edit it. Take a closer look at the grammar and punctuation, and then the syntax. Then, review the essay as a whole. Ensure that it will sound intelligent and is formatted appropriately.

In venturing into editorial services for college essays, you should have a large vocabulary in the context of academic writing. When you poorly edit college essays, it will have a negative effect on you as an editor.

Master the usage of transition elements such as furthermore, moreover, additionally, etc. You can ensure coherence and organization of the college essay if you would familiarize yourself with different techniques, most especially in academic writing.

In any type of editorial services, you should have an open communication with your client. Review the essay and when you have noticed some awkward or doubtful parts, call your client and clarify the part. It is easy to edit a college essay if you have the full details and clarifications from your client.

In establishing your reputation for your editorial services, focused on college essays, you can have a lucrative business, since students would like to seek help and pay the right price if they are satisfied with the service. It is also a good networking ground for your business, since the students would love to refer you to their classmates or friends, if and only if, you have done your job well.

# Editorial Services For Fiction Manuscript

Most aspiring novelists would hire fiction editors before they would submit their manuscript to various publishing houses. Editing a novel is a difficult task, so when you are in this type of editing job, it could be a profitable business.

However, before you venture into editing fiction works, you should have enough background first. Research on the latest trends and if possible, read a lot of good novels and observe how the writer lures you to read on.

Editing novel is not similar to editing other forms of write-ups. Furthermore, editing fiction is different from reading it. Once you have started editing a manuscript, you should have a great eye for details. Editing is an important part of fiction writing, and it should not be overlooked by serious writers.

It is always better to edit the hard copy of the manuscript since the clean appearance in a word processor would give you the assumption that everything is perfect. However, ask your client to provide you with the electronic copy to facilitate better editing later.

Editing is good if you have fresh eyes for the manuscript. Thus, writers would pay for a professional or a freelance editor to comment on the plot and the entirety of the fiction.

To start, you should read first the manuscript as a whole, without editing it. Don’t indulge yourself to criticism if you have stumbled on an error. Just enjoy the manuscript as an average person would enjoy the novel. However, you can make mental write-ups and images of any pot holes you have stumbled upon and sound awkward. You should observe the bigger picture of the story before getting into details.

After getting the general sense of the fiction, edit the manuscript with the simple stuff. You have probably observed when you have read the manuscript some errors in spelling, grammar and run-on sentences. Your first revision should be copyediting, to clean up all errors such as typos and misspellings. Also, begin thinking about the rhythm of the sentences and paragraph. Have you noticed that you can use the same form of sentence constructions using punctuations to achieve special effects? Make a note of your observations, to help your client during the final revision.

While, it is your job to edit the manuscript, you should not write any additional plots. Instead, make suggestions. Your client knows the story well. Just point-out those awkward parts of the story that you think can pull down the good story and suggest revising of certain details such as names and scenes.

Make a plan for the bigger synopsis of the fiction. After you edit the manuscript, are there any scenes your client needs to consider? Maybe a few afterthoughts or a flashback is needed for one of the chapters, or the conclusion happens immediately. Plot where the story should go before you submit the manuscript to your client.

Be honest with giving your client your feedback. Once you have edited the manuscript professionally, he will be grateful. If the book would hit the bestseller lists, it would add to your reputation as a good fiction editor. As such, good editing comes with honest feedback. If you think a scene is boring, tell your client, and explain why you think so. After all, you are being paid to give feedbacks. It is also a great networking environment for your editorial services.

# Editorial Services For Term Papers

Most college students, required to submit term papers, are willing to pay for editorial services, just to get high marks with their courses. Editorial services for such type of academic writing are lucrative, since academic writing needs great editing. If you would like to start freelance editorial services for term papers or thinking of adding this type of service to your existing editorial services, you should read on.

Editing term papers is varied according to its nature. If you would like to accept editorial services for science term papers, then you should have enough knowledge on scientific and technical terms. Otherwise, you will find it hard to edit the paper for sense and accuracy. Your job as the editor is to figure out what the student is trying to show and ensure that the data presented in the paper is clearly stated, without unnecessary arguments, misspellings, and grammatical errors. At times, term papers should be completely revised, so be honest with your client and offer your help by giving some tips on developing a good term paper.

In any editorial service focused on academic writing, you should use a spell checker. Most of your clients would use a word processor with complete installed grammar and spell checkers, but some of them would not bother especially if they have decided to hire an editor, to do it for them. Obvious spelling errors are basically the easiest to correct when you edit term papers, so edit them first.

Review the term paper as if you are a professor, making notes of anything that would convince you to give your student a failing mark. That could be a grammatical error, poor argument, awkward writing, vogue claims and empty sentences. Determine what is doubtful about these parts and edit them, and make a few notes for your clients.

You should also take a look on run-on sentences. While these kinds of sentences are grammatically correct, they may sound awkward to the professor. If a line goes on for a large part of the paragraph, it will be boring. Academic writing, though serious in tone, should be interesting. Look for one or more parts of the paper where the sentence could be divided to form shorter ones.

Check any errors that you are not sure of in the preferred style guide. There are various guides you can choose depending on the type of term paper, however, the AP and the MLA style is very common in academic writing. Your client’s professor will assign a particular style, so follow this preference. Style guides will explain the correct format and usage of all kinds of punctuation and grammatical methods.

You should edit the term paper, analyzing his arguments meticulously. After each argument pointed out, you should ask yourself what the main point is, whether it was expressed effectively, and whether it was based on hard facts and examples. Also, review the paper to ensure that each part connects rationally to the next and that the whole point of the term paper is well-organized and derived from data.

Also check for plagiarism. If you think the term paper has lifted quotes or parts that you think might be copied from a reference or a source, tell your client. All quotes and information should have citations.

# Editorial Services For Thesis

Most editorial services would deal with undergraduate or master’s thesis. In the academic world, the thesis is an important project. Thus, most students would hire a professional or freelance thesis editor. If you want to venture into editorial services for thesis, then you should have a background with academic writing.

Most students writing a thesis will do the research and complete the thesis that would describe the processes and results. Some students are good in academic writing and would give you an easy job, while there are some who would rather solve a complex algebra problem or rear laboratory rats. And as many thesis editors have observed, the first draft is teeming with editing glitches, a difficult task involving a wide variety of skills necessary in academic writing.

You will be successful in your thesis editing if you have a great eye for specific details. To effectively edit thesis, it is great to have a break once in a while before you start editing again. You’ve been editing on it day and night, and you would probably know what it would say. You can be satiated with the content, so the contents would scramble in your head. This effect could lead to poor editing. Thesis editors are great if they would read the thesis with fresh eyes, and would pick up errors if they are well-trained.

Ensure you have enough background with the field. Moreover, it will be helpful if you could offer your services to a specific field. You can venture into science or journalism if you have proper skills with these fields. If not, you will have a difficult job in identifying the errors especially with the technical terms and know-how.

Basically, you have to edit the entire thesis manuscript. However, you can ask your client once in a while for the editing process. It might sound extra work for your client, who is paying you to do the job anyway. However, it will give your client a favor of familiarizing with the editing process. After all, you will not accompany him during the defense to explain how you have edited the manuscript. Explain this to your client, and he will surely thank you later.

You should clarify awkward information with your client. In this way, you will have the idea of the research and it is helpful if your client can tell you what is on his mind and other information needed to edit his thesis.

Thesis editing is a flexible process. To do it properly, you must do more than simply correcting grammatical and syntax errors. It helps to read out loud the whole manuscript that you are editing. This could mean that you might want to do your editing in a confined room away from any distractions.

The issue of academic honesty and plagiarism has been popular in universities. Do your client a favor. You can purchase software to check if the thesis is the original research of your client. If not so, warn him about the possible implications of academic plagiarism. You can help him to develop original thesis and he will be grateful with this. Plus, it is also a good networking system. Satisfied clients would love to tell their friends how they got high marks in their thesis, as a result of meticulous editing - your meticulous editing.

# Editorial Services For Websites

Most people are creating their own websites for personal and professional needs. However, it is expensive to hire a person to create a website. Thus, most people would try to create these sites, especially if they have some knowledge in website development. Then, they would hire someone to edit the website, which is less expensive.  If you would like to start a business offering editorial services for websites and similar field, or you are thinking of adding this kind of service for your existing business, then the information below can greatly help you.

Before you start editing your client’s website, you should clarify the intensity of editing. Most would hire you for editing the effects and appearance only, while some would like you to edit also the content. To be fair, you should devise a variety of rates for partial or full editing of websites.

In editing websites, you can use basic word-processing software such as MS Word or Works. If you are hired to edit text and graphics you can edit the website with a basic word processor. However, before you can edit any website, you should have the website or html file saved on your computer. Start the word processor software and click on the website index.html file. Choose the text you want to edit the text as you would any document.

The guidelines for editing a website in a word processor is achieved the same method you would edit a paper document, however there are some exceptions such as:

-    All images and graphics should be saved without spaces. Example: furdogpix is right, “fur dog pix will not be accessible with specific web browsers because of the spaces in the file name of the graphics.

-    The document must be saved as html file. Paper documents are saved with .doc extension, while web pages are saved with .html  or .htm extension.

The extension .html is the first page of your website, or called the homepage.  Editing a website is like making changes in a letter report with contents and graphics. A distinct feature of websites is the appearance of graphics and special effects. Editing the graphics on a website using a word processor is achieved by choosing the graphics you want to edit and delete or cut the image from the page. To edit the image or replace it with another image, click on the spot you want the image to appear, and click insert on the menu bar, click the picture and choose the image from your saved files or clip art. The graphics you would insert or images on the website can also be edited according to size. You can click the image and go to resizing boxes to edit the image’s size.

To edit the masthead or the heading of a website, you can format the text as you would format a text with a word processor. You can select the text, edit the size, color or any features you want to adjust using the menu bar or tool bar choices. To edit the background color of the website, you should go to “Format” and click the “Background,” select color and confirm OK.

After the basic editing, you can apply special effects using Flash program or similar software that will give the website a look preferred by your client.

# How to Start an Editing Business

If you are thinking of working from home, and you have a great command of several languages or at least English, then beginning editing services is very easy. It could be the right career move for you. Most people who are in editing business have been lucrative for some time, and best of all you have your own time. Some people in the editing services started their business as a supplement to their existing income with their day jobs that mainly compose of freelance writing projects and part-time editing. They also enjoy helping professional writers in developing their creative or technical manuscripts. If the editing business seems great for your lifestyle, please read on.

The first thing you have to think is your business name. There are various editing services you can check out on the web, and then create your own business name. It should be catchy, but should have a whiff of professionalism.

You should also list your regular services with their corresponding rates. You can check the different rates from other freelance editing services. You can also check the range of services they offer. When you have already looked at different examples, you should decide on your fixed rates and services. Then, you can devise a menu of editing services. Will you do manuscript typing? How about essay critiquing? Ponder about the responses to these questions, and then you can make your freelance job fit for your background and editing skills.

After you have done thinking and finalizing your business name and rates, you should spread the news. Advertise. You can advertise your business in many different ways. You can print brochures, posters, business cards, newspaper ads, or create your own website. If you want to operate within an area, you can just create flyers, and create a network with professionals and companies that are possible clients. You can also market your business during speaking engagements writing and editing conferences, or meetings with the local chamber of commerce or you can call the person in-charge with communications of a certain company. You can also post ads in school bulletins or cafeteria where students can have access with your services. Anywhere possible clients might be and it is free to market is a great place to post your ads or leave business cards.

You should set-up your mind for email and phone correspondences. Ensure your voice and personality sounds professional, particularly with your first clients. Always be polite and respond to their questions to the best of your knowledge, but sound serious. When students would first call editors about editing their thesis or other school works, don’t give them a fixed price, look for their manuscript first. Then the students are often polite but will not call you back. When clients communicate with you, be sure of yourself. Always check your services and be willing to agree on a certain price. Do not hesitate to charge what your skills are worth. If you would observe other freelance editors, you can see the fixed rates and you will notice that being an editor has a high price.

If you have accepted projects, finish them on time. You should take note that you may have to devote time in checking out the rules for a certain manuscript, so follow these rules. If you love editing, your business will grow in no time.

# Freelance Editorial Services for Poetry

If you are a freelance editor working with literary genres, you might encounter clients who may want to hire your services to edit their poems. It is a rare project offer so you may charge a high price for editing poems since there are few editors who can edit poetry.

The best way to edit poetry is to write poetry. As a delicate form of literature, poetry should be edited meticulously and only real poets can provide good editorial services on a poem manuscript. If you are a freelance editor and you want to venture into poetry editing, you should learn the genre. Even though there is the so called “poetic license” giving poets the freedom to express their feelings without the constraints of grammar and syntax, a poem should be edited for some limits that will ensure good poetry instead of a group of lines formed in quatrains.

Most clients who would hire your services are students who are uncertain with their poetry assignments and they would like to ace that homework by submitting a well-versed poem. Thus, if you will satisfy this vision, you will have a good reputation as a freelance literary editor.

Editing poems should be done in your own preference, but do it with emotions and wisdom. Poems should appeal to the heart and the mind of a person. Most poetry editors block out any noise when they are revising a poem. You can shut the door or play something relaxing, like instrumental music. You can also dim the lights. Do whatever you need to focus fully on the poem. You need to think. You need to feel. You need to put yourself on the shoes of the poet, and bring out all your skills to convey the message of the poem creatively and poetically.

Review the instructions of your clients. Before you edit poems, you should determine the form. If the client likes to create a rhymed and metered poem, then follow the preferred meter. If the poem is in free verse, you can have more freedom, but be sure to give each word in a free-verse poem a role.

The best way to edit poems is to read them out loud. Do not read them in-loud. Read them with the top of your voice, expressing the emotions of the poem. If you stumble on a specific line or a word is not good to hear, then revise it.

Delete unnecessary words such as but, therefore, and other words that can be cut out without affecting the essence of the poem. Never follow the style of the 17th or 18th century poets, if they are not instructed by your client.

Most writing guide books would advise any writer to use active instead of passive. Revise the line, “The flower was watered” into “The girl watered the flower.” Try to delete those to be words such as were, will and have. If the poem would convey the message without these to be verbs, then delete it. Every line, every word, and every punctuation should have a part in the over-all impact of the poems.

You should also sharpen verbs, and find sounds. Never choose obsolete words if they are not part of the message of the poem. Use simple synonyms that are nice to hear, and would create music.  

# Freelance Editorial Services for Videos

Only few people have the skills to edit videos to suit their needs. Many people need videos for their presentations, talks, business meetings, wedding files, and a lot more. However, video editing needs powerful equipment and enough skills, particularly if you would like to edit videos in high-definition format. However, freelance video editing is lucrative if you have the skills.

The first thing you have to do before you establish a freelance editorial services, or add the service in your existing freelance editing business, is to learn more about editing software and computer systems.

If you have an existing computer system, check if it can handle bulk memories. Normally, high-definition videos would eat up a lot of memory for you to work with a project for editing. In a windows computer, you can click the start menu, then the control panel icon and then open the system category. You should note the operating system such as Windows XP or Windows Vista, the CPU and processor type and speed and the Random Access Memory. If these features are updated, then you can use your computer for video editorial services. However, if you think your computer will not shoulder the burden of the editing, you can purchase a computer model most appropriate for video editing.

Then, you should invest on video editing software. You can use a freeware or the already installed Windows Moviemaker, but these two options have limited features. You can create an elegant presentation with these software, but the most advance special effects can be achieved if you have invested in a good editing software.

You can find free software by visiting websites offering free download for such type of programs and services. However, you should be warned since most of these freewares are infested with Trojan virus that would deteriorate your computer system. Also, most of the freewares has limited features or would allow a number of trial editing chances, so it is not great for a long-time video editorial services. Freewares are not as good as specialized video editing software. However, they can still do the editing of less complex projects such as PowerPoint presentations.

The Windows Movie Maker is also an installed program of Windows Vista. This program would allow you to edit less complex movies and presentations on a personal computer, with the elegant and professional touch and even music transitions. If you are using Windows XP, you can still purchase a separate Movie Maker installer. A tutorial on using the windows Movie Maker program can be downloaded from the Microsoft Website.

If you are dealing with complex video editing such as cutting scenes and adjusting the brightness of movie scenes for a documentary or a short film, you should invest in a video editing software. But before you buy any software, you should research on different choices available in the market. You should analyze your needs. If you would specialize on editing complex films and videos, find the suitable software that would best give you the features relevant to your needs.

Also, when selecting video software, choose the software that is compatible with your processor. Some software will not work with a specific processor or RAM, so it is better to check the software compatibility first.

It is better if you can ask for a trial version from the producer of the software. Most of these companies would allow you to download a trial version. In this manner, you can see if the software would help you in your editorial services, and if it has all the features and tools you are looking for.