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10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing: #5, Get a Calendar

June 13, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

You may have noticed that last month’s tips for successful freelancing didn’t go up. That’s because I forgot about it. Why did I forget to share freelance tips? Because I didn’t write it down. And by “write,” I mean “write”—with a pen and paper.

Here’s your quick and easy tip for succeeding at freelancing this month: find a calendar that works for you and use it.

I’ve heard people argue about how outdated day planners are; they insist that “real” professionals do everything online. I disagree. Real professionals do whatever helps them meet deadlines and be professional.

I’m a pen and paper girl. My favorite time of the year is when the new Franklin Covey catalog comes out. I’ll have my 2023 planner by October 2022 because that’s the system that works best for me.

If you hate day planners, don’t use them. There are lots of online calendar programs and apps—you can use Google’s free calendar or pay for a more advanced system. There’s no right or wrong answer as long as you’re using whatever method helps you track and remember your deadlines.

That’s all for today. Now I’m going to mark my calendar so I remember to post another top ten freelancing tip in July. Don’t forget to leave yourself a note to check it. Until then, follow me on Facebook and signup for my newsletter for more writing, editing, and publishing tips throughout the month.

Filed Under: best practices Tagged With: 10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing, freelance, freelance editor, freelance life, freelance tips, freelance work, freelance writer

10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing: #3, Professional Impressions

March 17, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Have you ever watched the movie Legally Blonde? In it, Elle Woods prints her resume on pink, scented paper to help it stand out. It stands out, alright, but not in the right way.

The same is true for freelance writers and editors—how you present yourself will make you stand out. It’s up to you to make sure you stand out in a good way. Here are four easy tips for making the best professional impression.

Follow the Submission Guidelines: Nothing screams “amateur” like not following the directions. In fact, so few people follow the guidelines that people who do follow them stand out as the kind of people publishers want to talk to. Do yourself a favor and learn those guidelines!

Know and Follow Industry Standards: Following the directions will get your foot in the door, but if your query letter or pitch are written in Comic Sans font with 2.5” margins (on pink, scented paper), the real message you’re sending is, “I don’t believe in myself, so I’m hoping the gimmicks will get your attention.” They will, but not the way you want them to. Times New Roman 12-point font is your friend.

Mind Your Manners: It’s amazing how far a “please” and “thank you” will take you these days, not to mention a polite, “Dear, So-So” and a “Sincerely.” Once you’ve developed a relationship with someone, it’s fine (and appropriate) to become more casual in your correspondence. Until then, however, mind your manners.

24-Hour Rule: When you do receive an email or message from a publisher or client, respond within 24-business-hours (if you get an email at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, respond by 4 p.m. Monday afternoon). Even if you can’t help them in that time frame, send a quick, “I got your email,” so the sender knows you received it and will take care of it.

By following these four simple steps, you’ll set yourself apart as someone publishers and clients want to talk to, and if they want to talk to you, you’re one step closer to getting the job!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and signup for my newsletter for more writing, editing, and publishing tips throughout the month.

Filed Under: best practices Tagged With: 10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing, editing tips, freelance, freelance life, freelance work, writing tips

10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing: #2, Get Comfortable

February 2, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

It sounds obvious, but hear me out. It’s not enough to set up a home office for your freelance career. You need a comfortable space that will encourage you to work.

As a freelancer, the more you work, the more money you make. The longer you can stay at your desk, the more work you can do (thus, the money). That’s why it’s so important to create the most comfortable, productive workspace for your freelance work.

Here are a few things to consider:

  • Desk height: For maximum comfort, your elbows should be at 90-degree angles, so it’s important to find the right height desk. Too high or too low will put strain on your arms and joints. That leads to pain, which gives you an excuse to leave your desk.
  • Chair height: You’ll also be the most comfortable if your knees are at a 90-degree angle when sitting at your desk. You mean I have to match my chair to my desk? That’ll take forever. Don’t freak out yet! Err on the side of too tall; you can always get yourself a foot rest to elevate your feet.
  • Computer monitor: Laptops are convenient for traveling but not everyday use—looking down/hunching over is hard on your neck and shoulders. Instead, you want your monitor to be at eye level. You can still use your laptop, just put it on a riser to get the right height. That actually leads us to the next consideration…
  • Ergonomic keyboard and mouse: If you elevate your laptop, you’ll need an external keyboard and mouse, but don’t settle for any keyboard and mouse. Check out the different types of ergonomic options (some of which are more drastic than others). They take a week or two to get used to, but they’re worth it when your wrists and forearms stop hurting.
  • Atmosphere: After you’ve made yourself physically comfortable, take care of your mental and emotional comfort by creating a space you want to stay in. For example, I love light, bright spaces so my office has windows and light blue paint on the walls. If my office was enclosed and dark, I wouldn’t want to stay there.

Creating a comfortable work environment won’t make the freelance life easier, but it will make it easier for you to spend time at your desk doing the work.

Stop back again in March for more freelance tips!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and signup for my newsletter for more writing, editing, and publishing tips throughout the month.

Filed Under: best practices Tagged With: freelance, freelance editor, freelance life, freelance work, freelance writer, home office, work space

Sample Edits: Good for Everyone

August 23, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Earlier today, I mentioned to a group of editors that I prefer to provide sample edits to clients. A new, young editor contacted me privately to ask about that:

I’m curious about your suggestion to offer a free sample edit, and I’d love to hear more about your success with that. Currently, most of my freelance work comes from [a website], and I haven’t offered free samples because somewhere I read something that discouraged that.

Curious Editor

What a great question! Here’s how I replied:


Sample edits definitely have a divided audience — some editors refuse to do them, others swear by them. I’m actually in both camps because I believe there are appropriate times for sample edits but there are also times to say no.

I only provide sample edits when working on full-length book projects, and I only edit the first 2-3 pages of the manuscript in question. Here’s why:

  1. If someone asks you to edit pages 14-15, they’re probably getting free samples from lots of editors in hopes of getting many pages edited for free.
  2. If they want you to edit an entire article (500-750 words) to see if I’d be a good fit for them on an unseen project,they’re probably sending out dozens of articles to get as many free edits as possible.

By limiting the free sample to the first 2-3 pages of a book manuscript, I can see how serious the author is about hiring an editor (versus getting free editing).

I’ve heard some editors say they don’t offer free samples because they shouldn’t have to prove their ability, but I’ve never looked at it as if I’m proving myself. Instead, I see it as an audition — the author gets to see how I work and I get to see how he/she reacts. It is not easy to hand over 80,000 words to a stranger and ask them to point out all of your mistakes; if the author/editor personalities don’t match or their styles are completely different, it will make it even harder (for both parties). My editing approach isn’t right for every author, and that’s okay. I’d rather discover that in a sample edit than after the edit’s complete.

The sample also helps the author see how much work is really involved in the edit. They might scoff at you for quoting $2,000 for a project, but after they see how thoroughly you edit, they’ll understand.

Even though I’ve built up my reputation enough that I don’t need to offer sample edits (I have authors seeking me out instead of having to hunt for clients), I still like to offer them. In my experience, they help put the author at ease by helping them better understand the process and what will be happening.
I hope that helps!


How do you feel (as an author or editor) about sample edits?

Filed Under: freelance Tagged With: editing, editing tips, freelance, freelance editor, freelance work, project bid, sample edits

How I Write: Jenny Fulton

July 13, 2020 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Writing fiction isn’t easy; writing in multiple fiction genres is definitely not easy, but Jenny Fulton is making it work. Writer of YA and children’s books, today she’s talking with me about how she writes.

Welcome, and thank you so much for being here today! Let’s start with genre: how did you pick yours?

I think my genre picked me, or God led me to it. Without ever having written an entire book, I was hired to write a YA Speculative Fantasy novel. Through this process, I realized how much I really enjoy tying in the supernatural elements to the physical ones.

Looking back, I can see how this interest has nearly always been there. When I was young, I collected angels and loved fairy tales. This inclusion of the spiritual seems to show up in anything I write now. I’m currently working on some children’s books that merge angels and fairies, and writing a Bible study on the book of 1 Corinthians that highlights of the work of the Spirit.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

With children’s books, the difficult part is a creating simple, meaningful, and endearing story that both children and adults will enjoy. The word count is limited and descriptions are left more for an illustrator to bring out than for the writer to describe. Since I’m not an illustrator, I’m left with the options of either pay to have someone illustrate my books and go the self-publishing route or depend upon the books getting picked up by a publisher who will find the illustrator. Either way, I’m dependent on others in order for my books to be published.

As far as the Speculative genre, I think the most difficult part of that is giving myself permission to not be completely theologically accurate with the depictions of angelic and demonic figures. I want to communicate an idea and a spiritual truth through them and not worry about the accuracy. For example, when I was young, I loved the idea of beautiful, delicate guardian angels as depicted in some of the paintings. Now, are angels these delicate fairy-like creatures or are they strong masculine warriors? Does it matter? When I was young, they represented a security in knowing God was with me. This is the ultimate truth I want to communicate in my Speculative genre, regardless of what form His presence takes.

What’s your writing day like?

I have three young girls ages 7, 3, and 21 months, so my writing times are very limited. I wake up at 5 am and, on the good days, I have until 6 am before my girls wake up. Sometimes, depending on the project and how the morning goes, I’m able to think about what I want to write about so that by the time naptime/quiet time rolls around in the afternoon, I already have an idea of what I’m going to write about. I can usually get about an hour in during the afternoon, but with my 7-year-old hanging out with me, there’s no guarantee of how much uninterrupted focused time I’ll have. So, I work with what I have, do what I can, and try not to put pressure on myself to do more. I’ll have plenty of time to write as they get older.

How do you combat writer’s block?

I try not to put too much pressure or stress on myself. I find that the more pressure and expectations I place upon myself, the more likely I am to get blocked. I remind myself that God has always given me what I need when I need it, and this includes the time and words to write. Sometimes when I’m blocked, I’ll talk to other writers and artists, or take a break to do some reading for fun. Some days, I need to put away any thoughts of writing and just rest.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?

I usually outline first to get an idea of where I’m going with the story and why my main point or goal in writing the story is, and then within each scene do a free-write to get my ideas on paper and try to communicate the scene that’s playing out in my head.

Now my favorite part of the writing process—editing! Have you ever worked with a freelance editor? How did you find that editor, and how would you describe the experience?

I found my editor on a Facebook writer’s group, looked her up, looked at her work, and emailed her to find out about her rates. It has been a great experience. She has edited a couple of my children’s books at a very reasonable price and provided some great feedback.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

I usually read my work out loud because I find that I catch more errors that way. I tend to skim more when I read silently, but reading out loud forces me to slow down and notice errors I would otherwise miss. It also helps me determine how well the writing flows. If it doesn’t come smoothly from my tongue, then I need to change something.

What does your revision process look like?

As I read my work out loud, I make notes about what I want to change or add. For the YA Fantasy books, I read them out loud to my husband and made notes about his feedback. Then I went back and started making the adjustments. Sometimes, if I was doing some major revisions, I’d check with him afterward to see if the revisions were working.


With her quarter-Navajo blood, Jenny’s been referred to by family members as a “white Navajo.” Her full-blood Navajo grandma grew up on the Navajo reservation and married a full-blood German missionary. Jenny grew up hearing stories of the supernatural workings, especially as they revealed themselves on the reservation. As a child, she collected angels and loved anything related to fairy tales.

As an adult, she’s a published YA fantasy author and freelance writer with a B.S. in elementary education, an endorsement in K-12 ESL, and over ten years of experience teaching in a variety of cultural and educational settings, both abroad and in the United States. Her days are now spent raising three young daughters and writing as much as time and opportunity allow.

Website: heart-soul-mind.org/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JennyFultonWriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorFulton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyannfulton/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jafulto/boards/
Faithwriters: https://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=37392

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, editing tips, freelance, Jenny Fulton, writing tips, YA fiction

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ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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