Marketing Mindset for Freelance Editors
Presenter: Dr. Malini Devadas
Host: Erica Akiko Howard
If you’re a freelance editor, you know that marketing your business is mandatory, but maybe self-promotion makes you cringe. Maybe you’ve done some research, but you can’t get past reading and learning and into doing.
Don’t worry–you’re not alone! Join us for a presentation and Q&A where you’ll learn about deeper mindset blocks that can invisibly complicate your marketing efforts. Dr. Malini Devadas is a professional editor turned marketing mindset coach who loves to help freelance editors just like many of us in the Guild. Learn more about her approach at editboost.com.
In the May member meeting, Malini gave a short presentation that included (1) a simple marketing framework you can use to create your own marketing strategy and (2) an intro to beliefs and thoughts that can derail editors when they even think about marketing. For the rest of the hour, Malini answered questions about marketing a freelance editing business. Although no video will be available for this meeting, we are pleased to offer Malini’s presentation slides for members. Notes will be coming soon.
Click here to download the event’s presentation slides, including a special short-term deal (available for one week after the presentation) on payment plans with Dr. Devadas.
Presentation Highlights
Thank you to Hannah McCollum Chiabotti for her notes!
Dr. Malini Devadas is an editor turned marketing coach, and she is all about building self-confidence.
Problems that freelance editors can have:
Not enough clients
Not enjoying your clients/work
Your clients don’t value your skills
You’re nervous about trying out your marketing ideas
You’re fully booked, but not making enough money
3 steps to find ideal clients:
Get clear on WHO you help, HOW you help, and WHY it matters to your clients.
Share your message with LOTS of people.
Invite the RIGHT people to work with you.
Malini describes her own clients (freelance editors who need help with marketing) as smart, skilled people who just aren’t confident. Most of us know what we need to do, but we come up with excuses to avoid doing it. Our thoughts lead to feelings which lead to (a lack of) action. These excuses are obstacles that we need to overcome.
Some common excuses are:
“I’m not good enough.”
“I can’t charge more than editor so-and-so!”
“Authors don’t have enough money to spend on editing.”
“I need to take one more class first.”
Ultimately, the only thing you can control is YOU.
One Guild member asked for Malini’s advice for editors who lack confidence. She replied that it doesn’t matter if other people tell you you’re great and validate you if you don’t believe it yourself. Her advice is to explore those negative thoughts and reflect on why you might be struggling to feel confident. It helps to be objective about your skillset instead of negatively comparing yourself to others.
When Malini was running her editing business, she worked primarily with academic writers. She noticed that plenty of academics were sitting on unfinished manuscripts because they lacked the confidence to continue. They didn’t know how an editor could help. Malini’s marketing strategy to reach her clients was to sell them confidence. She identified the problem from her clients’ perspective, empathized with them, and offered a solution to help them feel better about finishing their projects.
A lot of people don’t know what an editor is, so when you communicate with clients, focus on who the clients are and how you can help them gain confidence and achieve their goals—rather than focusing on the finer details of your editing skills and knowledge.
An editor who is interested in academic editing for ESL writers asked how to find potential clients, and how to make herself known to universities.
Malini suggested offering free “lunch and learn” presentations and asking university departments directly what kind of help their students need. To connect with potential clients, it’s important to show that you’re supportive and understand their challenges. Tell them, “You’re worried about the same thing everyone else is. You’re not alone, and I can help.”
Another editor shared that she had been wrong in the past about what her clients wanted, from listening to other editors. She asked, “How do I get clearer about what clients want?”
Malini invited her to turn it around and start with what she does and does not do. Clear messaging will attract the clients who are right for you, and the others will pass you by.
After the presentation, members shared some takeaways:
It’s time for me to try different things and start paying for advertising.
Go with what’s right for you. If you do what you are comfortable with, you will reach clients who are a better match for you.
Editing is scary for many writers. The message is “I’m here to help, not tear down.” I will continue to focus on that in my marketing.
One editor shared an idea from Louise Harnby’s website: to do a review of your own work over a year. This editor will reflect on what worked and didn’t work with her marketing after six months.