Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor

Paulina Cossette
Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor

In 2019, I was a political science professor who was fed up with the stress and hostility of academia–not to mention the low pay. I left my tenure-track job and went from barely surviving to thriving as a freelance academic editor. Today, I own Acadia Editing Services, an editing and coaching business that brings in six figures a year.  In this podcast, I’ll discuss the challenges of academia, what academic editing involves, and what life as a freelancer looks like. If you’re willing to jump outside your comfort zone, it IS possible to find joy, true flexibility, and a profitable and rewarding career as an academic editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Fiction or Fantasy? How to Bring Your Passions into Your Editing Work

    🚀 Fiction editors, this one’s for YOU! This week on Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, we cross the border between academic and fiction editing. My guest, Andrew Hodges, PhD, is a cultural anthropologist who uses his academic expertise in studying societies and culture to analyze not only academic manuscripts, but also aspects of worldbuilding in fiction texts. 🌍 After working in academic roles in Croatia and Germany, Andy returned to his roots in the UK where he also gives workshops on writing and editing at local universities. We discuss ✒️ his move out of academia and into full-time editing, ✒️ his fabulous website and how SEO has helped him attract clients, ✒️ how he began developing courses and workshops, including a Worldbuilding webinar for authors and editors, and ✒️ one of the most beautiful aspects of entrepreneurship: helping you return to your passions and incorporate them into your business. This episode will be helpful to anyone considering a career in editing, but it’s especially encouraging for those who want to go beyond editing academic texts. Listen on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube, and please subscribe, review, and share the episode if you find it helpful or inspiring: https://youtu.be/7kPLS6SB36k If you’re an editor who’s looking for community support and guidance in marketing, like what Andy and I discuss during this episode, go to AcadiaEditing.com/marketing And if you’re just starting to think about becoming an editor or coach, go to AcadiaEditing.com/becomeaneditor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  2. Can Middle School Teachers Become Academic Editors? Here’s how…

    JAN 30

    Can Middle School Teachers Become Academic Editors? Here’s how…

    Here’s one question that people ask me all the time: “Can I become an academic editor without a PhD?” Absolutely! 🥳 This week my podcast guest, Ellen Morgan, shares her journey from teaching middle school English to running an academic editing and coaching agency: Wise Oak Consulting Collaborative.  Ellen spills the tea on: 🍵 how she started out editing dissertations, 🍵 what she did to start attracting clients, 🍵 how she started her agency, and 🍵 what other teachers can do to find out if editing is right for them. If you’re debating whether or not editing is right for you, then you will LOVE this episode. And if you’re already an editor who’s been craving community and connection, there’s a lot here for you, too! If you want more tips to super-charge your editing business and get the clients flowing in? **Join our monthly membership, Digital Marketing for Freelance Editors. Go to AcadiaEditing.com/marketing Are you new to this world and curious to find out more about freelance editing or coaching? Head over to https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor   Want to work with Ellen? You can get in touch here: Website: https://wiseoakconsultingcollaborative.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/wiseoakconsulting/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/wise.oak.collaborative 0:00 - Welcome to the Podcast with Ellen 0:05 - Transitioning from Teaching to Editing 1:35 - Discovering a New Career Path 3:38 - The Emotional Side of Teaching and Editing 6:38 - Skills Needed for Successful Editing 8:31 - Balancing Multiple Projects as an Editor 10:50 - Navigating Relationships with Clients 12:03 - Building Your Client Base as an Editor 13:24 - Creating Your Website for Business 15:16 - The Importance of Networking in Editing 17:27 - Tips for Starting with Dissertation Editing 19:16 - Providing Support for Struggling Students 21:00 - The Benefits of Running an Editing Agency 24:09 - Coaching and Mentoring for Writers 27:54 - Expanding Services Beyond Editing 30:00 - Raising Your Rates as an Editor 31:02 - How to Contact for Collaboration Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  3. 5 Must-Have Tools to Edit Faster and Earn More Money

    JAN 23

    5 Must-Have Tools to Edit Faster and Earn More Money

    Once you’ve started professional editing, how can you maximize your time and earn as much money as possible? 🧐 Let’s get one thing straight: there is NO shame in wanting to earn more money.  Especially given your skills and the value you provide to your clients, academic editors should feel confident charging rates that equate to $100 per hour… or more! One of the best ways to reach this goal is to bill your projects using a per-word rate. This is because, as you improve your editing skills and increase your editing speed, this raises your effective hourly rate. 📈 In this week’s podcast episode, I’m sharing 5 tools (all but 1 are free!) that can help you increase your editing speed, reduce your time at your computer, and increase your earnings. This is definitely an episode you’ll want to check out on YouTube at some point because I share my screen and walk you through how to use each tool. Don’t be intimidated; you can do this! 💪 Watch this episode on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast app.   https://youtu.be/ipJSNA-XytQ Want more tips to super-charge your editing business and get the clients flowing in?  **Join our monthly membership, Digital Marketing for Freelance Editors: AcadiaEditing.com/marketing Curious to find out more about freelance academic editing or coaching?  **Get my free video series on academic editing and coaching:  https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor   Links from the episode: Clockify: https://clockify.me/ BeefText: https://beeftext.org/ Mac alternatives to BeefText: https://alternativeto.net/software/beeftext/?license=free&platform=mac PerfectIt: https://intelligentediting.com/buy-now/ 0:00 - Why Track Your Editing Speed 1:57 - How Charging Per Word Benefits You 2:59 - Understanding Effective Hourly Rate 3:42 - Tracking Your Time with Clockify 4:54 - Setting Up Projects in Clockify 6:08 - Analyzing Your Time Data 9:42 - Using Auto Text in Microsoft Word 10:33 - Setting Up Auto Text Shortcuts 13:47 - Introducing Beef Text for Windows 14:52 - Creating Snippets in Beef Text 17:13 - Utilizing Perfect It for Editing Checks 20:47 - Getting Started with Macros 23:07 - Recording Your First Macro 26:36 - Recap of Editing Speed Tools Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
  4. 4 Steps to Get Started with Academic Editing NOW

    JAN 16

    4 Steps to Get Started with Academic Editing NOW

    It’s the spring semester and, if you’re unhappy in academia, you’re probably dreading facing down another 15 weeks–let alone another whole YEAR–of dealing with administrators, AI, and burnout in general. In today's episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, I give you four easy steps you can take to dip your toes in the waters of editing and coaching to see if it feels right for you. 🏊‍♀️ You’ll find out: 🧐 one simple step to get your name in front of grad students who need help editing their dissertation 🧐 how to land your first freelance editing jobs and try them out with just a few hours a week 🧐 how to discreetly spruce up your LinkedIn profile and connect with scholars who need an editor 🧐 why you should start finding clients through your existing academic network I also share insights on translating your existing academic experience into an editing context and the importance of taking small, manageable steps toward building this new career or side hustle. Don’t wait until summer, when you’re already committed to teach in the fall, to decide that you don’t want to go back. 😭 And DEFINITELY don’t put yourself through another year of misery because you feel obligated or you’re scared to take the leap. Watch this episode on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast app to find out how you can start feeling out this opportunity now and be ready to roll come summer. ☀️ Ready to take the leap into freelance academic editing or coaching? Download my free video series:  https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor   Links mentioned in the episode: The companies below are just examples. My mention of them is not an endorsement. Scribendi: https://www.scribendi.com/jobs Edanz: https://freelancers.edanz.com/course/index.php?categoryid=3 Editage (now owned by Cactus): https://jobs.cactusglobal.com/jobs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  5. A Deep Dive into Developmental Editing: How to Find Academic Clients, Set Your Rates, and Deliver the Final Product

    JAN 9

    A Deep Dive into Developmental Editing: How to Find Academic Clients, Set Your Rates, and Deliver the Final Product

    In this episode I talk with developmental and line editor Ellen Tilton-Cantrell, PhD. After serving as a visiting assistant professor at a local college for a year, Ellen decided that she wanted a more flexible career that would allow her to be at home with and available for her children. A mentor recommended that she try editing, so she enrolled in an editing certificate program and some other editing courses and got to work. But the meat of this episode centers on Ellen’s process for developmental editing. We cover: ⚡ How clients find her and hire her ⚡ Two services she offers–a manuscript assessment and a structural edit–and what’s included in each ⚡ How she prices each service and the several project tiers she offers clients to accommodate their diverse needs and budgets ⚡ The deliverables she provides clients that keep them coming back and referring her to their colleagues Ellen also shares information about the book development workshop she ran this summer, and her plans for a repeat in 2025. This 8-week course and group coaching program helps academic authors to finish their book manuscripts during their summer “down time” by helping them stay focused and accountable. Watch this episode on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast app. Ready to take the leap into freelance academic editing? Get my free video series on academic editing and coaching: https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Want to work with Ellen? You can get in touch here: https://tiliaeditorial.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-tilton-cantrell/ To learn more about Ellen's book development and other workshops, go here: https://tiliaeditorial.com/writing-workshops. You can sign up for her workshop interest list (https://tiliaeditorial.com/interest-list) to receive an email when enrollment opens and to schedule a 20-minute Q&A call with Ellen to learn more about the workshops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  6. How to Escape High School Teaching: Work 100% Remotely as an Academic Editor

    JAN 2

    How to Escape High School Teaching: Work 100% Remotely as an Academic Editor

    This episode is extra special and is absolutely packed with information that will help you get started as a freelance editor or expand your business. Nicole Halper is a former high school physics teacher who became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of teaching and wanted to have a greater impact, especially in terms of social justice issues, outside the classroom. Four years ago she took an editing course, created a profile on Upwork, and the rest is history. Her copy editing work runs the gamut from academic research to reports for nonprofits to business and website editing. The most important takeaways from our conversation are: + If you’re unhappy in teaching, you DON’T have to stay–and how to figure out if editing is right for you + Once you do find success as an editor, there are ways you can scale your business to continue to grow your income without spending all your time working–and how Nicole is doing this in 2025 with an agency model. I absolutely loved our conversation, and I know you’re going to enjoy all the valuable nuggets Nicole drops about how to dip your toes in the water of freelance editing and how to build a business that is profitable and philosophically rewarding. Connect with Nicole through her website or LinkedIn: Website: https://sites.google.com/proofedandproven.com/proofedproven Email: editing@proofedandproven.com linkedin.com/in/nicoleahalper To become an academic editor or coach, go to: AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  7. How Do Clients Find Me? My 2024 Year in Review

    12/26/2024

    How Do Clients Find Me? My 2024 Year in Review

    This week I wrap up 2024 with our 16th episode. I give you all the juicy stats on 🎯 the number of clients I've worked with, 🎯 the projects I've completed, and 🎯 the top strategies I used to attract a steady stream of clients and start earning $10k per month. I also discuss my website traffic, email list growth, total 2024 earnings, and what's on deck for 2025. Above all, I am so incredibly grateful that so many of you have joined my little corner of the internet. I've received so many kind messages from people who are struggling in academia and who have found solace in hearing my story. 🙏 No matter what 2025 brings, remember that you're not alone. I'm just a DM or an email away, and I'm always happy to talk. Best wishes to you and yours, Paulina Ready to take the leap into freelance academic editing? Download my free video series on academic editing and coaching: https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Already an academic editor and want to up your game (and your earnings) in 2025? Join our membership here: AcadiaEditing.com/marketing Catie Phares, the Savvy Editrix: https://www.csphares.com/the-savvy-editrix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  8. Academic Editing around the World: How to Build a Global Editing Business

    12/19/2024

    Academic Editing around the World: How to Build a Global Editing Business

    This week’s episode will be particularly helpful for anyone interested in working with editing clients in Europe. I talk with Marieke Krijnen, a political science PhD and academic copy editor who’s lived all over the world but is now located in Poland. 🌏 Marieke shares how she decided to leave academia at the end of a postdoc and how her connections with scholars around Europe continue to bring her a steady stream of editing projects–seven years after she started her business. 😮 We discuss different marketing strategies, from social media to cold emails, and how truly freeing it is to be your own boss–especially if you have children. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review and share it with a friend. And if you’re curious about becoming an academic editor or coach, you can find out more by going to https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Want to work with Marieke? You can get in touch here: www.mariekekrijnen.com www.linkedin.com/in/mariekekrijnen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
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About

In 2019, I was a political science professor who was fed up with the stress and hostility of academia–not to mention the low pay. I left my tenure-track job and went from barely surviving to thriving as a freelance academic editor. Today, I own Acadia Editing Services, an editing and coaching business that brings in six figures a year.  In this podcast, I’ll discuss the challenges of academia, what academic editing involves, and what life as a freelancer looks like. If you’re willing to jump outside your comfort zone, it IS possible to find joy, true flexibility, and a profitable and rewarding career as an academic editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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