Guest: NAIWE’s Executive Director April Michelle Davis

This is a specialized course designed for those who are in the editing industry (or who want to become freelance editors). This hands-on, interactive class will provide detailed discussions about the field, editing skills, and the business and IT requirements necessary to succeed. This course will strengthen your industry presence, provide a refresher for your editorial skills, and impart how to run an editing business like a professional, and it will be a valuable addition to your resume.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this lesson:

• Advantages and disadvantages of freelancing

• Business basics, including what you should do before you open your business

• Taxes, breaking it down to estimated taxes, the formula for taxes, and some of the pertinent tax forms

• 50+ ways to market defined by your business goals and cold calling efforts

• Places to place your ads

• Networking, via association memberships and in-person events

• Promotions and small gifts to thank clients for their business

• Social networking, focusing on blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter

• Documentation of all client communications and business transactions

• Organization of your business records in a safe but easily accessible location

April Michelle Davis is the executive director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors and the founder of Editorial Inspirations. She has a master’s degree in publishing from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Messiah College, as well as certificates in editing, book publishing, and professional editing. April Michelle has presented sessions about what an editor does and the steps to becoming an editor, tips for and the benefits of working with an editor, indexing, macros, grammar, marketing, and Microsoft Word at the Be a Better Freelancer conference, Randolph-Macon College, Northern Virginia Community College, the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, RavenCon, the Hanover Book Festival, the Editorial Freelancers Association, Copyediting newsletter, Editorial Inspirations’ trainings, and NAIWE.

April Michelle Davis has shared insights by contributing to several books: When Talent Isn’t Enough: Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined, Ease into Writing, The Indie Author Revolution: An Insider’s Guide to Self-Publishing, and Juggling on a High Wire: The Art of Work–Life Balance When You’re Self-Employed. April Michelle has taken her role full circle by becoming a published author: A Guide for the Freelance Indexer, Choosing an Editor: What You Need to Know, and A Princess in Disguise.