Starting Freelance Editing: A Perspective From BLE

March 28, 2025
Expert

We’ve recently had some discussions with professionals who want to start freelance editing. Their proverbial ‘the grass is greener on the other side’. And it struck us how the same questions and line of thinking pop up again and again in these discussions. How freelancing has dimensions only known to those who have dipped their toes in.

These talks made us reminisce about our freelance journey and inspired us to put something to paper. Why we started and how we approached it. The advice we give others. The good and the bad. So, here goes.

Disclaimer: This is our story. Take what you will from it, or even hate it completely. This isn’t the Google Maps lady telling you when to turn left or right. This isn’t a step-by-step tutorial. This is simply a retelling of our freelance editing career so far.

Determine Why You’re Hearing the Siren Song of Freelancing

Freelancing isn’t a hobby.

That might sound a bit harsh. But here’s why it’s the truth: many professionals romanticise freelancing. You dream of setting your own hours, waving goodbye to traffic, working from tropical locations, and just living your best life. (This is where the pretty siren lures you in.)

Don’t get us wrong, you absolutely can have that as a freelancer. But these rewards don’t just fall out of the sky.

Freelancing is a commitment.

You’re either in or you’re out. It’s often the commitment, the enormity of it all, that puts people off. Because you’re not just doing the actual editing work – you also have to market your services, do accounting and taxes, manage admin, and and and. Ultimately, freelancing = running a business. (This is where your ship crashes and you plunge into the cold water.)

So, carefully consider why you want to freelance edit and how much you want it. When you take the plunge after the siren, you have to be able to swim (and maybe bring an oxygen tank).

Why Did We Become Freelancers?

Initially, we stepped into the same trap. We’ve freelanced before but weren’t committed. In particular, we found it tough to balance a full-time job with working evenings and weekends. It felt like there was no ‘off’ time, no quality time with loved ones. Eventually, we started saying ‘no’ more to freelance projects.

Fast forward a few years and we’re in a not-ideal work situation. Burnout, anxiety, crying on the way to the office, you name it. Eventually, we got offered a remote contract position from an international content marketing firm. The pay was admittedly a lot lower, but we felt the mental health payoff would be worth it.

Along the way, a family member remarked over lunch one day that we should register a PTY Ltd and run all the invoices through a company. The tax benefits are better and we’ll be personally protected as the company is a separate registered entity.

A few months later, Blue Leaf Editing was born.

Should You Fear the Freelance Editing Beast?

No, don’t fear freelancing. Instead, respect it. Understand it.

Were we scared? Of course. As unhappy as we were, the old job was still stable and familiar. Like most households, we couldn’t afford not to get a salary each month. But slowly overshadowing the fear was excitement, relief, and hope. Instead of focusing on the negative outcomes only, we started thinking about the positives. Instead of “what could go wrong?”, we thought “what if this works?”.

Let’s ask you this: someone, somewhere, started a company and worked for themselves. It became successful and they hired employees. You’re that employee right now. As an employee, you’re dependent on your employer for a job. Why is that less risky?

It’s not. The fear comes down to whether you want to take a chance on yourself. Whether you think you’re a good investment.

Don’t Listen to the Naysayers

Pursuing freelance editing is a big move. You want to bounce the idea off someone because you want some affirmation that your plan isn’t crazy. That’s completely understandable. Just do yourself one favour: take advice from the right people.

What does this mean? The right person isn’t the one you love the most or respect the most. It shouldn’t automatically be your parents, partner, or best friend. While they may have your best interests at heart, they’re not in the position to give you business advice.

The right person is someone who does what you do and succeeds at it. Listen to their tips and warnings, because they’ve been there. They saw a similar gap and took a chance. They know what it takes.

How Do You Tame Freelance Editing?

Above All, Consistency

Consistency is not just an editor thing. It’s a life thing. Anyone who knows our director, Michelle, knows she preaches consistency.

In our free time, we’re quite avid MasterChef fans, and there’s something Marco Pierre White says every time he’s a guest: “Keep it simple. Perfection is lots of little things done well.”

So, do a little each day. Keep working, keep building, keep growing. Small steps are worth more collectively than random sprints.

Know Your Worth (But Don’t Think You Know Everything)

Probably one of the toughest freelancing roadblocks is knowing how much to charge for your editing jobs. What are your services worth? Are they good enough? Do you have enough editing experience? Should you charge more? What if clients think you’re too expensive? Should you charge less? But what if it’s not enough to live on?

And around and around it goes. Imposter syndrome is real, especially while starting out. And truthfully it never really goes away. Blue Leaf Editing is almost 3 years old now and the doubt still resurfaces. You learn how to manage it and turn the volume down.

In the bad moments, hold onto this truth: Charge what your expertise is worth. You’re freelancing because you’ve got a sellable skill and knowledge.

Now, to keep this truth true, you also have to acknowledge that you don’t know everything and you never will. In our opinion, that’s what makes language and editing so exciting. It keeps changing. This means you’ll always have more to learn and more editing skills to sharpen. So, take short courses, attend webinars, read books, whatever you need to stay at the top of your game.

Be Prepared for the Dry Season

The reality of freelancing. Sometimes, things go dark because of factors outside of your control.

A client has budget issues so outsourcing content is the first thing to go.

A client chooses to go with a new, shiny, ‘cheaper’ alternative.

A client simply ghosts you.

So terwyl dit pap reën, moet jy skep.

[English proverb equivalent: Make hay while the sun shines.]

Essentially, make sure to squirrel away funds while the pickings are good. One of our first priorities was padding up the bank account enough to cover costs for 2-3 months if the worst should happen (i.e. not even one invoice in a month).

Never Give Up

You will fail. But you will also succeed. It’s about celebrating the wins (no matter how small) and learning from the mistakes.

Milestones we’ve celebrated include launching our re-designed website, hiring our first full-time employee, joining editing and freelancing groups, attending fairs and events, and being lucky enough to double our YoY.

More importantly, mistakes we’ve learned from include not saying yes to every project. Obviously, we only have so much capacity. Overcommitting means not giving your best to every client – and that’s not fair to you or them. We’ve also figured out which types of clients we want and don’t want to work with. Clients who introduce scope creep, continuously change briefs, and just bring negativity to the project aren’t on our radar.

Any freelancer will tell you that working for yourself is a different kind of motivation. No one wants to work overtime, but when you do it for yourself, you know it’s for future you to reap the rewards.

Is It an Art? More Like a Balancing Act

Hopefully, you’re not freelance editing with a broken heart (yes, we’ve got Swifties on the team). As we’ve mentioned, many people romanticise freelance editing. Some even go so far as to comment you’re not really working if you’re working odd hours from home (but that’s a conversation for another time).

Again, you can set the rules. You can clock off early. You can work from a coffee shop or on the beach. But here’s a freelancing insider secret: your new boss is most likely meaner than your old one.

Suddenly, you’re up early and furiously typing on your computer. You’re working late to meet a ridiculous deadline your boss said you had to agree to. Then you’re working the weekend to catch up on another project you’re already behind on. Because if you’re not working 12-14 hours a day, are you really working?

Work-life balance is a non-negotiable principle for freelancers. One hand of the scale should be full of hard work. And sometimes, you’ll have to work late. But the other hand should be full of the things that bring you joy. Your loved ones, your hobbies. If you work yourself to death, who will fill in?

How to Balance the Scales

This is what works for us:

- Set working hours (they can be flexible). We do boring 8-5 most days.

- When necessary, we work every second weekend, never every weekend.

- Take time off. We do at least two full weeks throughout the year + the week of Christmas and New Years. Work depending, we enjoy public holidays.

- If possible, outsource the functions you’re struggling with, e.g. web hosting, accounting, taxes. Trying to figure it out yourself will take a lot more time than necessary, and it might still be wrong anyway. Outsource to a pro (freelancers hiring freelancers makes sense, yes?) so you can focus on completing paying work.

Taking Your First Steps to Becoming a Freelance Editor

You won’t find your starting line in someone else’s story. Not really. You might take inspiration, learn from a few hard lessons, and feel less alone in the messiness of figuring it all out – but your path is yours. Freelance editing, like any leap into self-employment, doesn’t come with a foolproof manual. And maybe that’s the point.

If there’s one thing we’ve realised, it’s this: you’re already on the journey. The moment you start asking questions, poking around for answers, and wondering if you could make this work? That’s your starting point. It’s not about waiting for the perfect time (spoiler alert: there isn’t one) or feeling completely ready (you probably won’t). It’s about deciding you’re worth betting on.

Freelance editing demands courage and consistency in equal measure. Courage to put yourself out there, to charge what your skills are worth, and to keep going even when it’s tough. Consistency to sharpen your skills, show up for your clients, and build something that feels authentically you.

Maybe today your first step is updating your CV, reaching out to one potential client, or simply giving yourself permission to try. Whatever it is, start small. Do one thing. And then another. You don’t need a grand plan to begin – just the willingness to start where you are.

If you’re looking for a map, you won’t find one here. But if you’re looking for a little light on the path, we hope this was it. Now go. You’ve got this.

Our Favourite Resources for Freelance Editors

If you’re looking for something more concrete than our philosophical rant, try these resources:

If you want a how-to book about freelancing:

Shea Karssing’s Freelance Like a Boss is a must-have. Written from a South African perspective, it contains step by step all the information you need to get your freelancing venture off the ground.

If you don’t know what to charge clients:

Shea (from above) has a user-friendly freelance rates calculator on her website. It focuses on calculating hourly rates. Even if that’s not your structure, it’s at least a starting point.

The Safrea Freelance Media Industry and Rates Report contains great summaries of what freelancers charge for their services: most frequently cited rate, lowest ‘fair’ rate, highest ‘fair’ rate, and average ‘fair’ rate. Just add some padding to quotes you base on these rates as they’re from 2021.

If you’re looking for a community:

The Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG) is a supportive and knowledgeable organisation for editors. They host various webinars and ‘coffee conversations’ throughout the year to help members upskill. The website contains links to many resources, and you can get discounted access to platforms like Oxford Dictionaries and PerfectIt.

The Southern African Freelancers’ Association welcomes media specialists, including freelance writers, editors, proofreaders, journalists, photographers, designers, and more.

International editor organisations to consider include the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), the Society for Editing (ACES), and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP).

If you want a literal how-to book about freelancing:

If you don’t know what to charge clients: