Let’s face it: working remotely can be lonely. Yes, we love the independence and flexibility that being a freelance editor or proofreader allows, but there may still be times when we feel isolated while we work alone in our carefully organised home offices. So, how...
What you charge depends on what type of editing or proofreading service you are offering and how much your client is willing to pay. The more work you do, the more you can charge. Unfortunately, there are conflicting ideas about what is a fair rate. PEG members should...
I tried to find points of reference for this topic (the author's voice) and there were not any in my usual go-to sources. This suggests that the author’s voice is something that cannot be easily quantified or taught in a few easy steps. Maintaining the author's voice...
Your first few jobs as an editor can feel daunting and you may have questions about how best to tackle the initial paperwork so that the project starts without a hitch. Below are six tips to help you to quote efficiently and make sure that the client’s and the...
There is nothing more demoralising than pounding away at a task, delivering it in good time and then waiting to be paid – but never seeing that payment. Here are three things to put in place that, at the very least, should reduce the risk of not being paid for your...
(With a nod to How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. I did not like the self-illustrated book but I loved the DVD.) You can make it easier to find files on your computer or smartphone if you structure your filenames according to how you are going to use...
Social media is the new normal with regard to business. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the POPI Act and its impact on direct marketing, and the need to establish an online brand, social media marketing has become an essential...
Developing a presence on the world wide web is crucial for freelance success. One of the best ways to market yourself as a language practitioner is by optimising your LinkedIn profile. The following basic principles can help to set you apart from your competitors: A...
In this fourth article in the series on social media marketing (SMM), I consider the questions: Content or paid SMM? What platforms should I consider? Again, I refer to the Digital 2022 Global Overview Report by DataReportal/We Are Social/Hootsuite as I delve...
In this third article in the series on social media marketing (SMM), we look at some of the basic data that relates to SMM and digital marketing (DM), the broader area of marketing in which SMM fits. For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that you have been...
This article appeared under the same heading in PEGboard July 2018. Time | Quality | Price Prompt delivery (time), excellent standards (quality) and affordability (price). As editors, this is what we want to deliver and it's what clients of editing services should...
In this second of the two-part article on marketing and (social media marketing) SMM for editors, the focus will be on the social media (SM) landscape in South Africa, as at end 2020. In my previous PEGblog post, I defined social media marketing (SMM) within the wider...
In this first of two articles, I will try to situate social media marketing (SMM) within the wider marketing discipline, after situating marketing within organisations. However, I will strip everything down to the bare bones and provide sound-bite type information...
Have you ever considered blog writing? In this edition of PEGblog, Faeron Wheeler gives us 10 valuable tips for better blog writing. Blog writing has become something of an artform on its own. There are rules and best practices that define the skill of writing...
In the first post in this series, we defined professionalism and identified three criteria of being a professional editor. We discussed specific knowledge and skill in the second post and remuneration in the third. In this final post, we'll look at an ethical code of...
In the first post in this series, we defined professionalism and identified three criteria for being a professional editor. We looked at skill and knowledge in the second post. Now it's time to think about what it means to charge for professional editing and...
To kick off our blog, editor and writing consultant Alexis Grewan tells us what it means to be a professional editor in a four-part series of posts. Part one of a four-part series on professionalism. As editors, we like to think of ourselves as professionals, maybe...