By Nadia Geagea Pupa, Co-Founder and CEO of Pique Publishing, Inc., SD/PEN Past President
Over the last five years, we’ve experienced a proliferation of entrepreneurship in the U.S. In a 2022 Forbes article, Ashley Stahl shared the following:
“In 2021, U.S. small businesses—defined as small businesses with fewer than 500 employees—topped 32.5 million, accounting for 99.9% of all U.S. businesses. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees account for 78.5% of the businesses in the U.S. Small businesses employ almost half of the U.S. workforce. Entrepreneurs are a vital part of keeping the economy turning. They are the fabric of the global economy. They accelerate economic growth, stimulate innovation, and promote social change.”

For those who know me well, it won’t come as a surprise that I am deeply entrenched in the business side of editing, designing, writing, publishing, etc. I’m working on growing from a solopreneur to an entrepreneur. The difference between the two is building a business to scale, but it’s not easy and it doesn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of sleepless nights when building and growing a company and the cliché of blood, sweat, and tears reigns true for entrepreneurs.
Speaking of clichés, corporate jargon has become a total joke on social media. The young kids are laughing at #CorporateErin who has recently exploded on TikTok. In her satirical approach, Lisa Beasley personifies a stereotypical corporate manager and even speaks with a “corporate accent” that will have you rolling on the floor laughing. It will most definitely trigger you if you’ve recently joined this mass exodus from corporate America—or what’s better known as “The Great Resignation.” Watch her hilarious interview with Chicago’s WGN9 Morning News.
I think “Erin” might become the new “Karen” of the internet. But all joking aside, I know so many lovely Erins in our editorial community: Erin Willard, Erin Servais, and last but not least, Erin Brenner. This was a beautifully crafted segue to get excited about Erin Brenner’s soon-to-be-released book, The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors. I practically squealed when I first heard about this book. The subtitle says it all, “How to Take Care of Your Business, Your Clients, and Yourself from Start-Up to Sustainability.”
Last year, I attended the Red Pencil Conference hosted by the Northwest Editors Guild, and my favorite session was titled, “Copyediting Challenges in Nonfiction: Learning from Other Editors.” It was led by Erin Brenner. I’ll never forget it for two reasons: (1) I got to sit next to Heather Pendley (SD/PEN member who was on the board when I served as president). We shared a good laugh at the fact that it was the first time we met each other in person, instead of virtually, but in another city! (2) Erin’s presentation was so eye-opening because we were in a room full of editors who were actually editing nonfiction text in real-time. We discussed our editing decisions and realized that there is no one right way to edit. There is a range of approaches, but with the same goal of polishing prose to support authors and readers. This is also true for running a business. There is no one right way to run a business. As freelancers, we are in control and can run our businesses the way we want.
As I mentioned in last month’s blog post, The Heart and Soul of Editing, I am the host of The Editor’s Half Hour Podcast, and I am so grateful and thrilled to share that Erin has agreed to be interviewed on the podcast to discuss this new book (episode to be released on April 1, 2024). I have had the privilege of receiving an advance copy of the book from the University of Chicago Press to get better acquainted with the material before our interview.
I can share a few things I’ve learned so far about the book. It’s broken into four sections: (1) setting up your business, (2) working on your business, (3) working in your business, and (4) beyond the beginning. I immediately jumped to section four and found a treasure trove of love. The last chapter of the book, in my opinion, is the most important: Taking Care of You. This is something we all need. Erin explains the importance of creating a self-care routine to avoid burnout, which is so vital for business owners. We tend to put ourselves last on the list. We tend to forget about the fact that stress can have long-term effects on us, so it’s vital for us to consciously monitor what we can do to alleviate our stress. What I love is how Erin explains that everyone’s needs are different, which means our self-care routines will be different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach and the best way to get started is slowly.
The real beauty of this book is that there’s something for everyone. It’s perfect for beginning freelancers, but it’s equally valuable to someone who has been in business for years. I’m looking forward to interviewing Erin soon, so be on the lookout for the upcoming podcast episode.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you’d be interested in writing a blog or sharing ideas for future topics to be covered.