Q&A with Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, freelance writer/editor/proofreader
Diversity isn’t just a factor in human relations and workplace culture, and diversifying isn’t just a business or investment tool; both create an essential approach to surviving as an editor in today’s increasingly challenging publishing environment. That’s the position of Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (writerruth.com), who’s been writing, editing, and proofreading professionally since high school, and as a full-time freelancer since 1984.
What are today’s challenges?
AI is a big one, with more businesses, publications, and individuals thinking they can use it to replace writers, editors, and proofreaders, among others. Any concern about that impact on our jobs, whether in-house or freelance, is justified.
Another is the increasing number of publications and publishers that are dropping their editing and/or proofreading departments and services, especially in the newspaper world. That had started to be a trend before AI became a topic of daily conversation and concern, and AI is only making it worse.
Having only one main client and only doing one type of editing work is also a challenge, and the ones already mentioned make them even more of a potential concern. If all your eggs are in one basket and that basket is suddenly pulled out of your hands, you’re stuck. If you only provide one skill or service, your ability to survive professionally is limited.
How can editors adapt or respond?
We have to be proactive, not wait for our work world to fall apart around us before we create more diversity in our editing. Let colleagues know that you’re open to new clients and projects. Be active and visible in professional organizations where you can demonstrate your skills and interests.
What does diversity or diversifying mean to an editor?
To me, diversity and diversifying mean finding and doing work that is varied in terms of both topic and project type. Of course, not everyone is comfortable with doing more than one thing, or focusing on more than one topic, but it’s worth thinking about as a survival tactic.
What are some examples?
My (trademarked) motto is “I can write about anything!”® and it’s an approach I’ve taken for many years. I’m not locked into covering only one topic, profession or industry, or producing only one type of written work. That means I might make less for assignments than someone who’s a specialist, such as a medical or tech writer or editor, but also that I get more assignments, so it works out at least even; I might even earn more than specialists or people who only handle one topic or type of project.
In copyediting and proofreading, I’m also topic-agnostic and inclusive. Current clients for those services include a law firm, PR firm that works with lawyers, university public policy institute, higher education association; magazines about gardening, Porsche history and vehicles; newsletters about machine computing and the decorative arts; weekly newspaper, and more.
I also do pro bono projects for my high school alumni association, a high school journalism workshop, and a summer program to train young people in citizenship and democracy.
How can editors become more diverse in their work and businesses?
Start with a new mindset: “I’m not a one-trick pony. I can work on various types of projects.”
Be active, rather than waiting for clients to come to you: Look for new clients in your current niche, and then start thinking outside that box. If you primarily edit books, look for opportunities to edit essays, journal articles, newsletters or magazines, white papers, and other types of projects in your field. Or publications about new topics, perhaps starting with ones related to one of your hobbies, your degree if you aren’t using it in your current work, a charity you care about, etc.
Businesses, nonprofit organizations, trade and membership associations, policy institutes, individual academics, and university writing centers—and more—all could use editing help. If your skills are strong, that can be more important than whether you know a lot about a given industry or product. Just look at my projects to see that an editor or proofreader can tackle topics they know little about as long as their grammar skills are strong!
Think about adding a new skill or service, or editing a new topic.
Just don’t offer the new skill until you’re very comfortable with it. Your clients, current or future, won’t want to be the guinea pigs for your learning curve. Take a course; do some research; practice on what you see in the publications, websites, and world around you; and then offer that new thing.
