By Dana Sorensen
In On the Right Path, Dana described how editing “snuck up” on her as a second career and the value of being mentored by experienced editors. Previously an equity trader, Dana now shares how she’s building on her professional experience to transition into and structure her freelance practice. She also stresses the importance of connecting with other editors by attending editing and writing events—the more, the better!
When transitioning into an editing career, I think it’s helpful to look at the structure of your day and your time and resource management. When I started thinking about freelance editing, I could see I had the skeleton of the structure already present and that it would not be difficult to transition my routine from trading all day to working on my editing business for several hours. As a lifelong employee, I have had to expand my thought process to include the various components of a freelance business. Of course, a freelancer has many tasks, so not all the time is devoted to strictly editing, but at least I had a framework and a habit of sitting at my desk for those hours every day.
When you are the sole proprietor, you must build your corporate identity, market yourself, ensure that contracts are signed, estimate time for each job, and track your time and financials. Luckily, many online resources are available to us now; Editors Canada and the Editing Freelancers Association have many useful resources. (The EFA has many free resources you can access without being a member.)
Since I’ve been trading from home for about ten years now, I already have an office set up as well as regular office hours. I commute from my bedroom at 6 am, follow my routines of reading news releases and checking commodities or anything that may move the market, and watch the market open at 6:30. It was my habit to watch my waterfall ticker and different platforms until the close at 1 pm. As it happens, the market I trade has been quite slow, and most of the action happens at the open and close. This enables me to shift my focus from trading and get to work on editing or writing projects by about 7 am.
Another way I’m transitioning into this new career is to edit within my area of expertise, at least at first, so the clients I look for are corporate clients within the trading and capital markets realm. I came to realize I’m not starting from square one when it comes to that subject matter, and this is merely a continuation of my career. The more I delve into the editing world, the more I see that I continue to use many skills that I honed as a trader: attention to detail, analysis of material to find meaning, management of high-stress situations, balancing multiple time-sensitive trades (projects), communicating with colleagues, and conducting research. I’m sure I’ll branch out and try to find some different projects, but I think it will be easier and more comfortable to begin in the area where I have some street cred and connections.
While much of this emerging editing career is familiar to me, the parts that are new are exciting and sometimes scary. Still, I knew I needed to find a vocation that would inspire me! I’m also happy and pleasantly surprised to find that the editors I have met are kindred spirits. Though I’m still building this career, I feel I’ve won already by finding a community of communicators I didn’t even know I was looking for.
If there’s one more thing I would suggest when pivoting careers, I would say to attend everything you can, in person when possible: writers’ festivals, book readings, editors’ meetings, and blue pencil sessions. Something unexpected happened at each meeting I made the effort to attend. Not only do you get your name and face out there for recognition when someone needs to hire an editor, but you learn you are part of a community you chose. And that is invaluable.
Dana Sorensen is an equity trader and editor. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Calgary and certificates in Professional Editing and Writing and Editing for Business from Mount Royal University. She volunteers in various areas with Editors Canada and acts as a co-moderator for several editing groups on Facebook. She recently worked with teenage writers during a special Blue Pencil session. In her spare time, she is an avid reader and marathon runner.
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Copyedited by Christine Pintea
Christine completed the Certificate in Editing Program from Simon Fraser University in October 2024 and is now volunteering with Editors Canada as a copy editor. She looks forward to setting up her own freelance business in the next few months and gaining experience editing in many areas of interest to her, including theology and musical composition. She devotes much of her spare time to enthusiastically helping in the music ministry of her church.