Article by Ceileigh Mangalam, edited by AJ Gordon
Where are the editors’ podcasts? It seems like there’s a podcast for everything these days; the medium has become so popular that nearly any market niche, esoteric hobby, or professional field you can think of is likely to have a podcast associated with it. However, editors’ podcasts—that is, podcasts for and by editors about the craft of editing and providing editing services—are surprisingly hard to find.
Because of this shortage I’m pleased to recommend a few, full of insightful advice and analysis for whoever wants to listen, as well as being cathartic for professional editors: Listening to the hosts discuss common issues and barriers helps us know we are not alone in our professional frustrations.
And for further editorial-skill broadening, we also recommend the next Editors BC seminar!
Grammar Girl
Hosted by Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl has been around since 2006 and publishes short episodes every Tuesday. The podcast covers a wide range of topics that relate to writing, from the etymology of words and phrases to new developments in word-processing technology. Fogarty is the founder of the Quick and Dirty Tips network and often invites subject matter experts on the podcast to help round out her own research. Episodes tend to be short and humorous, making them a great listen during breaks or during your lunchtime stroll.
As well as the podcast, Grammar Girl also has a newsletter, books, and bonus content for financial supporters.
Recommended episodes:
- Why AI loves em dashes, with Sean Goedecke
- How to be a ‘feisty freelancer,’ with Suzanne Bowness
- The pirate history of ‘scallywag.’ ‘Used to’ versus ‘use to.’ Cheese grits.
BookNet Canada
Trade publishing is a prominent source of work for editors, and the BookNet Canada podcast reflects that. BookNet Canada is a nonprofit organization that supports publishers, booksellers, and other connected associates with research and technological development. The podcast tends to publish once a month and includes interviews with guests as well as summaries of BookNet Canada’s own research; topics focus on book-related news, such as updates to accessible book formats, social analysis of book-buying trends, and how the publishing industry is changing.
Recommended episodes:
- Editing Indigenous voices with care, with Mélanie Ritchot
- The power and importance of metadata
- Best practices for navigating cybersecurity, with Nick Maturo
The Editing Podcast
Points for the name! Possibly the most saliently titled podcast in this list is the text-focused The Editing Podcast with Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle (not to be confused with the film-editors podcast of the same name). These veteran editors—whose guides and courses have helped countless freelancers start their careers, understand professional standards, and gain confidence in their work—dig into the nitty-gritty of editing: insurance, style sheets, financial habits, service contracts, and more, taking the listener from general topic overviews to finer details and quirks as each episode progresses.
The Editing Podcast releases an episode every month and the hosts also have a Patreon if listeners want access to exclusive content and bonus episodes.
Recommended episodes:
- How to manage a hectic editorial business schedule
- 5 ways to demonstrate editing competence on your website
- 8 copyediting essentials
The Editor’s Half Hour
What I appreciate most about The Editor’s Half Hour podcast is its dedication to exploring niche editing. Host Nadia Geagea Pupa, co-founder of Píque Publishing, releases monthly episodes that introduce listeners to medical editing, posthumous editing, working with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writers, book coaching, and cookbook editing, for example. Editors looking to broaden their specialist knowledge should absolutely explore the backlisted episodes, which are packed with familiar guests and fascinating deep dives.
Recommended episodes:
- Erin Brenner: The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors
- Isabella Furth: Emotional Labor of Editing
- Tara Whitaker: Creating Community Among Editors
Leaving Academia
Hosted by Paulina Cossette, PhD, Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor offers listeners a fascinating look into the process of switching careers from tenure-track professor to academic editor. Topics are typically divided between advice about freelancing and stories from various guests about their journeys away from academia. During the weekly episodes, Cossette, who now runs Acadia Editing Services, discusses the challenges of taking the leap as well as how to overcome obstacles common in any freelance career—a great podcast for mid-career editors, emerging editors, and exhausted academics, since Cossette’s professional trajectory neatly covers all three categories.
Recommended episodes:
- From English Major to 6-Figure Editor (and Why AI Won’t Take Our Jobs!, with Catie Phares
- How Do Clients Find Me? My 2024 Year in Review
- From Traveling Postdoc to Freelance Success: Building an Editing Career, with Tom Smith, PhD
Special mention: The Confident Freelance Editor
Freelance editing can sometimes feel like an overwhelming and lonely pursuit; The Confident Freelance Editor, hosted by Malini Devadas, is the perfect antidote. Though this podcast has been on hiatus since 2023, past episodes are worth exploring, whether you’re just getting started in your freelance career or casting around for new ways to expand or adapt your business. While some of the technological advice specifically may be out of date, lessons about work-life balance and getting out of your comfort zone never stop being relevant (unfortunately).
Recommended episodes:
- How can I show my value when I haven’t had paid editing clients yet?
- How do I change my editing business to a new niche
- How to assess if your marketing strategy is working
If you know of another podcast that fits the bill, be sure to share it with other readers in a comment!
Great recommendations! I’ve looked for editing podcasts many times and haven’t found these!
For fiction editors, the Story Grid Writing podcast with Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl offers an interesting insights into one of the many ways we might break down story.