10 Things Your Editor Wants You to Know (A Cheat Sheet for Freelance Writers)

I tweeted about doing this, with zero intention of actually following through.

But then I got a few inquiries about when to expect that post and what would be on that list ... so here you go. Fair warning: I'm mean.

1. There are (probably) a dozen writers better (and cheaper) than you.

In four years I've only met one writer who inspired me to go out of my way to keep happy.

And I couldn't tell you how many others have insisted they're worth more money, who have flaunted their experience and skill, who have resented feedback, etc. The truth is, there are college students, with very little experience, who are just good writers. And I would rather hire and work with someone who is humble, eager to learn, and communicative.

I probably get a little too much guilty pleasure out of calling a diva's bluff when he tells me what I need to do to keep working with him.

2. You can always turn in drafts early.

And it will earn you extra points if you do. Deadlines and due dates mean, "No later than ..." not, strictly, "Deliver on ..."

Because your editor is dealing with dozens of other variables, and even if nothing happens to your draft during the extra day or two between when you turned it in and when it was due, it's nice to know it's done and it's waiting (and you're ready for more work).

More likely, something will be done with it. It's even possible that I need it sooner than the due date—for some reason or other than I'm not burdening a freelance writer with—and getting a draft a day or two early, more often than not, makes my job a lot easier.

Writers who turn in stuff a day early always get more work from me.

3. Match. The. Style Guide.

I get it, you're a writer, not a designer. Visual aesthetic isn't necessarily your thing.

But it's our thing. If your editor asks for specific fonts, sizes, headers, etc., just do it. I build the preferred styles into the Google doc so it's as easy as, "Paste without formatting" and some writers still don't do it.

Am I going to stop working with you over it? Probably not if your content is great, but that styling/branding still has to get done. That means you're adding one more thing to my To Do list, which is not embedding you into my good graces. It's much easier to, "paste without formatting" than it is to change every header, body text, etc.

4. Proofread. I'll say it again: Proofread.

This shouldn't need to be on this list ... but ... ugh. Every typo or messed up sentence (because you rewrote it a couple times and in all the editing a leftover word got overlooked, etc.) reinforces the idea that you didn't give the content a last look before you sent it and makes me trust it less. And it makes me wonder what else you did too quickly/insufficiently.

5. Review the changes your editor makes and take notes.

Revision requests and edits will be noted for you to make. Smaller things will get fixed for you, because it's easier to just change pronouns and add or remove commas, etc.

If your editor goes out of his/her way to let you know that they always use Oxford commas, or they never use second person pronouns, etc. Make a note. He shouldn't have to tell you a second time.

If your editor repeatedly asks for the same thing—include a real-world example, provide an actionable next step, link to this popular article, etc.—make a note. And do it before she asks on the next assignment.

If your editor makes other small corrections and adjustments, the only way to find out about them is to go back and review the final copy. No, those aren't really your responsibility if the editor doesn't tell you about them ... but it only takes a minute and everybody benefits. You might discover that he/she is always fixing your passive voice, your pronoun-antecedent problems, etc. Fix those things yourself next time. You become a better writer and your editor likes your work more. Win-win.

6. Stick to the outline/creative brief/whatever.

You are creative and clever and talented, of course. The draft you owe me is not the time to prove it.

I'm almost embarrassed to say that this has actually happened more than once. The day an assignment is due, a writer emails me something totally different. What do they imagine is going to happen? That I, the account strategist, and the client are all going to throw over our entire strategies because of this brilliant piece of writing?

True story, one writer actually responded to me by saying, "I assumed it would be okay to deviate from the outline in the interest of producing better content."

You might get an outline, detailed instructions, or just a title. Whatever you get: stick to it. There is so much more going on that you, the writer, are unaware of.

At Propecta, we develop content strategies that stretch out for months. There are other content pieces in the works that will complement and support the one you are working on. Hours of keyword research and organic search intelligence reporting have gone into the content assignment that you have. Your idea is not good enough to merit throwing all of that away.

What's more, the concept or outline you are working from may have already been reviewed, tweaked, and approved by the client. Even if I love your brilliant idea (and honestly, I never have), there's nothing at all I can or will do about it.

If the assignment inspires a great idea, pitch it to me. Send me an additional outline or draft. I will take it back to the Account Strategist and we'll discuss. I promise. But don't screw up my entire editorial calendar.

7. Don't be a diva about edit requests.

Similar to the above, just make the edits and changes that your editor asks for. He/she might use nice language like, "Let's do this," or, "I think this needs to do that." That's not because your editor is unsure, he/she is just trying to be nice. If I don't ask for your opinion or thoughts, it's because I don't want them.

This is not the moment to make a case for why you did what you did, or why you think it's great. I assume you think it's great, because I assume you wouldn't turn in a draft that you're not proud of. But there are a dozen reasons why it might need to change, so just change it.

8. Don't be lazy with edit requests.

Make good changes. There's no way to quantify or diagnose this, but you know what I mean. And your editor knows.

There are writers who take the time to really think about and craft edit requests. And there are writers who just delete difficult sentences, add fluffy text, etc. Be the former. Your editor can not only tell when you rush through edits, he/she has to make up for it and it's super annoying.

9. Read the instructions before you ask questions.

There actually is such a thing as a dumb question. It's the question an adult asks when the answer has already been clearly given.

I will—and I have—copy or screenshot the answer from my documentation/email and paste it in my reply to you. Your editor doesn't put together creative briefs for her own amusement.

10. But do ask good questions.

A good question is one that comes up as you're working, and that will affect the overall piece.

• Does this client have an agile methodology preference? Or are scrum/kanban both good to discuss?
• Is there a preference between ETL vs ELT?

(Although you should be able to figure out both of those things from the client's site/existing content, but quick examples ...)

I love getting those questions, because (A) if they come early it tells me that you're already working, and (B) it's so much better than getting a draft that goes off in the wrong direction. And then the response I get is, "I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to bother you."

Well, you've bothered me.

You're Welcome

It pretty much comes down to: Get over yourself and do your job well.

Not sorry. I told you at the beginning that I'm mean.

So—if you really want to be the freelance writer that editors pile work on because you're just such a joy—scan the list. Pick one to start on, and level up.