The Modern Editor Podcast
Tara Whitaker
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The Modern Editor Podcast, hosted by Tara Whitaker, goes behind the scenes of what it takes to run an editorial business in today’s world.
Available episodes
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Aug 23, 2023
What Does “Booked Out” Really Mean?
In this short-and-sweet episode, we’re going to talk about what “booked out” means to you and if it’s something you even want to work toward (it might not be!). I want to stress that being booked out is not bad or wrong. And for anyone new here, when one of us succeeds, we all succeed!
In this episode, I’ll touch on the following:
* 03:20 – What does being “booked out” mean?
* 04:05 – Why it doesn’t help to play the comparison game
* 09:32 – How one of my coaching clients realized being booked out wasn’t even a goal for her
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Aug 9, 2023
How to Avoid (or Recover From) Burnout
_*Content warning: This episode discusses depression, anxiety, and eating habits.*_
When you’re a solopreneur and wear all the hats, you can get too much on your plate _very_ quickly. It accumulates fast, sneaks up on you, and suddenly you’re stretched way too thin. Your energy, motivation, and capacity quite literally burn out.
In this episode, I talk about my recent experience with burnout, some warning signs and symptoms to look out for, and provide you with some tips that helped me return to my version of normal. You’ll hear the following:
* 03:23 – Why I ignored the signs and kept adding to my plate
* 11:56 – Why it’s important to learn to recognize your signs and symptoms of burnout
* 13:08 – My two biggest takeaways from my recent burnout
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Apr 12, 2023
How to Find Time to Get Things Done
It’s the million-dollar question: Where does all our time go? To help answer that question, I’m going to walk you through my process for figuring out where our time goes, what we spend our time doing, and how we can “earn” some of our time back.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
* What’s a time audit, and how I use it to see where my time is spent
* Getting real with the results of your time audit. Is this really how you want to be spending your time?
* How a time audit can help you discover areas you can redistribute your time
Discussed in this episode:
* Toggl
* Harvest
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Mar 29, 2023
How to Review and Reset Your Editorial Business Every Month
It’s time to put on your CEO hat! I’m walking you through my monthly process of how I review my business in order to stay organized and wrap up each month.
We’re going to cover a lot in this episode, but keep an eye out for these highlights:
* 02:37 – How I ensure that a particular CEO task gets done every month
* 06:18 – The financial tool I use that gives me peace of mind
* 11:30 – The 3-2-1 backup rule that you may not have heard of
* 15:49 – A small trick that has been a game changer for me when it comes to decision-making and sticking to my goals
Discussed in the episode:
* The Visibility Method
* You Need a Budget (YNAB) (affiliate link)
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Mar 15, 2023
Common Business Expenses for Freelance Editors
Tax season—that time of year dreaded by most. And while filing your taxes as a freelance business owner is a much different ball game than doing them as a W2 employee, if you get organized, stay organized, and follow my tips, tax time will go smoother than you think.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 04:37 – My number one tip to keep your finances organized from the beginning
* 08:07 – What’s a deduction, and what the IRS considers an expense
* 11:38 – A surprising expense that can be deducted from your taxes if you work from home (I had no idea!)
* 15:43 – Books are considered a business expense?! (Use your common sense and good judgment and ask your accountant first)
Discussed in the episode:
* California AB5
* IRS estimated taxes
* IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) application
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Mar 1, 2023
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Copyediting Process
It’s always helpful to get a glimpse into how others approach their editing projects. No two editors are the same, and there isn’t one right way to get the job done. So whether it’s for new tips, things you haven’t thought of, or just to make your process more efficient, I’m sharing ten prechecks I do at the beginning of every copyediting project I take on.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 03:35 – The number one rule I check for and we should all be following in 2023
* 05:58 – One tool in CMOS that is going to be your best friend
* 08:30 – How to get your hands on my 60-page Elevate Your Editing Resource Guide, which includes 300+ commonly confused words
* 10:43 – A quick way to switch out straight quotes and apostrophes for curly
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Feb 15, 2023
Will ChatGPT Replace Editors and Authors?
Whenever a new type of technology emerges, there’s always an initial surge of panic, followed closely by people worrying it’ll take over their jobs and their livelihoods are in jeopardy. Usually, once the panic has worn off, we can see a little clearer and be able to do our due diligence and learn more about the new trend.
Some juicy highlights from the episode are below:
* 04:55 – What the heck is ChatGPT?
* 07:58 – What can we use ChatGPT for?
* 10:19 – The outline for a romance novel created by ChatGPT
* 11:43 – Where does ChatGPT get its content?
* 18:00 & 19:50 – My opinion on whether or not ChatGPT is ethical
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Feb 1, 2023
Goal-Setting Part 2: Strategy and Process
As a follow-up to Episode 17, _Goal-Setting Part 1: Reflection_, this episode will take you through my process of creating intentional goals but with a slight twist (hint: it’s not actually about the goals). I’ve found this process incredibly effective, and it’s completely changed how I approach goal-setting in my editing business. My hope is that these tips will take the ick out of goal-setting and perhaps even make it fun.
In this episode, we’re going to discuss some of the following:
* 07:47 – How I use the Wheel of Life to help me set goals
* 13:39 – How many goals should we set for each month, quarter, or year?
* 17:20 – The most important part of this whole goal-setting process
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Jan 11, 2023
2023 Predictions for the Freelance Editing Industry
Trends in business are constantly changing, especially in the online business world. It can sometimes be hard to keep up. Based on current trends I’m seeing in the editing industry, I’ve created a short list of my predictions and hopes for freelance editors for 2023 and what you can expect to see more (or less) of.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 01:46 – What is the “cozy web” and how the Freelance Editors Club is part of it
* 05:24 – How the economy could affect the editing industry
* 09:32 – My wish for the upcoming year and what I hope continues to transpire within the editing industry
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Jan 4, 2023
How Choosing a Word of the Year Can Help Your Business
Around the end of every year, this buzz phrase starts getting tossed around in abundance: “word of the year.” If you’ve never heard this buzz phrase before and are starting to freak out, don’t sweat!
In this episode, I talk all about choosing a word (or words), why it can be important for your business, and how to do it in a way that will actually help you reach your goals.
Check out some highlights below:
* 02:57 – How I coincidentally chose the word “community” for the year 2020
* 06:54 – One thing I’ve learned from choosing words over the past three years
* 09:32 – Why having a word of the year helps me make big decisions in my business (and how I came to this realization)
* 16:43 – Why it’s imperative to write your words everywhere!
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Dec 21, 2022
Goal-Setting Part 1: Reflection
Reflection, no matter when it’s done, is an important tool when it comes to prioritizing and setting goals. After reviewing the reflection process, I share some thought-provoking questions to help you pause, reflect, and analyze before you start setting new goals. Grab a pen and paper for this episode!
In this episode, we’ll talk about the following:
* 01:50 – Why there’s no perfect time to reflect or set goals
* 03:18 – Why many of us skip the reflection process before setting our goals
* 04:16 – How to detach your self-worth from your goals
* 09:45 – One of my favourite questions to ask myself when self-reflecting
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Nov 29, 2022
How to Simplify Your Decision-Making Process
Defining your business’s purpose and values will make your decisions that much easier to come to terms with. Your purpose and values are two key components in making business decisions and keeping your goals in alignment with what you truly hold dear.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 01:49 – How to determine your purpose and values
* 06:06 – Some examples of business values
* 08:15 – How to use your purpose and values to determine who you should work with
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Nov 15, 2022
The Power of “Why?”
The number of decisions we have to make daily seems to keep going up…and up…and up…
So in this episode, we’re talking about the one simple question you can ask yourself to help you stay intentional in your business and your life. We’re channeling our inner three-year-old today and learning to ask ourselves “Why?”
Here are a few things you’ll hear in the episode:
* 03:11 – How asking ourselves “Why?” can help us decide when we should act on our ideas.
* 06:33 – If you’re considering adding a new service to your roster, you may want to try this first.
* 07:45 – How to prevent getting irritated with all the “Whys?”
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Nov 8, 2022
11 Ways to Market Your Editing Business Outside of Social Media
With the growing instability of social media platforms, it’s become even more apparent than ever that we shouldn’t rely solely on social media for our business marketing. There are many ways to market your business outside of social media, and we’re going to look at eleven ways to market your freelance editing business.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 01:34 – A friendly reminder that we don’t own our social media accounts
* 03:30 – The best way to get your name out there
* 08:14 – How to ensure that you don’t end up on page 20 of a Google search
* 11:14 – Which marketing tool gains you access to another person’s audience
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Oct 25, 2022
10 Things I've Learned After 10 Years in Business
It’s my anniversary month (October 2022)! This month marks ten years I’ve been in business as a freelance editor. Ten years! To celebrate, I’m doing a podcast series on lessons I’ve learned, pulling back the curtain on the freelance editing industry, and sharing all the things—the good, the bad, and everything in between. So, grab a coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage is) and let’s jump right in!
We’re going to look at ten things I’ve learned over the last ten years in business. It was interesting to reflect on my business, see how far I’ve come, and acknowledge all that I’ve learned. My first lesson for you: don’t wait ten years to sit down and look at your journey!
In this episode, you’ll hear me talk about the following:
* 02:28 – How procrasti-learning might be stopping you from succeeding.
* 05:00 – Why I focus so much on thoughtwork and mindset in my coaching and the Freelance Editors Club.
* 07:15 – There’s a big difference between…
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Oct 18, 2022
5 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started My Editing Business
It’s my anniversary month (October 2022)! This month marks ten years I’ve been in business as a freelance editor. Ten years! To celebrate, I’m doing a podcast series on lessons I’ve learned, pulling back the curtain on the freelance editing industry, and sharing all the things—the good, the bad, and everything in between. So, grab a coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage is) and let’s jump right in!
Hindsight is 20/20, and this couldn’t be truer as I reflect on my entrepreneurial journey and talk about five things I wish I had known when I started.
In this episode, I’m diving into the following:
* 01:46 – The number one thing I wish I would have done BEFORE starting my business full-time
* 05:24 – Why I focus so much on mindset at the beginning of your business journey
* 09:32 – How starting my editing business changed my reading-for-fun habits
* 10:45 – Why I rarely post in Facebook editing groups
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Joi…
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Oct 4, 2022
The Best (and Worst) Things About Freelance Editing
It’s my anniversary month (October 2022)! This month marks ten years I’ve been in business as a freelance editor. Ten years! To celebrate, I’m doing a podcast series on lessons I’ve learned, pulling back the curtain on the freelance editing industry, and sharing all the things—the good, the bad, and everything in between. So, grab a coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage is) and let’s jump right in!
We see a lot of business owners talk about what it’s like to run your own business. This is fantastic, but these anecdotes often swing one of two ways—they’re either super positive and make being a CEO of your own business look easy as pie, or they’re completely negative and only talk about the hardships. In reality, owning your business is a little of both.
In this episode, you’ll hear about the following:
* 03:37 – The many ways in which owning your own business gives you back control
* 09:15 – One thing that was detrimental for me in my first years of…
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Sep 27, 2022
Are Editing Conferences Worth It?
I attended the ACES Accelerate conference for editors, and it got me thinking about whether or not attending editing conferences (or business conferences in general) is beneficial for your business. The short answer is: absolutely! Of course, there are many variables at play for every individual and why you may or may not be able to attend a conference. However, with the pandemic and the rise of virtual conferences, they may be more accessible to you than you think!
In this episode, we’ll talk more about the different variables and why I think attending a conference will benefit you and your business. We’ll dive into these topics:
* 02:58 – One of my favorite things about attending an editing conference
* 07:02 – Where to look to find local or non-local conferences you can attend
* 07:55 – How I decide if a conference is a good fit for me
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Sep 20, 2022
A Balancing Act: Time vs. Money
How do we know when we should be investing our _time_ to accomplish a task or investing our _money_ to have someone else complete it for us? Since we can always make more money, but we can’t make more time (at least as far as I know), we often hear that we should invest our money in order to save time. BUT this isn’t always possible for everyone.
In this episode, we’ll talk about the following:
* 04:50 – Paying with our time when starting our businesses
* 09:37 – The one thing that you can never outsource
* 10:04 – Indicators that let you know it’s time to let the experts handle it
* 12:19 – Ideas of tasks you can outsource in your business
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Sep 13, 2022
How to Embrace Your Freelancing Journey
It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game when starting and running a business—whether it’s comparing our beginning to someone else’s middle or feeling like we should be running our business in a way that aligns with how others are running theirs. We have to remind ourselves that everyone is different, and each person is on their own path. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, I’d love to see more of us congratulating others for their success and lifting others who may need more support.
In this short-and-sweet episode, we’ll talk about the following:
* 01:46 – Why the highlight reels on social media are not real life
* 05:24 – The similarity between our journey and books
* 09:32 – The magical hack to starting a business (hint: there isn’t one!)
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Aug 30, 2022
Why You Need Boundaries in Your Business
When we think of boundaries, we often think of borders, gates, or walls—something to keep people out. But when it comes to our business or personal lives, boundaries are more of a safety net—something to protect us, our businesses, and our reputations. We need to have clear boundaries that set the expectations within our business. If we let these boundaries go unenforced (and let too many people cross them), this can lead to burnout, resentment, and potentially the loss of client relationships.
In this episode, we talk about what boundaries are, why they’re important, and how to enforce them.
Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll hear:
* 02:08 – What exactly are boundaries?
* 04:42 – My favorite quote that hit me right in the gut while I was experiencing burnout
* 06:52 – Why boundaries can be so difficult to enforce
* 08:14 – How boundaries left unenforced is really just a form of disrespecting yourself…and how I learned this lesson the hard way
* 11:38 –…
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Aug 23, 2022
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
As we grow up, we internalize certain stories about ourselves. _I’m too short. I’m not creative. I can’t start a business because I’m not smart enough. I’m too loud. I’m bad at networking because I’m too introverted._ In actuality, these are just thoughts and beliefs that we’ve said to ourselves so many times that we don’t even think about them anymore. We just accept them as fact. But are they true? How do we determine whether we should believe them or not? And if they aren’t true, how do we rewrite the story?
In this episode, we’ll chat about the following:
* 02:03 – What are these “stories” we tell ourselves
* 04:35 – Something I experienced too often when I worked in the corporate world, which contributed to one of my stories
* 08:04 – Indicators that help you determine whether or not a story is true for you
* 12:34 – My tried-and-true method for rewriting the story you’re telling yourself
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* J…
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Aug 16, 2022
Working ON Your Business vs. Working IN Your Business
Freelancers wear many hats—we’re the accountant, the marketer, the employee, and the CEO. In order to be able to manage each of these positions (and maintain our mental health), it’s important we know how to work both *on* and *in* our businesses. I talk about the differences between each and why they’re important, plus I share my tips on how to maintain “balance” at any stage of your business.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 02:05 – What working *in* your business is all about
* 04:48 – Why working *on* your business is the key to long-term success
* 07:15 – My one challenge for you TODAY that takes no longer than 5 minutes
* 10:17 – Get a sneak peek into how I timeblock my days
* 15:29 – *BONUS* My new favorite timeblocking term
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Aug 9, 2022
Say What? Words to Think Twice About Before Using
Words are powerful, and the words we use affect others. As a modern editor, it’s our responsibility to stay educated on current language trends—not only to best assist our clients, but also when advertising our business and for use in our everyday lives.
In this episode, we’ll talk about the following:
* 03:25 – Three words that set unrealistic expectations in the editing industry
* 06:39 – Why I don’t believe in the phrase “Charge what you’re worth”
* 08:27 – My alternative to using the very harmful _grammar N*zi_ (among other words and phrases that are not just problematic but hurtful to others)
Resources Discussed in This Episode:
* _The Editing Podcast_: Why editing is NOT about being “a bit OCD”
Connect:
* Book a free 15-minute call
* Join the Freelance Editors Club
* Tara on Instagram
* Tara on Facebook
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Aug 1, 2022
Why Mindset is More Than Just a Buzzword
We’re talking about one of my favorite things to talk about when discussing business. And that is MINDSET! When I first started my business 10 years ago, mindset was not even a blip on my radar. No one was talking about it. And if they had talked about it, I would’ve thought it was ridiculous. I would have thought mindset has nothing to do with running a business. How wrong was I! Nowadays, mindset has become a bit of a buzzword—it’s everywhere you look. But I’m here to tell you why there are valid reasons it has become so popular and why it needs to be the foundation of your business.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about the following:
* 02:21 – What mindset is and isn’t
* 05:46 – Why mindset is super important when starting and running your business
* 08:23 – My favorite—the TEARA process! What it is and how to use it to shift your mindset
* 13:14 – I’ll walk you through an example of the TEARA process so you can start implementing it TODAY…
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Jul 28, 2022
3 Tips for Finding Editing Education
So you’ve decided that this editing journey is something you want to pursue. Where do you start? What do you need to learn? And for those who have been editing for a while—how do you elevate your skills? There is no one way to become a freelance editor, but I do have recommendations on where to find quality education and how to vet the organizations and educators you choose to learn from.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 01:46 – One of the most important things you need to have as an editor (Pst! It’s not a master’s degree!)
* 05:24 – Where to look for editing education
* 09:32 – The vetting process I use to ensure I’m receiving quality education
Resources Discussed in This Episode:
* ACES: The Society for Editing
* Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)
* Editors Canada
* Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
* _The Chicago Manual of Style_ (CMOS) (affiliate link)
* Associated Press Stylebook (affiliate link)
*…
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Jul 24, 2022
Welcome to The Modern Editor Podcast!
Welcome to the very first episode of _The Modern Editor Podcast_!
Have you ever thought of becoming an editor? Wondering what it takes to start your own editing business? Perhaps you’ve started your editing journey but are missing a key component—community! If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
In my new podcast, _The Modern Editor Podcast_, I’m talking about all things relating to business, mindset, coaching, how our values and our ethics dictate how we run our businesses, trends in the editing industry, marketing strategies, and current events that are applicable to editing, publishing, and working with authors. There will be guest interviews with other editors and professionals. And, of course, we’ll talk about editing and best practices.
In this episode, you’ll learn the following:
* 01:25 – Who am I, how did I get started as an editor, and what I’m up to now
* 06:05 – Why I decided to create _The Modern Editor Podcast_
* 10:55 – W…
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