Careers in Freelance Editing—Publishing CareerBuilder

Freelance editors provide a wide range of editorial services to authors and clients. In this Publishing CareerBuilder, we will discuss key stages in the editorial process, and explore services including developmental editing; book coaching; working with graduate students, international authors, and corporate clients; line editing, copyediting, indexing, and proofreading. Our panelists—authors and editors of The Art of Academic Editing and The Freelance Editor’s Handbook—will share their insights into how you can find clients, price your services, and build and maintain a profitable and enjoyable business as a freelance editor.

Cover: Freelance Editor's Handbook by Suzy Bills
Cover: Art of Academic Editing: A Guide for Authors and Editors

RSVP for this CareerBuilder (Free) – Virtual

Panelists

Suzy Bills, Assistant Teaching Professor of Editing and Publishing, Brigham Young University; author of The Freelance Editor’s Handbook 

Leslie Castro-Woodhouse, Ph.D., founder, Origami Editorial; co-editor, The Art of Academic Editing: A Guide for Authors and Editors 

Cara Jordan, Ph.D., Co-founder, Flatpage; co-editor, The Art of Academic Editing: A Guide for Authors and Editors 

Maria Snyder, Ph.D., editor and translator, chapter author in The Art of Academic Editing

Bios

Suzy Bills

Suzy Bills is an editor, author, and faculty member in the editing and publishing program at BYU. She’s owned a writing and editing business since 2006, working with clients to publish everything from books to dissertations to technical manuals. She loves sharing her skills with others, whether through teaching and coaching editors and authors, helping authors get their thoughts on paper, or fine-tuning their writing. Her book The Freelance Editor’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Making Your Business Thrive was published by the University of California Press in 2021.

Leslie Castro-Woodhouse

Leslie Castro-Woodhouse, Ph.D., runs Origami Editorial, which offers developmental editing services and book coaching for academic authors. She holds a PhD in History from the University of California, Berkeley and is the author of Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand (Cornell U Press, 2021), based on her doctoral dissertation. She has extensive experience as a journal editor and peer reviewer, including a former post at the University of San Francisco as managing editor of the journal Asia Pacific Perspectives. Before becoming a developmental editor, Leslie taught courses in Asian studies at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of San Francisco.

Cara Jordan

Cara Jordan, Ph.D., worked as a freelance academic editor before cofounding Flatpage, an editorial agency and publishing house. She earned a PhD from the City University of New York Graduate Center. She works on journal articles and book manuscripts across the humanities and social sciences. As chief editor at Flatpage, she oversees a team of editors and manages all projects. She has a certificate in editing from the University of California San Diego Extended Studies—where she currently teaches advanced copyediting—and is a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and a full member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and ACES: The Society for Editing. Cara coedited The Art of Academic Editing: A Guide for Authors and Editors

Maria Snyder

Maria Snyder, Ph.D., is an editor who also translates from French and German to English. She wrote the chapter “Working with International Authors” in The Art of Academic Editing. She has translated and edited texts ranging from literary to technical and early modern to contemporary. Previously, as a tenured professor, she taught translation and media studies.

Co-Moderated by Nicole Mintz, Career Services Director, College of Professional Studies, and John W. Warre, Director and Associate Professor, Graduate Program in Publishing, George Washington University

Scholarly Publishing Journals and Your Career

Publishing CareerBuilder: Scholarly Publishing Journals and Your Career
Friday, March 22, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Eventbrite: RSVP

As publishers, we develop expertise in publishing the work of others, in acquisitions, editorial management, peer review, and in myriad roles that add value to authors and extend scholarship. In our upcoming Publishing CareerBuilder, we will explore the impact of getting involved with and contributing to publishing journals. We’ll discuss the benefits of writing for and publishing an article in publishing journals, serving as a peer reviewer, serving on an editorial board or as Editor-in-Chief. Join us as we explore the impact these activities can have on one’s career and the impact these journals have on the publishing ecosystem. Our webinars in the popular Publishing CareerBuilder series focus on career opportunities, publishing roles and sectors, and job search strategies. Publishing your research and articles about publishing forces, issues, and best practices contributes to the advancement of the publishing ecosystem and has a positive impact on your career.

EIC’s and managing editors of the Journal of Electronic Publishing, Learned Publishing, Publishing Research Quarterly, and the student-managed GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing will share their experience as well as ways that you can get involved.

Panelists

  • Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle, Co-Editor, Journal of Electronic Publishing; Cluster Co-Facilitator, INKE Partnership
  • Tia Gracey, Managing Editor, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; Associate Editor, American Political Science Association
  • Jocelyn Hargrave, Editor, Publishing Research Quarterly; Lecturer in Publishing, University of Derby
  • Lois Jones, Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; Peer Review Director, Journals, American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Jodie Martire, Associate Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly, Ph.D. candidate, University of Queensland
  • Michelle Urberg, PhD, MSLIS, North American Editor for Learned Publishing, on behalf of Society for Scholarly Publishing; Client Success Manager, LybLynx

This event is sponsored by GW’s Graduate Program in Publishing,is free of charge, and is open to current and prospective students, alumni,and members or aspiring members of the publishing, library, and scholarly communication community.

Co-moderated by Nicole Mintzand John W. Warren

Bios

Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle (she/her)

Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle (she/her) is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Electronic Publishing and a researcher with the Implementing New Knowledge Environments Partnership, where she co-facilitates its Connection cluster. Until 2024, Alyssa served as Co-Director of the Electronic Textual Cultures Lab at the University of Victoria as well as Co-Director of the Digital Humanities Summer Institute. Alyssa holds an interdisciplinary PhD from the University of Victoria; her dissertation focused on open social scholarship and its implementation.

Tia Gracey (she/her)

Tia Gracey (she/her) is the Managing Editor for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing and the Associate Editor for the American Political Science Association. She has recently earned her Master’s in Professional Studies in Publishing at George Washington University and, before that, earned her Master’s in Liberal Arts at McDaniel College. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and has recently picked up studying Japanese in her free time.

Jocelyn Hargrave (she/her)

Jocelyn Hargrave (she/her) is an Australian-born Lecturer in Publishing at University of Derby. Her research intersects book history (early modern to nineteenth century), editorial theory and practice, and contemporary publishing studies, with particular focus on educational and academic publishing. She is the author of Teaching Publishing and Editorial Practice: The Transition from University to Industry (Cambridge University Press, 2022), The Evolution of Editorial Style in Early Modern England (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), and numerous articles published in international journals such as Publishing Research Quarterly, Journal of Scholarly Publishing, Media History and Logos. Jocelyn is a practising editor, with more than twenty-five years’ experience working in the publishing industry; in July 2023, she was appointed Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly.

Lois Jones (she/her)

Lois Jones (she/her) is Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, and Peer Review Director for the Journals Department at the American Psychological Association (APA), where she oversees the peer review strategy and operations for 90 journals. Lois is focused on ensuring a transparent and ethical peer review process for authors, while providing reviewers and editors with the exceptional support they need in the constantly changing landscape of scholarly publishing. She is a 2014 graduate of the MPS in Publishing from GWU and a 2017 Early Career Fellow for SSP.

Jodie Martire (she/her)

Jodie Martire (she/her) is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland. Her doctoral research focuses on minority-language publishing in Australia and its role in communities’ defense of their linguistic human rights. She has over 20 years’ experience in the book trade as a writer, translator, editor, publishing manager, and bookseller, and she is currently the Associate Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly (responsible for book reviews).

Michelle Urberg (she/her)

Michelle Urberg (she/her) is a publishing professional, a trained librarian, and a musicologist. She has deep knowledge of metadata standards, metadata creation in the library and publishing software industries. She has worked in academic libraries, as a metadata librarian for the ExLibris business unit of ProQuest (Clarivate), and an Implementation Project Manager for ESBCO Information Services. She is currently an independent consultant and the Client Success Manager for LibLynx and the North American Editor of Learned Publishing. Recent research projects include identifying options for standard identifiers and metadata exchange of audio-visual content and improving metadata for digital humanities projects. Michelle holds a PhD in Music History and a MS in Library and Information Science. She was previously active with Metadata 2020. She is currently active in SSP, NISO, and ACRL. She is an active member of NISOs VAMD working group.

Alumni Profile: Aimar Galarza, MPS 2022

Aimar Galarza, originally from Villalba, Puerto Rico, is an outstanding graduate of the MPS in Publishing program, a talented writer and voice actress in both English and Spanish, and a book publicist at Pubvendo.


What advice would you give to new or prospective students to the MPS in Publishing program?

My advice to new or prospective students to the MPS in Publishing program would be to try attending most, if not all, the events that the program offers throughout the semesters, such as the Publishing CareerBuilder webinars. Also, try connecting through LinkedIn with all the guest speakers that you meet; this helps you open doors to many opportunities ahead.

One piece of advice: If you can come to GW in person, do so! It’s so rewarding to be able to engage in other GW communities and events in Foggy Bottom that you wouldn’t experience being online. I have made so many friends from different parts of the world, and I have also met fellow Latinos that I can relate with too! I’ve learned a lot from their different paths in life, and I was able to be part of lovely communities such as the GW Catholics community.

All in all, don’t be afraid of the unknown. You will never know which doors you might open.

What is the most challenging aspect of the MPS in Publishing program? What is the most rewarding?

I would say that the most challenging aspect of the MPS Publishing Program is knowing how to balance your time between full-time work and evening studies to be able to do your best in turning in projects of varying difficulties (depending on each course) every week.

The most rewarding aspect of the program is the fact that you have opportunities to network with guest speakers, classmates, and GW staff who are professionals in varying fields of the publishing industry or other types of industries. This gives you the opportunity to have a unique learning experience and opens doors to getting a job in the publishing industry.

Aimar Galarza, MPS in Publishing 2022

If you can come to GW in person, do so! It’s so rewarding to be able to engage in other GW communities and events in Foggy Bottom that you wouldn’t experience being online. I have made so many friends from different parts of the world, and I have also met fellow Latinos that I can relate with too!

What do you hope to do after graduating from the MPS in Publishing program?

Now that I have graduated from the program, I will be focusing on my job as a Book Publicist and continue learning as much as I can from the publishing industry through books, articles, and the experiences that my job provides me with. I’m excited to keep in contact with all the wonderful people that I have met throughout my GW journey, and I’m also excited to read lots of books and comics on my free time. Furthermore, I will have a wedding to plan; therefore, I’m looking forward to that next stage in my life!

What are some of the reasons you decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree? Why did you choose GW specifically?

There were various reasons that I decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree specifically in GW. One of the first reasons was the diversity of courses on the business side of publishing when comparing the curriculum to other publishing programs. I knew I liked the creative aspects of the design or the development of a story but learning about how the production side of things works, how to acquire books, and even learning about how copyright works really caught my attention. Due to the constant guidance from Director and Associate Professor John Warren in explaining how the program works, this became my second reason to attend the GW MPS in Publishing. He helped me through the transition of moving to DC with helpful information on both the program and the Virginia/DC areas, which I will forever be grateful for. The third reason was knowing that Washington, DC is a great hub for networking with professionals working in different career paths that you can learn from.

Who has made the biggest impact on you during your time at GW?

Everyone that I have met during the program were big inspirations to me, such as Nicole Mintz, classmates, and professors of each course. I have learned a lot from each and every one of them, and I will forever be grateful for the knowledge and support that they have offered.

[Program Director and Professor] John Warren has made a great impact on me during my time at GW. His dedication to what he does, his guidance, and his help throughout my GW journey as a student and professional has helped me get to where I am today.

What have you found to be the value of the MPS in Publishing degree, and how are you using what you learned, as a rising publishing professional? 

The value of the MPS in Publishing degree—apart from the networking side of things—is that courses provide projects and tools that anyone can use in the present for careers in publishing, marketing, or just business in general. For example, I was able to use the Strategic Prioritization tool from the Marketing Strategies course in one of my job interviews.

Aimar Galarza, College of Professional Studies Commencement, 2022

How are you using what you learned in your publishing courses in your day-to-day work at Pubvendo?

As a Book Publicist at Pubvendo, I am using the general knowledge of how book publishers work in their field that I learned during the first courses in MPS, such as Book and Journal Publishing, E-Pub, and Business of Publishing. I have also applied knowledge learned from my Book Publicity and Promotion course for writing pitch letters and knowing how to reach out to a specific audience.

Also, as the Editorial Committee Lead and Board Representative in the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, I have applied the knowledge of how to reach out to peer reviewers into my day-to-day job of reaching out to influencers or bloggers when marketing books. Every tool and piece of knowledge that the program offers are essential to succeeding as a professional.

Aimar Galarza on LinkedIn. Aimar’s Personal/Professional Website

Publishing CareerBuilder: Success Stories – Strategies that Work

Mon, September 27, 2021 – 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

Calling all publishing professionals — aspiring and experienced! Let us help you prepare for that next opportunity!

After many organizations instituted hiring freezes in 2020 due to the pandemic, the pace of hiring in the publishing field is heating up and many GW Publishing students and alumni have found new opportunities.

Join this Publishing CareerBuilder to hear how students and alumni have leveraged networking, resume building, goal setting, and perseverance to succeed in their job search. Learn how they utilized CPS Career Services, Publishing courses, other GW Publishing opportunities, and other resources to help them reach their career goals.

We will be joined by MPS in Publishing students Aimar Galarza and Anna Miller (both with Pubvendo) and recent MPS in Publishing graduates Komal Ganjoo (Penn State University Press) and Gabrielle Bethancourt-Hughes (Wiley).

The CareerBuilder Series is designed to provide training and discussion on areas that are somewhat out of course goals, but may be important to your career or interests.

RSVP (Free and open to all): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/publishing-careerbuilder-success-stories-strategies-that-work-tickets-173602207877

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MODERATORS:

  • Nicole Mintz is a Career Coach who specializes in executive leadership development coaching. She currently serves as the Director of Career Services for GW’s College of Professional Studies.
  • John W. Warren is Director and Professor of the MPS in Publishing program, College of Professional Studies. He has 30 years of senior management experience in publishing, having led groundbreaking initiatives in digital content development and distribution, including eBooks and enhanced eBooks, short-form digital content, open access journals, and open educational resources. Prior to leading GW’s publishing program, he launched a new university press and library publishing program at George Mason University, and directed marketing and ebook development efforts at Georgetown University Press, the RAND Corporation, and Fondo de Cultura Económica USA.