Editorial Underwriters
More than 20 years ago, I launched my editorial freelance business on a full-time basis, primarily as a copy editor for university presses and literary publishers. I was able to do this with success for multiple reasons, and while the quality of my work certainly counts among them, I also acknowledge that privilege played a role.
My desire to help clients achieve their unique writing, publishing, and career goals has powered every project I’ve accepted, but recent years have provided ample additional evidence that this is not enough. The publishing industry needs to give a leg up to writers of color if we truly value their voices and want to see them in print; otherwise, we just pay lip service to the idea of diversity in literature and academia.
Therefore, I am committed to building what I call the “Editorial Underwriters Client Program” in order to help address issues of equity as a sole proprietor, through more intentional management of my schedule, skills, and fees; and by sharing knowledge. This program, conceived in February 2022 and presently in development, returns me to my origins as a copy editor and leverages that skill set to subsidize editorial support for writers of color, so that their voices and stories have the best chance of advancing along the publishing pipeline.
Watch this space for details to come!