Knowing When to Change Direction
Plus, fall classes now open for enrollment!
How to know when to change direction
It’s time for my annual rebuttal against the clouded thinking that you hear in clichés like, “Many people quit just before they’re about to succeed!”
When I read or hear something like this, I always wonder, “How on earth would you know that?”
Starting and building a freelance editing business is hard. It requires a lot of perseverance. What makes it even harder is not knowing when to stop doing what you’re doing to try something else.
When What You’re Doing Isn’t Working
For example, maybe you’re faithfully sharing writing tips on Threads or Bluesky five times a day, engaging with writers and others in the publishing industry, and so far you have nothing to show for it. Should you stop and try some other way of building your business?
Or maybe you’ve tried all kinds of things - you’ve got Tiktok and YouTube channels, you’re on Facebook and LinkedIn, you’ve appeared on podcasts and given workshops - and just aren’t getting the kind of traction you need. You’re not making an income that matches your expertise and effort, and you can’t see a clear way forward. Should you quit and get a staff job?
Ignore the Clichés
When freelancers try to discuss these concerns, they’re often bombarded with clichés along the lines of “Lots of people give up just before they would have succeeded!”
And it’s easy to think that might be true, that if you just hang in there, success will be yours.
But here’s the thing: you have no idea how close anyone was to succeeding when they quit. Maybe it would have happened next month but maybe it would have been twenty years from now. Or maybe it would have been never. If someone gave up, they by definition did not succeed at the goal they were pursuing so ... how can anyone tell if success was within their grasp?
While you certainly need faith in yourself that you’ll figure it out, blind faith can keep you wedded to approaches that don’t work for far too long.
Instead of buying into a cliché, ask, “What signs show that the person was almost about to succeed? And if such signs existed, why didn’t the person notice them? Surely they were watching out for them?”
That’s what I want you to do: Look for signs, not clichés.
Watch for Signs of Success
Look, if you’ve been trying to get your first editing client for the past year, and you haven’t landed one yet, you’re probably doing something wrong. It is pretty doubtful that next week everything will pay off and you’ll be inundated with more clients than you can handle.
Almost no businesses operate like that and freelancing certainly doesn’t.
If you are getting closer to the success you aspire to, you will notice it.
Now, sometimes you need a friend to say, “Haven’t you noticed how you’re getting closer to success?” because we tend to start taking things for granted very quickly and we keep moving the goal posts.
Back when I wanted to be a romance novelist, my goal was to get a romance published by a traditional publisher. That would be success! But just as soon as it happened, I wanted to get the next book published. Then I wanted to earn more money. Then ....
So a friend very kindly said, “Come on, Jennifer, stop feeling so dissatisfied, you’re making progress.” And she was right.
Which leads me to my next point, which is that if you are getting closer to the success you aspire to, other people will notice it, too.
If neither you nor anyone else notices your progress toward success, it is probably fair to say you aren’t making any. That may be brutal to realize but it’s important. Now that you know, you can try a different approach, set a new goal, give up goals.
But don’t be misled by someone who can only think in clichés nattering on about how so many people have given up just before they would have succeeded.
Fall Classes Now Open for Registration!
Plus, new class size limits for instructor-led classes
Planning to get started on your developmental editing journey this autumn? Eager to complete your certificate but missing one or two classes?
Fall instructor-led classes are now open for registration! And you can save $75 by enrolling by the end of April. (Scroll to find out more about this discount!) You can find instructor-led classes here.
For this fall, I’m introducing new class size limits on all instructor-led classes to help ensure that everyone gets the attention they need in each class. When you click on a class, the product description will tell you how many seats are still available in the class.
Prices have gone up slightly, from $375 to $395.
To save $75 off any fall instructor-led class, use the coupon code AutumnDiscount
The discount is good through April 30, 2026 (midnight Pacific time), and you can apply it to as many classes as you like.
Questions? Reach out to ClubEdResortDirector@gmail.com
You can find instructor-led classes here.
One-to-One Advanced Developmental Editing - Last Slots Until Fall
If you’re planning to take the one-to-one Advanced Developmental Editing class, I have three more slots available this spring and then I won’t have room again until September.
To book one of these slots, you’ll need to be ready to start the class by April 28, 2026 (through June 21).
(The Advanced DE class that starts May 11 and ends July 5 is already full; I can’t accept more students).
If you’d like to book a slot, please reach out to me at ClubEdResortDirector@gmail.com
Editorial Toolkit: Book Doctoring and Ghostwriting
Starts May 6!
$375 (Members save 10%) | How to perform book doctoring and ghostwriting | 4 weeks | Instructor-led | Intermediate
This is the only time this class will be offered in 2026.
This class shows you the basics of book doctoring, coauthoring, and ghostwriting, which go beyond editing to actually writing and/or rewriting an author’s work. Though much of the available work is in nonfiction, there are opportunities for fiction editors/writers as well.
We’ll talk about:
how book doctoring, coauthoring, and ghostwriting are similar – and how they’re different
why developmental editors are in a good position to do this work
the importance of the client interview
how to understand an author’s voice and reflect it in the manuscript
avoiding common pitfalls, including legal concerns
writing effective proposals and outlines
understanding how media tie-ins work
identifying audience needs and expectations
getting paid fairly for your work – including kill fees and paid samples
finding clients
and more!
Each week includes a new lesson and a new assignment to be submitted for the instructor’s feedback along with online discussions about the lesson materials.
Intermediate classes are intended for those with some developmental editing experience or who have taken the Beginning + Intermediate DE for Fiction classes or the self-paced DE 1 through 6 classes.
The class is entirely online and asynchronous (you don’t have to be in any particular place at any particular time to participate) but weekly assignments are due by specific deadlines.
For more information and to register, click here.
For Members
The next marketing challenge starts June 22, 2026 and goes through July 17. These are held every quarter and are a fun way to meet other editors and be accountable for doing those often-dreaded marketing tasks.
Note that members can request an exception to the new class size limits if you need a class to complete the certificate or have another urgent need.
Membership information (such as coupon codes for the discount on PerfectIt software and dates of the marketing challenge) can be found on the course information page in the Membership Program “class.”
Please check there first to see if the information answers your question. Thank you!
Upcoming Classes
Instructor-led classes starting soon:
Editorial Toolkit: Book Doctoring and Ghostwriting, May 6, 2026 - this is the only time this class will be offered in 2026
Advanced Developmental Editing for Fiction, starts May 11, 2026 - this is the only time the class will be offered as a group class in 2026, but you can arrange a one-on-one Advanced DE class here.
Getting Editorial Work from Book Publishers and Packagers, starts Jun 8, 2026 - this is the only time this class will be offered in 2026
Advanced Editing Skills: Romance, starts Jun 15, 2026 - this is the only time this class will be offered in 2026
Editing for Plot and Story Structure, starts Sep 9, 2026.
About Jennifer Lawler
I help editors figure out what the hell they're doing.
If you're an aspiring, new, or established book editor or story coach, I can probably help you learn how to do the work better and more profitably.
Through Club Ed, I offer developmental editing classes, a freelance editor membership program/support group, and a slightly bony shoulder to cry on.
I've worked as an editor for more than twenty years. I learned how to edit in the trenches of traditional publishing with its insane deadlines, pitiless competition, and crushing bureaucracy. To that I added a Ph.D in English literature with a specialization in medieval literature because of a long story.
Editorial clients have included Simon & Schuster, Girl Friday Productions, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Barnes and Noble Custom Publishing, and others, along with many independent authors.
For fiction self-paced classes, click here.
For fiction instructor-led classes, click here
For nonfiction self-paced classes, click here
For nonfiction instructor-led classes, click here