#feel free to ask anything else - i'll try not to give you a novella every time

[mixingpumpkins]

Hi, I just graduated university recently and will likely be doing some remote part-time freelance proofreading and editing while I search for something more permanent. Because I believe I saw that you do similar work yourself, is there anything I should know that might help me prepare for early obstacles if I’ve never been paid for this work before? Any tips? I feel as though I’m a fairly talented writer and editor, I’m just wondering if there’s anything I should be looking out for outside of my own skills.

Hi! Congrats on your graduation. :)

Honestly, it depends on what kind of editing you're doing. Books? Resumes? Blog posts? Technical writing? Content mill-type articles from all the outlets that are putting things like "5 Reasons We Can't Wait to See the Next Marvel Movie (and 5 Reasons the MCU Should Die in a Fire, Actually)" on your Google feed?

Also, is this freelance editing like... you set up shop on your own site, you're on a platform like Fiverr, or doing contract work with a media company? They're all different animals, so I'll answer like you're applying for part-time contract editing work. (If it's one of the former, lmk.)

Overall tips...

You probably already know this, but have good samples both for things you've edited AND things you've written (and ideally, links to where they're published online). If you're applying to edit at a specific outlet, try to pick samples that are similar to their vibe. Don't stress if they're not a 100% match, but it certainly helps. (Do NOT send 5 million sample pieces unless the application asks for it. Just pick the best you have that's similar to what you'd be editing for the job.)

Don't stress about an interview. Chances are, they already feel you can do good work – they've already seen your samples. Now they just want to see how much of a fit you are for the people you'll be working with.

Generally, people who hire editors want to see 1) can you spot when a writer isn't following a style guide/other standards and correct them on it, 2) can you do this while meeting a certain productivity standard, 3) can you not constantly fuck up with any tech you need to use, and 4) can you be pleasant and communicative with anyone you're required to work with. If yes, you're in good shape. BUT...

...These are hard things to tell from an application and interview alone, so you'll probably have a probationary period to this end. There will probably be at least one other editor who looks over ALL your work during this period to see if you're meeting their standards. DO NOT DO THIS FOR FREE. Do not do anything "here, edit these 3 articles/these 5 pages as a trial" for free. Shitty companies and people do this to use applicants and trainees for free labor. If you're doing work while you're in training, they should be paying you.

Do some research on average pay rates for the kind of editing you're doing. If you can set your own rates, you'll know what to shoot for (adjust for your experience). If you can't and you're hunting on job boards, you'll have a better idea of which employers are trying to rip you off.

If you can, avoid working with people and companies who accept, encourage, or are interested in using AI in any part of their content generation or creation process. (The reasons why are a rant for a different day.) If you get to a job and your "editing" is to essentially fact-check and rewrite AI content to make it sound more human, fucking run.

Be prepared to check for AI-generated content if you're working in a circumstance where human writing is still valued.

Get very comfortable with giving and receiving feedback, if you're not already. Be kind, but don't stress too much about stroking egos. Most pro writers (well, outside the book publishing or screenplay world) won't fight you – they just want to get their pieces out there and get paid, especially if they work on a per-word basis.

Get REALLY comfortable with editing to strict word count standards. (My first book had +/- 3 words of wiggle room around certain sections' target word counts.) Yes, you will probably have to cut something that you love or reword it to something worse a few times. No, a publisher/printer/higher-up editor will not usually let you make an exception. Mourn these instances and move on.

Writers will sometimes get mad. Some of them will try to bully or steamroll editors they've never worked with before. Don't let them. Give them grace because you know what it's like to have to kill your darlings, but remember that you were hired to hold them to certain standards. It doesn't matter if they've been published in Forbes or the New York Times and you're a new face – if their current work isn't meeting the standards it needs to, hold them to it.

Try to develop a good rapport with any writers, editors, or others you work with, even if you're only doing this as a part-time, temporary thing. You never know what opportunities may come down the line if you cross paths with these people again.

Try not to do what I do on Tumblr, aka word-vomit all over everything every time I answer an ask. ^^^^^^^^

Best of luck!

[themythicsages]

Another rp request, but more specific this time.

I would literally sell my soul for a good Geto to write against my Gojo. Like I am not kidding when I say that the fixation has been real and constant for the whole month or so since I legitimately got into jjk and it has only been getting worse each passing day. Curse my ADHD and the way it latches onto things.

My rules are very simple, same as the last blog. This would hopefully be a long-term roleplay, something to last for a good while or at least for as long as the muse lasts. I'm 21, so I'd prefer my partners be 19 or older, unless of course by some miracle I already know you from somewhere else but I highly doubt that possibility. I only roleplay on discord by using private servers for sake of organization and for quick reference, and I prefer to use tupperbox for roleplay but it is not required. While I am primarily here to look for a partner or two to write stsg with, I could be persuaded into other pairs and other muses. I have a masterlist in an earlier blog of the different fandoms and pairs that I could be interested in writing. My style fluctuates between literate(1-3 paragraphs) to advanced literate(3-5 paragraphs) on average, but I can adapt to anything between semi-literate(1 paragraph) to novella(multi-message) depending on motivation and what I am given to work with. Give me something good and I'll try to match to the best of my ability. Also do be warned that I am anime only, and while I do know plenty of what happens after Shibuya up to the ending thanks to having been spoiled long before I ever knew that I wanted to experience the media, I have not experienced these moments for myself. Feel free to correct me if I get something wrong.

I have a few different dynamics and aus in my back pocket that we could explore, but I am more than willing to try new things and come up with things separately with my partners. I'll list those out below.

Apocalyptic aus, Isekai, Sirens/Merfolk, Soulmate aus, Canon Divergent Aus/What Ifs(Stuff like Teacher Geto, Follower/Evil Gojo, Geto actually survives, or similar timelines for if things had gone differently in canon), straight up kinda canon (pre jjk-0, nobody needs to know that Gojo silently stans a handsome murder cultist😉), A N G S T, Storybook aus(every book is different, so this would rely heavily on what we cook up together), sfw g/t(I thought I grew out of this but apparently not. I latched back so fast that I even cooked up my own au and plotline for these guys man) and more that I can't list or we'll be here for literal hours. Feel free to ask about any ideas or concrete plots you might have!

There's not much that I won't at least try, but I tend to stray away from non-con, overly intense gore(tasteful gore is fine, but you know when too much is too much), and implied homophobia or transphobia. Though I would still ask about any ideas that are a little out there, just to be safe. I'll do the same for you.

If any of this sounds good to you then feel free to like and either comment or message me to talk plots and exchange tags. I look forward to writing with you!

This is Sage, signing out! 🎸(insert sick ass guitar riff)

edit: added extra dynamic that kinda hit me outta nowhere. midnight thoughts go brrrrr.