From the Outside In: Moving From Freelance to Full Time

My career in editing began as a freelance medical and scientific editor. In the beginning, there was nothing quite like the feeling of striking out on my own, applying my editing services to the varied projects of a variety of clients: from research scientists, physicians, and educational companies to editors looking to subcontract work and larger publishers interested in expanding their freelance teams. I didn't realize it at the time, but beyond the usual benefits of working the freelance business paradigm—the freedom of project choice; the flexibility of the work schedule; the chance to create my own business name, motto, and website; and the absolute convenience of office location (daily commutes typically entailed a short stroll from my bedroom to the home office!)—the greatest benefit of all was the ability freelancing provided me to get to know my clients from the outside in. For the freelance editor, an outside-in approach allows them to observe and get to know their clients, the typical work projects sought by the client, and whether or not a long-term relationship with the client is something that the editor hopes to foster. According to Webster's dictionary, freelancer is a noun indicating "…a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer…" and one "…who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization."1 A person who acts independently of an employer must be both the employee and the employer. They must be comfortable playing any and all roles of the […]