✂️ An Editor's end-of-year checklist

Happy December!

My family loves everything about the Christmas season. We also love the feeling of a new year approaching. How can we be more focused next year? What should we stop doing, and what should we start doing?

As editors, it's also a great time to plan your editing year. This is true whether you are staff or freelance.

Here are 7 things that will set 2023 up for success.

🥳 Make a list of all the projects you completed this year. A year is a long time. It can be easy to forget all the work you delivered in February. Take a minute to review and enjoy your successes. Additional questions to ask are:

• Which projects did you love working on?

• Which ones left you feeling drained?

• How can you do more of the projects you loved in 2023?

🤝 Send thank-you’s to all the clients you worked with or who referred you. They choose to work with you, either for the project or by having you on staff. A small handwritten note goes a long way. If you are staff, you can thank departments you did projects for and your supervisor.

🎞️ Update your reel. If you’re freelance, this is a must. If you’re staff, it’s still helpful. Take the list of completed projects, grab your top 5 favorites, and replace the weakest shots from last year.

(Don’t have a reel? This free email course walks you through it 👉https://buildmyeditingcareer.com/l/5minutereel)

☕️ Schedule real/virtual coffee with your favorite clients/editors. It’s healthy and mutually beneficial. It can be intimidating, but keep it short (15-20 minutes) and this time of year offers easy conversation starters like:

• What was your favorite project this year?

• How were your holidays?

• What are you excited for in 2023?

💰 Ask your accountant what they need for taxes. Then go get it. This will save you (and your accountant) time and stress. You may even get your refund sooner. Note: if you are outside the US, look for your country’s tax season.

And here's a bonus task: write down what was needed and include that list on a calendar reminder for next Dec 1st.

⬆️ Raise your rates! There are many reasons to do this: inflation always goes up (especially in the U.S. this year); your expenses may have gone up; and most importantly, you have more experience and skill after another year of editing.

If you're freelance: For new clients it's easy, just state your newly raised price. For current clients, send them an email clearly stating how much your rate is going up and a clear explanation. Don't apologize or ask if it's okay. And yes there is a risk they may stop using you, but don't let that stop you. You are worth being paid. (See this article for a template email.)

If you're staff: ask for a raise! Most people never think to ask, but you totally can. (See this article about asking for a raise.) An alternate option is to ask how you can earn a raise. Ask for specifics and set a timeline for when you should accomplish them. Then work hard and earn that raise.

With these steps, you can kickstart 2023!

I need your help!

Since you receive this newsletter, you get hear this first: In January I’m launching a new podcast called Ask An Editor.

An editing career is filled with questions. How much should I charge? How do I build a successful freelance career? How do I find a new job?

Ask An Editor will answer these questions in 10 minutes or less, released on Mondays to kick off the work week.

So if you have a question, consider submitting it!

Thanks for reading!

I hope this checklist helps you as 2023 nears. Merry Christmas!

Keep cutting,

– Jesse