Do you struggle with taking time off as a freelancer? When you’re your own boss and wear several hats, vacation time often gets put on the back burner. However, it’s up to us to take care of ourselves.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to take both planned and unplanned time off as a freelancer. We’re going to talk about how to arrange your schedule so it's more conducive to taking breaks, how to work with some trusted colleagues, and how to honor your time off.

• (1:08) Taking Time Off is Easier Said Than Done
• (1:43) How to Schedule Time Off and Communicate it With Your Clients
• (6:05) Prepping For Your Time Off
• (8:50) Budgeting For Your Time Away
• (10:47) How to Take Unplanned Time Off
• (14:39) Give Yourself Grace and Honor Your Boundaries
• (17:55) Time Off Doesn’t Have to be a Vacation

• YNAB app

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Do you struggle with comparison? I believe we all compare ourselves to others throughout our lives. However, my hot take is that it’s not always a bad thing.

In this episode, we’re talking about the positives and negatives of comparison. We’ll dig into when comparison hurts and discuss when and how to compare yourself to others in a beneficial way.

• (1:00) Why Am I Talking About Comparison?
• (4:44) Is Comparison the Thief of Joy?
• (7:03) How to Avoid Negative Comparison
• (8:43) How to Use Comparison in a Positive Way

• James Clear
• Atomic Habits
• Episode 3: Why Mindset is More Than Just a Buzzword

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If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for a great book to read. Over the past few months, there have been a lot of amazing new books published about editing, writing, and the publishing industry, and I wanted to share my recommendations with you today.

The following books are listed in order of publication dates, and they’re linked to my Bookshop.org affiliate account. However, make sure you check out your local library or bookstores too.

I chose books that can be read at any stage of your editing career. Some of them may seem like they’re for a specific type of editor, but I always encourage editors at all stages of their business to read outside of their specific skill set or preferred genre. For example, even though I’m a copyeditor, I still read books about developmental editing because a well-rounded editor makes for a great editor.

• (1:08) Why you should read all types of editing books
• (1:44) Book One: How to Enjoy Being Edited by Hannah de Kieijzer
• (2:25) Book Two: Developmental Editing by Scott Norton
• (3:06) Book Three: The Design of Books by Debbie Berne
• (3:38) Book Four: The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors by Erin Brenner
• (4:25) Book Five: The Conscious Style Guide by Karen Yin
• (4:57) Book Six: Writing an Identity Not Your Own by Alex Temblador
• (5:40) Book Seven: The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition

1. How to Enjoy Being Edited by Hannah de Kaeijzer
2. Developmental Editing by Scott Norton
3. The Design of Books by Debbie Berne
4. The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors by Erin Brenner
5. The Conscious Style Guide by Karen Yin
6. Writing an Identity Not Your Own by Alex Temblador
7. The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition

Work with Me:

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

There is a fine line we walk when we approach burnout. I know this all too well, which is why today’s episode is our first release in seven months. After facing my own spout of burnout and still actively recovering from it, I knew I had to ask for help in my business and it has made all the difference. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a little about that journey and what you should consider if you’re ready to ask for help!

Important Sections of the Conversation:

1:04 - Discussing Burnout and Recovery

3:58 - The Importance of Asking for Help

6:40 - Tips for Delegating and Hiring Help

16:19 - Personal Life and Final Thoughts

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Episode 25: How to Find Time to Get Things Done
• Episode 26: How to Avoid (or Recover From) Burnout
• The Cure for Burnout
• Freelance Editors Club Book Club

Work with Me:

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Book a 1:1 coaching session

With so much turmoil going on in the world, it can be hard to stay focused and find the motivation to continue with business as usual. Recently, I’ve often found myself asking, What’s the point? Who cares where this Oxford comma goes? None of this matters when atrocities are happening every day. We can feel helpless and hopeless. So, how do we keep moving forward? 

In this episode, I’m sharing some of the things that I’m doing to help me move forward every day. A few highlights from today’s episode are:

• 04:11 – Remembering the things we can control
• 05:07 – Finding joy and positivity in the small things
• 08:07 – How our work as editors does matter

Connect:

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Tara on Instagram
• Tara on Facebook

As a coach for freelance editors, one of the most common questions I get asked is about how many hours a day editors should be editing. And the answer is one of my favorites—it depends! 

In this episode, we’ll dive into specific questions you need to ask yourself that’ll help you figure out how many hours you should be editing in a day. Because (surprise, surprise!) it varies greatly for everyone. Here are some highlights below:

• 03:49 – Looking at what a typical workday looks like for you, including downtime, interruptions, and caregiving requirements, and how they’ll play a factor in your editing hours
• 08:05 – One question that may seem funny and irrelevant but is super important!
• 16:01 – How you can use your editing hours to help determine your editing rate

*Disclaimer: The math I attempted in this episode makes zero sense. I’m an editor, not a mathematician 🤣

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In this short-and-sweet episode, we’re going to talk about what “booked out” means to you and if it’s something you even want to work toward (it might not be!). I want to stress that being booked out is not bad or wrong. And for anyone new here, when one of us succeeds, we all succeed!

In this episode, I’ll touch on the following:

• 03:20 – What does being “booked out” mean?
• 04:05 – Why it doesn’t help to play the comparison game
• 09:32 – How one of my coaching clients realized being booked out wasn’t even a goal for her

Connect:

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• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Tara on Instagram
• Tara on Facebook

*Content warning: This episode discusses depression, anxiety, and eating habits.*

When you’re a solopreneur and wear all the hats, you can get too much on your plate very quickly. It accumulates fast, sneaks up on you, and suddenly you’re stretched way too thin. Your energy, motivation, and capacity quite literally burn out. 

In this episode, I talk about my recent experience with burnout, some warning signs and symptoms to look out for, and provide you with some tips that helped me return to my version of normal. You’ll hear the following:

• 03:23 – Why I ignored the signs and kept adding to my plate
• 11:56 – Why it’s important to learn to recognize your signs and symptoms of burnout
• 13:08 – My two biggest takeaways from my recent burnout

Connect:

• Book a free 15-minute call
• Join the Freelance Editors Club
• Tara on Instagram
• Tara on Facebook