In Pittsburgh, I worked forty hours a week and did very little editing on the side--never more than one project at a time. I tried to get more jobs as the time to move came, but between working, being actively involved with the youth of my church, and getting ready to move across an ocean, I just didn't have time. So when we got to Portugal, I had no real work on my plate.
I was pretty pleased when I found a quality control job with a fun team for company that ensures translated ballot texts are accurate. Unfortunately, while I was hired in February, work hadn't really started then, and they weren't sure when it would start.
I aggressively started putting in quotes on Thumbtack, a website that connects people who need services (plumber, painter, editor) with professionals who have profiles on the site. The customer puts in a request, and then five professionals can quote on the request. This was very successful. I connected with one great author, and then another, and then another.
Around the same time, a press I had worked with a few times in the past started sending me books regularly to proofread or copyedit. Another press I had taken a copyediting test for said "you're hired" and sent me two books, one a children's book (fun!!) and one a 440-page copyedit (hefty!!). I also start getting emails from students looking to have their dissertations edited. (My aunt, a professor at my alma mater, had put my email on her school's webpage a YEAR ago. I'm not sure why these requests just started now.)
Just like that, I'm swamped. I'm taking a Portuguese class 16 hours a week, I'm working on five books simultaneously, and I signed up for 15 hours/week of quality control. Last week, I skipped class twice to make deadlines. I'm staying up way too late and working way less effectively because of it.
The problems, as I see it, are these:
1) I can't judge how long an author will take getting the edited manuscript back to me. This results in hard-to-predict work hours.
2) I can't say no! I'm still in the mentality of "take all the work I can get!!" even though my reality is "I can only handle half as much work!!"
3) Authors through Thumbtack obviously aren't working with me through a press, so they usually require slightly more hand holding. I love working closely with authors and working with them to become better writers, but when it comes to publishing, I don't know all that much! I'm just an editor--not an agent or a publishing expert. And I just do not feel qualified to find a press for authors. But I feel like I have to try, and I waste a lot of time researching for them because I feel like I owe it to them.
In any case, I'm thrilled to have a lot of work, I love the authors I work with, and I'm excited to figure out a balance where I'm not constantly on the verge of tears from stress and overwork! I made time to blog though, right? :)
Happy Monday! Any scheduling tips are welcome!!
