Author: Michelle

I’ve been editing and beta-reading since June now (on a voluntary basis) as I wanted to establish a few facts; the first was to gauge whether a home-based career in beta-reading/editing was viable. The second was to establish working practices, such as assessing the functionality of software like Microsoft’s track changes, methods of providing feedback etc. The third reason – and perhaps most important reason of all – was to establish if I was any good at it; there is, after all, a huge difference between writer friends telling you your feedback is good and that of a complete stranger preparing their work for publication. Well, I’ve not had any complaints yet (that I’m aware of) so I have decided to take the next step towards becoming a professional freelance editor, which is where the title of this post comes in. I’ve spent a lot of time researching freelance editors and noticed that while some used their real names, there were others using business names, which lead to me to wonder if I should do the same. I worried that I might not be taken seriously using my real name, but having had a discussion with a few friends, it would seem that my initial decision to use my real name is the preferred option. My next step is to register with Inland Revenue as a sole trader, and...