The Modern Editor Podcast

with Tara Whitaker

Helpful Tips & Bold Perspectives

I started this podcast for the same reason I started my community, the Freelance Editors Club: to provide a space for freelance editors to get the education, support, and coaching they need to grow their editing businesses.

If you love learning, elevating writers’ voices, making connections in the industry, and lifting up your “competition” as you climb, you’re a modern editor and this podcast is for you.

Join me each week for… 

  • Solo episodes

  • Guest speakers

  • Insightful interviews

  • Too many Murder, She Wrote references

  • I find myself nodding along to nearly everything she says, and if I’m not agreeing with her, it’s because I’m thinking, “Huh, what a great idea! I’ll have to try that!”

    I love her supportive no-gatekeepers attitude and the fact that she gets straight to the point. She really values my time, and I value her insights. I wholeheartedly recommend adding this to your podcast lineup.

    —Barbie Halaby

  • Love hearing Tara’s enthusiasm. Tara is a fresh and current breath of fresh air. So many editors can come off as stuck in their ways and, as a new presence in the editing world, I find Tara’s attitude and voice reassuring. I’m looking forward to future episodes.

    —Bsan891

  • Full of compassionate common sense. I’m thoroughly enjoying Tara’s voice and wisdom in her podcast. Her ideas and information always give me something to think about, and she does it all with such a thoughtful and kind tone. I am encouraging all my editor friends to listen in. Thanks, Tara, for making your advice so accessible.

    —EditorLMZ

  • Modern editing has a new voice! When I found Tara’s podcast, I was reaching for any strand of hope for specific guidance for my freelance editing and proofreading work. I listened to the first four episodes in one serving.

    It was nice to hear a voice that shared what a new editor and a new business owner needed to hear.

    —MommaBookworm

Latest episodes

Tara Whitaker Tara Whitaker

How to Navigate Different Seasons in Freelance Editing

In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m walking you through the variety of seasons you may experience in your editing business so that you can normalize it instead of wondering if you’re doing something wrong.

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Tara Whitaker Tara Whitaker

A Spring Cleaning Checklist for Your Editing Business

Springtime comes with a sense of renewal and new opportunities that always make me feel reinvigorated. To celebrate, this episode is a re-air of a previous episode where I offered six tips to refresh your editing business.

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Podcast Tara Whitaker Podcast Tara Whitaker

Mental and Emotional Well-Being Tips for Freelance Editors

In this episode, we’re diving into mental and emotional well-being tips for freelance editors. Specifically, I’m talking about how our thoughts and emotions show up in our businesses and how I process my emotions. I’m also going to share some self-care ideas that can benefit your mental and emotional health.

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Podcast Tara Whitaker Podcast Tara Whitaker

Cultivating Financial Well-Being for Freelance Editors

"If you want to confront your relationship with money, start a business." Have you heard this saying before? I couldn’t agree with it more. Nothing makes you get up close and personal with your finances than running your own business. In this episode of The Modern Editor, we’re continuing our series on self-care, but this time we’re talking all things money.

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Taking Care of Your Physical and Environmental Health as a Freelance Editor

Welcome to a brand-new series on The Modern Editor Podcast all about health, wellness, and self-care. As freelancers, it’s easy to let our health fall by the wayside, especially in busy seasons. In this episode, we’re exploring physical and environmental health and how we can take care of ourselves in a holistic way. Content warning: We’ll be talking about food and exercise.

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The Top Six Lessons I Learned in 2025

I can’t believe I’m typing this, but we’ve made it to the final episode of The Modern Editor of 2025. Naturally, I decided to use this episode to reflect on what I’ve learned this year, both personally and in my business.

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Why You Need Friction in Your Editing Business

As today’s fast-paced world races toward AI and hyperproductivity, I find myself wanting to slow down and take a different route. However, every once in a while, I start to second-guess myself. I wanted to open up an honest discussion about it in this episode of The Modern Editor. Specifically, let’s talk about when friction can be good for our lives and editing businesses.

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Does Your Editing Business Need a Newsletter?

In this episode, we’re getting back to the basics of what a newsletter is, what it entails, and whether or not you need one for your business. Listen in as we explore a powerful communication tool that can help free you from the social media circus.

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Marketing Your Editing Business Without Social Media with Amelia Hruby

Are you considering adjusting your use of social media? My guest, Amelia Hruby, logged off social media for good in 2021 and hasn’t looked back. Now she teaches other business owners how they can still succeed without social media. Listen in as she shares her journey from Instagram content creator to podcaster and self-published author.

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Podcast Tara Whitaker Podcast Tara Whitaker

Six Ways to Refresh Your Business

Does your business need a reset? In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m sharing six quick-and-dirty ways to freshen up your business for the back-to-school season. But don’t worry, this episode can still apply to you even if back to school doesn’t impact your schedule, or if you’re listening to it at a different time of year.

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Podcast Tara Whitaker Podcast Tara Whitaker

Ten Copyediting Tips For Book Editors

Ready to get into the nitty-gritty of copyediting? In this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast, I’m following up on my most popular episode to date: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Copyediting Process. I’m sharing ten tips and practices for copyediting manuscripts.

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