Hear From Members of the Freelance Editors Club

Sep 30

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What is it actually like to be part of the Freelance Editors Club? Instead of me telling you, I’m stepping aside to let you hear from actual members in this episode of The Modern Editor Podcast.

Listen in as members share their experiences through real testimonials.

Tara: Hello edibuddies. Today's episode is a little different than usual, but in a good way. You're not going to be listening to me. You're going to be hearing from members of the Freelance Editors Club. So let's get into it.

Welcome to The Modern Editor Podcast, where we talk about all things editing and what it's like to run an editorial business in today's world. I'm your host, Tara Whitaker. Let's get to it.

All right. Before we dive in, I have some news for you. I'm super nervous to be saying this out loud into the world, but here it goes. The Modern Editor Podcast will be officially taking a break. And I'm calling it a break because I'm honestly not sure at all what I want to do with the podcast in the future.

All the episodes are gonna stay live. That's not going anywhere. But maybe I come back with new episodes in a month, maybe it's in a year, maybe I don't come back at all. I don't know. I don't have any plan right now, which is equal parts exciting and terrifying. So we're calling it a break or a pause while I do some other things, and I'm going to share all the details about this decision process, what I think is gonna be coming next, how I came to the decision of stopping something for now that I really enjoy, and just all the, all the scoop. So stay tuned for that in the next episode. That will be the last episode before I officially take the break.

But for today, let's do something fun. I'm gonna do something I've wanted to do for a very long time, but I never got around to it because other things kept popping up. And I think you can all relate to that with life just life-ing.

So what this episode is is a compilation of a few very brave FEC members who were kind enough to share their thoughts about the Freelance Editors Club, what it's done for them, what they like about it, what their favorite parts are. And if you're nosy like me—I shouldn't say nosy. If you're inquisitive like me, this is a great episode because you get the behind-the-scenes look into what the Freelance Editors Club is all about.

You know, it's one thing if I sit here and spout off all the great and amazing things about it as the founder of it. That's, you know, that's one thing. But it's another when you hear directly from the members who are benefiting from it. So without further ado, here are some fellow edibuddies sharing their thoughts on the Freelance Editors Club.

Brandi: Hi, my name is Brandi Rudder. I'm a copyeditor, beta reader, proofreader, and ghostwriter. I am newly in the process of launching a freelance editing business, and I found the Freelance Editors Club at Women in Publishing's Virtual Summit in March 2026 this year. It was so clear immediately when I saw the Freelance Editors Club listed as one of the sponsors that I wanted to go to one of the talks featuring the Freelance Editors Club.

So I did, and I was just immediately drawn to Tara's approach to community, supporting other women and people in the publishing industry. And particularly also her focus on self-care. I was like, "That is what I wanna be a part of." So I joined the Freelance Editors Club and quickly found that everything that I could have possibly wanted or needed in this journey of starting a freelance editing business was at my fingertips, not only in terms of resources, materials, trainings, but also and importantly in community and support.

I've already developed some really great relationships with other members of the club and just feel so lucky that I stumbled across this resource. I'm a full-time working mom also who's in the process of building this freelance editing business, so what I appreciate the most about the club is how a la carte the experience can be.

I can be as involved as I want to or can be on any given week. There's just a robust library of really excellent training materials and resources that I can dip into anytime I have a question. And speaking of questions, I just love that there are constant conversations between editors in the club about things that they've come across while they're doing work that they have questions about, and how just easy and supportive the responses are.

I think it's really rare in any industry to have the sort of “we all win together” vibe, and that is exactly what I found in FEC. So thank you, Tara, for creating this amazing community, and I'm so excited that I'm a part of it. I can't wait to see how the journey continues while I'm building my business, and I have you to thank for it.

Ceylan: Hi, I'm Ceylan Ozguner from Oz Editorial Services. I'm a freelance book editor. I've been in the Freelance Editors Club for about a year or so. It's a great place. There are lots of other editors there. You can ask questions, help each other out, so it's a nice little group like that.

And then there are all these recordings and webinars and how-to videos. There are documents that outline how to do all sorts of stuff, so it's really educational and it's a nice community.

Deborah: Hi. I just wanted to talk about the Freelance Editors Club because it's made such a difference to me. I'm Deborah Taylor, and I've been a member of the FEC for around two years.

My business name is The Blue Pencil, and I mainly do proofreading and copyediting, working with fiction clients. Being a freelancer can be quite isolating at times. You're making decisions on your own and second-guessing yourself. The FEC has completely changed that for me. I feel genuinely supported there.

It's a community where I don't have to overexplain myself. Everyone just gets it. The resources and training that are available are really great too, practical and informative. And then there's Tara. Honestly, she's such a wonderful mentor. She's brilliant at what she does, but more than that, she's a genuinely brilliant human being.

You can tell she always has your best interests at heart. She has your back completely, and that kind of support is rare to find. If you're a freelance editor looking for a community that actually feels like one, this is it, and I'm incredibly grateful to be part of it.

Leila: Hello, I'm Leila Sanders from Midnight Devotion Editing. I'm a developmental editor and book coach specializing in romance and fantasy, and I've been a member of the Freelance Editors Club for months. I really love the supportive community in FEC, but I'm also enjoying the coworking sessions. There is a lot of amazing video content on editing, business topics, marketing, and more that I haven't fully explored yet.

I learned a little bit about line editing and recipe editing already. However, I'm truly surprised by how excited I am to join the weekly “how things are going with work” and what we're enjoying throughout the week. You know, it's not just about editing work, but how we're maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I highly recommend FEC for new and experienced editors. Thank you.

Angela: Hi, I'm Angela Steinkamp. I'm not yet an editor, but I'm in the process of exploring what it looks like to become one. Who knew there were so many things to consider besides finding typos? In mid-August, I used Tara's two-week free trial offer to check out the Freelance Editors Club.

In that time, Tara and the FEC members were so incredibly welcoming and helpful in answering my questions. Many of them are about editor training, since this is still a big unknown for me. I really enjoyed reading all the editor origin stories as well as the weekly check-ins. It's not only about business in the FEC because we are all humans first.

I'm constantly impressed with how Tara sticks to her values and the purpose she has set out for herself as an editor, a coach, and a business owner. She is facilitating such a wonderful community of editors who have similar values and who do not hesitate to offer advice, suggestions, support, or listening ears.

Before taking advantage of the FEC free trial, I listened to nearly every episode of The Modern Editor Podcast from the beginning. I'm a bit of a side-quest completionist, so yes, I did finish them all. Some topics were more applicable to me than others, but as Tara says, "Take what's useful and leave the rest." I'm a little bummed there won't be any more podcast episodes for now, but I'm very excited to see what other creative things Tara will be coming up with.

And I know it's not the end of me learning from her because I did decide to join the FEC at the beginning of September. It just felt like it was meant to be when the editing book I was currently reading was picked as the FEC book club title for September. I'm looking forward to learning even more from all the editors in the FEC and finally deciding if owning a freelance editing business is for me. Thanks, Tara, for the wonderful resource that is The Modern Editor Podcast.

Tara: Oh, my heart is so full right now. I have a very hard time taking praise. Honestly, probably a harder time listening to praise than criticism, which is bananas, but, you know, I'm trying to get better at it. But, ugh, I'm just, I am so grateful for every single member of the Freelance Editors Club over the years.

We're, at the time of this recording, going into our... Well, we'll almost be six years old, right? Cannot do math, y'all. I think in 2027 we'll be seven years old. We'll, we'll call it that. Yes, I'm biased, but they're just the absolute best of us. They're compassionate and skilled and legit, and I'm just very lucky to be in their orbit.

And FEC isn't going anywhere, by the way. No breaks for that. In fact, I have big plans for it, so I might have some more time now without releasing podcast episodes for a bit that I will be able to do more things in the club.

So if you're curious, head to TaraWhitaker.com/Club. You can learn all about the club. You can sign up for the 14-day free trial and learn all the things, and you can always email me and let me know if you have any questions.

So as always, keep learning, keep growing, and regardless of where you find it, remember how important it is to find your people.

Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. If you enjoy The Modern Editor Podcast, I would be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts or wherever you consume podcasts. And don't forget, you can head to TaraWhitaker.com to connect with me and stay in touch. We'll chat again soon.

Announcing The Modern Editor Podcast Break

Before we get to the testimonials, I have a big (and nerve-wracking) announcement: The Modern Editor Podcast is officially taking a break.

I’m calling it a break because I’m still not sure what the future of the podcast will look like, but all previous episodes will remain live. Not having a plan is equal parts scary and exciting, and I plan to share all the details of the decision-making process and what’s coming in the next episode.

All right, with that out of the way, let’s hear from members of the Freelance Editors Club!

Brandi: Women Supporting Women and Self-Care Resources

Brandi is new to running her own business, and she’s found the resources offered by the Freelance Editors Club to be invaluable. She especially loves the community of women who come together to support each other and the emphasis on self-care for business owners.

“I joined the Freelance Editors Club and quickly found that everything that I could have possibly wanted or needed in this journey of starting a freelance editing business was at my fingertips, not only in terms of resources, materials, trainings, but also, and importantly, in community and support.” —Brandi

Ceylan: A Great Place to Ask Questions

“It's a great place. There are lots of other editors there. You can ask questions, help each other out, so it's a nice little group like that. And then there are all these recordings and webinars and how-to videos. There are documents that outline how to do all sorts of stuff, so it's really educational. It's a nice community.” —Ceylan

Deborah: Genuine Support to Combat Isolation

As a proofreader and copyeditor, Deborah has experienced the isolation that comes with running an editing business. However, joining the Freelance Editors Club two years ago provided her with the genuine support and community she needed.

“It's a community where I don't have to overexplain myself. Everyone just gets it. The resources and training that are available are really great too, practical and informative. And then there's Tara. Honestly, she's such a wonderful mentor. She's brilliant at what she does, but more than that, she's a genuinely brilliant human being. You can tell she always has your best interests at heart. She has your back completely, and that kind of support is rare to find.” —Deborah

Leila: Coworking Sessions and Weekly Check-Ins

“I really love the supportive community in FEC, but I'm also enjoying the coworking sessions… I'm truly surprised by how excited I am to join the weekly “how things are going with work and what we're enjoying throughout the week” check-ins. You know, it's not just about editing work, but how we're maintaining a healthy work-life balance.” —Leila

Angela: Values-Based Trainings

Angela is a baby editor who hasn’t launched her business yet, but she’s already taking advantage of the resources inside the Freelance Editors Club. Her biggest takeaway is that the trainings are rooted in values and editors are treated as humans first.

“I’m constantly impressed with how Tara sticks to her values and the purpose she has set out for herself as an editor, a coach, and a business owner. She is facilitating such a wonderful community of editors who have similar values and who do not hesitate to offer advice, suggestions, support, or listening ears.” —Angela

Experience the FEC For Yourself with a 14-Day Free Trial

I’m so overwhelmed by the incredibly kind words in these member testimonials, and I can’t believe that the Freelance Editors Club is almost six years old. Don’t worry, it isn’t going anywhere! I have big plans for the future for the club, and now that the podcast is going on a break, I’ll have more time to implement my ideas.

Want to join the fun? Sign up for a 14-day free trial of the Freelance Editors Club today.

Important Sections:

(0:22) Announcing The Modern Editor Podcast Break
(1:44) Hear From Members of the Freelance Editors Club
(2:30) Brandi: Women Supporting Women and Self-Care Resources
(4:48) Ceylan: A Great Place to Ask Questions
(5:24) Deborah: Genuine Support to Combat Isolation
(6:29) Leila: Coworking Sessions and Weekly Check-Ins
(7:28) Angela: Values-Based Trainings
(9:13) Experience the Freelance Editors Club For Yourself with a 14-Day Free Trial