I just applied to a freelance position that closely matches my experience–surprisingly so, actually. Even with an obvious correlation between what the employer was looking for (freelance, book/magazine editing, InDesign experience, Chicago Manual of Style familiarity, experience establishing style guides, etc.) and what I’ve done (all of the above), I found it challenging to communicate the value I could offer the employer. Part of this is due to the challenge of communicating authentic enthusiasm for a job over email, and part of it is my difficulty tooting my own horn. I believe this is a very common problem for freelancers and job seekers in general–editors in particular, because we’re very rarely the gushy or salesy types. We like the facts to speak for themselves. But do they? How could this employer know how perfectly I could fulfill this role unless I connected the dots for them? I’m getting better at this over time, but it’s still uncomfortable.

There is a second aspect to this problem of communicating value: what is editing? Copyediting? Proofreading? One of the best things we can do as freelancers is to clearly explain what services we offer, and what the purpose of those services is. Publishers and editors communicate a lot more easily (usually) than business clients and editors do, because publishers and editors know what’s involved in the editing process. Clients who don’t work in the publishing industry often don’t know exactly what services they need or what the value is of a freelancer who can evaluate a project and tell the client what it needs, WHY, and how long it will take… without jargon. The ability to explain the value of editing services is crucial to not only the individual freelancer’s career, but also to the industry as a whole. How do managers know which editors to keep when they have to make cuts? How can they recognize a decline in quality if they believe that editors do little more than proofread? According to my clients, I’m quite good at this aspect of communicating what I’m doing and why, but I’m sure there’s always room for improvement. This will only become more of a challenge as more and more people enter the business world with an inadequate level of English/grammar education. (Let’s not argue that point: it’s terrifying the lack of quality in most people’s writing these days, even compared with a decade ago.)

How do you communicate your value to a client? How do you explain your services? Have you ever gotten yourself entangled in a messy freelancing situation for lack of adequate communication about expectations?