As freelance editors, we often assume that our job is working with, and improving, writing. This overlooks a huge part of the freelance life: clients. If you don’t have experience in sales, marketing, or talking to strangers, finding and working with clients can feel overwhelming. This two-day intensive class will give you the confidence you need to screen potential clients and build relationships with the ones worth keeping, bringing in repeat business that’s vital for a thriving freelance career. We’ll cover three stages of client relations: finding clients, vetting and onboarding, and developing repeat custom and lasting relationships.

You’ll start with the foundations of building a client base and attracting a consistent stream of writers to your services. If it feels like monthly revenue is out of your control, this module will give you the tools to actively build your business rather than waiting for customers to appear.

From attracting clients, you’ll move into vetting writers and ensuring they’re viable clients, which is equally as important finding them. If talking to strangers isn’t something you signed up for, fear not. You’ll have email and phone scripts, as well as a framework to fit the questions specific to your business into. (Some of this material may be familiar if you've watched the webinar The "Right" Writers: Vetting and Onboarding Clients.)

Once you’ve onboarded a client, you’ll move to long-term client relationships and learn how to finish editorial projects in a way that continues your business relationship.

Day one of this intensive will cover finding and vetting clients, with time in breakout rooms, as well as with the full group, to answer questions and discuss ways to implement these practices in your business. Day two will focus on repeat customers and lasting relationships. You’ll also have time to talk through places where you're stuck and brainstorm next steps for your business.

This course is geared toward line and developmental editors who are early in their careers and working with fiction and narrative nonfiction. However, these techniques can be used by anyone who's having trouble finding the "right" writers or building long-term relationships with their clients.