Freelance Writing and Editing? That’s Child’s Play

For children’s book author and editor Lisa L. Owens, breaking into the publishing biz came naturally. Studying English and Journalism at university turned into a slew of book writing and editing credits for major publishers.

Always a freelancer and now fully solo, the 42-year-old writer from Issaquah, Washington, has more than 12 years of experience under her belt and has put herself out there in an array of national and local industry associations.

I caught up with Lisa to find out how to make the transition into freelancing, take a prominent role in industry groups and maintain a blog at the same time.

Tell us a little bit about how you got into the editorial field. Where did you go to school? Did you ever have a job that wasn’t in the editorial industry? How did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I went to the University of Iowa and majored in English. For a long time, I didn’t think of writing as an actual field and so didn’t consider it. Like most of my classmates, I’d chosen a home in the English department because I loved literature and writing — and, like many, I had every intention of exploring a “real” career option by going to graduate school. Somewhere along the way, though, I admitted to myself that I wanted to write for pay. So I later added a second major by enrolling in the Journalism program. I made quick work of getting through those classes and on with my life.

I had a few jobs outside of publishing: bank teller, jewelry salesperson, “Gal Friday” at a law firm. While working at the law firm and looking to officially start my career, I interned at a literary journal and wrote freelance articles for an arts-and-entertainment weekly. My job search yielded two interesting offers: a reporter’s job at a small daily newspaper and a job running the proofreading process for a K-12 publisher. I took the latter because I wanted to learn publishing inside and out so I could eventually explore writing books. It was a cautious approach, but that’s part of my MO.

I’ve always known that I am a writer. Put simply, writers write. It’s part of the DNA. Now, on making writing the primary focus of my career—well, it took me a while to connect to the viability of that idea. I was in my thirties before it dawned on me that I really was making it happen. I remember a new publisher asking me how many children’s titles of mine were in print. I didn’t know the number off-hand, so I started listing them on a sheet of paper. I couldn’t finish without consulting the Web, and I was stunned to count to 17. When had I done all that? I looked around my in-house office and thought: “What am I waiting for? Why am I still here?”

You mention leaving the corporate world. What was the deciding factor for you to go freelance? How long have you been a freelancer?

I’ve never not done freelancing work, really. I loved many aspects of working in-house but always had full-time freelancing (with an emphasis on writing) in the back of my mind. So I took care to cultivate client relationships and build a solid work history. I struck out on my own in the fall of 2002. I’d been telecommuting for a few months after my husband took an out-of-state job, and the time was right for me to make the leap.

Did you find it hard to leave the corporate world? Did you just write or did you get any work from publishers using your in-house experience? Explain!

I felt great about the change, but I did have a tough time transitioning from my insanely stressful office job to my insanely quiet home-office venture. I was used to a lightning-fast pace, never-ending interruptions, countless meetings and crises—so the shift was a shock to my system. I felt anxious about NOT spinning 200 plates in the air. The absence of daily drama was disorienting. But I adapted after a couple of months, and I’ve never looked back. Not even a little bit.

Some of my early work as a full-time freelancer came from previous clients and referrals. Some of it came from replying to calls for submissions and sending queries. These days most of my work comes from regular clients and referrals, but I make a point of seeking new opportunities when I can. You never know when that great client will dry up or you’ll simply feel like moving on.

You’re so active in the Editorial Freelancers Association. Tell us how you got in with the group, what they do, and what you get out of your work with them. Do you encourage freelancers to join groups like this? Should they stick to solely local groups?

The Editorial Freelancers Association is a national association for working freelancers. It’s based in New York and has grown to include a dozen or so regional chapters. I joined EFA a couple of years before leaving in-house work. I hired freelancers using their Job List and used their other resources to stay current on the world of freelancing.

When I moved from Seattle to the Chicago area in 2002, I started EFA’s Chicagoland chapter. I wanted to meet people like me, get to know the Chicago publishing climate, and just get out of the house once in a while. My husband and I moved back to Seattle in 2004, so I switched roles and started coordinating EFA’s education program. Each spring and fall I hire instructors, plan and publicize the schedule, and troubleshoot issues as the season plays out. Along the way I work with the instructors, participants, the office manager, and all the other volunteer board members who help make everything happen. It gives me that “team spirit” vibe so often missing from the freelance experience.

I definitely encourage other freelancers to get involved with the groups that best meet their needs. I also belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA). I’ve tried several others over the years, and there are many to choose from, but these three work for me right now. I think both national and local groups have their place.

You also run Owens Editorial Ink. What do you do with that and why is it (or is it not) vital for creatively self-employed people to diversify their talents and income-generators? Do you find it hard to switch back and forth between writing and editing? Do you think writers need to be good at both?

I see Owens Editorial Ink as the “parent company” of everything I do. In addition to writing children’s books, I edit them and sometimes work as a project manager for a series. I also write and edit curriculum materials; write book reviews and occasional articles; and teach classes. In my mind all of it falls under the OEI umbrella. So I mention everything on that website and stick to featuring children’s books on my author site.

I don’t find it hard to switch between writing and editing. I love doing them both, even though I’d prefer to keep working toward an “All Writing, All the Time” model. For me, having more than one skill trick up my sleeve has provided more project choices than I may have had otherwise. I do think it’s important to be able to provide variations on your skill set, but those variations will be different for everyone. I happen to be a decent writer and a decent editor, so it makes sense for me to make hay using those skills.

Some great writers, however, are lousy editors, and some great editors are lousy writers. It would be a huge mistake for anyone to think someone should automatically do both. Yes, there is some crossover, but writing and editing are different animals. As are writing and illustrating, cooking and baking, singing and songwriting—or writing and quilting, for that matter. I’ve known successful freelancers who spend entire careers copyediting cookbooks, others who write software manuals and design newsletters, and still others who can do it all. The trick is understanding your strengths and playing to them.

What haven’t you done career-wise that you’d like to achieve?

That’s the big question, isn’t it? Most days my answer is that I’d love to be able to make a consistent living writing just one book at a time—and each one on a reasonable schedule at that. I’m frequently pulled in several directions and working with extra-tight schedules because multitasking on overlapping projects is the only way I’ve found to keep the money coming in on a somewhat predictable basis.

Another goal is to regularly conduct school author visits. I haven’t pursued that with any vigor, but I’d like to as I continue shifting my overall focus.

What is your typical day like?

I turn on my laptop by 7:30 a.m. to check email and surf Web news while sitting in front of TV news. I do this after my shower and breakfast. By 8:30 a.m., I move to my desktop computer in my basement office. I keep predictable hours—8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m.—but if I want to get a haircut or grab some groceries on a Wednesday afternoon, I do it. I work more than my share of evenings and weekends, so I feel zero guilt about running an errand in the middle of the day. I usually eat lunch at my desk but will take up to an hour each day to walk my greyhound.

You say you’re still figuring it out everyday. What are some of your struggles and challenges?

I’ve always been driven, with work taking center stage. As time marches on, I’m finding that I want to devote more time to personal goals. I’m trying to train myself to stop working more than full-time.

Another regular challenge comes from working with new clients and new types of projects. No matter how many thousands of projects you have under your belt, each new one comes with its own adjustment period. There will always be new twists and new project/person-to-person dynamics. I know this, but it still surprises me every now and then.

You also run a blog. How has that impacted your career? What has it done for your personal life?

You know, I’ve done next to nothing to promote my blog. That should probably embarrass me. I’d love to devote more attention to it because it’s fun and I have ideas for expanding its reach, but I just haven’t had the time.

Clients who find me on the Web tend to mention one of my two websites or the EFA Member Directory. So aside from a couple of compliments on the blog, I can’t say that I’ve noticed an impact on my business. I hope to change that in the next year or so as I work on redoing my author site and possibly integrating the blog into that.

Friends who’ve found the blog sometimes get in touch. I enjoy that. But again, I can’t point to any tangible changes to my personal life. My blog is such small potatoes!

Anything else?

Thanks so much for having me. This was fun. Good luck to you and ALL my fellow freelancers out there!