The Future of Book Publishing for Freelancers

Today I had the honor of speaking to the Indianapolis Freelancers Group on the future of publishing. My co-presenter was Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director, Dummies Tech, for Wiley.

Mary and I have both been knocking around the local publishing scene for more than 20 years, but we managed to never meet one another before today. No matter. Our approach to the subject was in sync (“Great minds…,” she told me later). She expanded on and reinforced my points below and added the perspective of a much larger publisher.

As promised, here is the outline I developed beforehand:

1. The current situation is difficult for some freelancers.

• Economic contraction has caused some publishers to reduce their title counts—trying to publish smarter, not harder.
• Everyone is still recovering from the massive publishing layoffs in December 2009.
• Publishers are keeping more work in-house and asking for more productivity from employees—especially in the third and fourth quarters of the year.
• Nonfiction book sales are declining overall because people can get “good enough” information online for free.
• People who have had a steady gig with one publisher are suddenly finding themselves without work.
• Employment for editors, writers, and authors is expected to rise by 8% by 2018; however, competition for these jobs is expected to be fierce (see the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook).

2. How will the shift to e-books affect freelancers?

• 40 million people will have e-readers in 2011.
• Penguin’s e-book revenues were up 182% in 2010.
• Borders bankruptcy means fewer opportunities for people to find and buy printed books.
• Content still needs to be edited and indexed.
• More proofreading may take place in PDFs.
• Book design for text-heavy books will be simplified and more utilitarian for easy conversion to e-books. It will pay to be familiar with XML, Mobi, and how to convert PDFs to other e-book formats.
• More advanced apps and readers (iPad, Blio) will require richer content, with animation, embedded videos, audio, and so on.
• Everybody thinks they need an app, but nobody seems to be able to recommend a good iPhone app developer!

3. Networking is still the key to finding freelance work.

• Publishers are reluctant to hire someone they have never worked with before. It takes time to evaluate and train new freelancers. Most have their tried-and-true favorites and don’t need more help beyond them. It’s really a buyer’s market in Indy!
• Look to people you worked with when you were in house.
• Find people for whom you formerly worked who have moved to other publishers. (The “Macmillan Diaspora” has produced an amazing array of connections all over the country. Find them on LinkedIn and Facebook.)

4. Look to nontraditional markets.

• Custom publishing divisions (Pearson, Wiley).
• Self-publishing companies (Author Solutions).
• Book packagers.
• Company websites and blogs.
• Content farms (Demand Media, Associated Content, HubPages, Answers.com, About.com).
• Individuals (self-published books, doctoral theses, resumes, other small projects).

5. Follow the experts online to see where they think it’s all headed.

• Joe Wikert: Publishing 2020 blog
• Jane Friedman: There Are No Rules blog and her personal blog
• Kassia Krozser: Booksquare
• GalleyCat

Mary urged freelancers to go out and get their hands on the various e-readers and familiarize themselves with how text looks in them. She also provided this great list of resources for editors:

• http://www.digitalbookworld.com/
• http://www.writerswrite.com/epublishing/resources.htm
• http://www.elance.com/
• http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/
• http://www.electriceditors.net/
• http://www.fundsforwriters.com/
• http://www.nanowrimo.org/
• http://www.guru.com/
• http://www.goodexperience.com/
• http://radar.oreilly.com/publishing (for Tools of Change website)

Obviously, nobody can tell you exactly how this tumultuous time in publishing is going to pan out. My former next-door neighboor Andy Harris, a Wiley author, suggests that things in publishing might seem like they are out of order, but it's really just the beginning of a new order. It's exciting (and a little scary) to think where it all might lead.

Don't Forget Your Clients at the Holidays: Eight Tips for Freelancer Gifts

One of the happier moments in the work days leading up to Christmas is when a package arrives from a freelancer or vendor. Coworkers swarm in like termites to snatch a sugary goody before they're all gone. Everyone gets a sugar buzz and thinks happy thoughts about the contractor who took the time and trouble to show how much they care.

We have a faithful indexer who always sends us something fun from Harry & David, and a printer that never fails to send yummy cookies from Cheryl&Co. In fact, it was while I was happily munching a chocolate cookie with peppermint buttercream frosting that it occurred to me: I did a lot of freelance work for Frommer's this year. Perhaps I should show my gratitude.

And so I did. Online ordering made it relatively easy (despite a couple of bugs in the site). Within three days, a big box of little cookies found its way into the hands of the grateful Wiley production editors. Before I even got arrival confirmation from UPS, they were e-mailing me to thank me. Now I'm not saying that this is going to guarantee me more work next year (doing a good job, of course, is more important); however, maybe it makes them smile a little when they think of me. And that can't hurt.

Here are a few tips on freelancer gifts, from someone who both gave and received this year:

1. Time it right. Make sure your gift will arrive before most people take off on vacation. You still have a little time to get a gift out to your best clients--but not much. There won't be a lot of people in offices past next Tuesday.
2. Avoid perishables. I've gotten sausage and cheese a few times and wondered whether it had been refrigerated adequately. It kinda ruined it for me.
3. Don't be too chintzy. If you file Schedule C, you can deduct the cost as a business expense, anyway. So why not get something nice?
4. Packaging isn't so important. The adorable gift towers are fun. But people are really just interested in the food. Opt for more food over fancy packaging.
5. Tie it to your personal or company brand. If you have a logo for your business, send a gift or card that communicates it. DeBrand's Chocolates will even make custom candy in the shape of your logo. (I'm not sure I followed this rule. Maybe my brand is traditional, dependable, and sweet. And what says that better than cookies?)
6. Be sensitive. Don't send something that will offend or exclude anyone. If you know that any of your recipients has allergies, avoid sending them something they can't eat. And those packages of sockeye salmon are always revolting-looking to me.
7. Don't forget a note. Make sure they know who it's from and that you are grateful for your working relationship.
8. Keep it up. If your gift is a hit, send the same thing next year. Your client will look forward to getting your gift as the holidays approach.

Hey, Unemployed Journalists: Join the Dark Side

Last week's Gannett newspaper layoffs were upsetting in many ways. It was tangible evidence of an evaporating career field, not to mention a blow to the quality and depth of the local news in nearly 100 U.S. cities. I began to wonder what will happen to all the journalists, left free-falling without an abundance of desirable career options. (And always in the back of my mind is the idea that book publishing is not far behind on the continuum.)

But along comes David Meerman Scott, writing for EconentMag.com, with an idea of how to use your journalism skills at private corporations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies (see the article here). Although media relations has always been a good tangential option, that's not what he's talking about. He's talking about using your storytelling skills to create internal and web content that educates and informs various audiences. And he says your skills are badly needed now.

Scott admits that many journalists will see working for a corporation as selling out, but argues that it doesn't have to be like that if you adjust your thinking and align things correctly.

He doesn't go into great detail about how to get these types of jobs, however. But for now, maybe it's enough just to open the door a crack and get people thinking in that direction. Work your extensive networks and try to set up meetings with people in charge of corporate communications and web content at companies you admire in your area. Be open to the idea of working as a contractor for more than one company. Open your mind and explore your options.

Meanwhile, if you're feeling cynical about journalism, enjoy this modest proposal, from Richard Sine in the Huffington Post, who says we need to close the journalism schools and stop cranking out more gullible media hopefuls into a dying industry.

Responses to the Freelancing Question

A few weeks ago I wrote this short post, asking what people were seeing in terms of the recent availability of freelance editing work. I had heard from too many people that they didn't have much--if any--freelance work to do. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that the majority of people saying that are people who work for Pearson.

But others wrote in with various opinions on the situation and advice for those seeking work:

• Greg Albers of Hol Art Books agreed that things might be slacking up now because of the recession, but that in the long term freelancing will become a way of life for many more people. He also turned me on to his cool publishing concept, in which editors and others volunteer to work on book projects in exchange for royalties down the road. It's a gamble, of course, but one that could pay off if you choose your projects well.
• Katharine O'Moore-Klopf said that in her specialized field of medical editing, things are hopping. She's still having to turn away the occasional project.
• Susan Hobbs said that she learned not to put all of her editorial eggs in one basket, so she keeps a diversified client list. She's stayed consistently busy over the last several months but has noted that some publishers that used to pay in 30 days are now taking 60 and even 90 days to get a check out.
• Tim Huddleston is always busy and attributes that to his flexibility and being able to do many different kinds of editing work.
• Susan Cox, a lady I played in bands with back in the early '80s, recommends the Writer's Market as a good source of leads on publishers. (Tim and I concur.)
• John, a freelancer in Columbus, Ohio, has seen work dry up from a major client. If anyone has leads for him, let us know in the comments.
• Marc, a local writer, says the work is fairly cyclical: It gets heavy after layoffs and then gets "dodgy" again later.

Any other observations or tips?

Tale of Woe from One of Harcourt's Vendors

Freelance editor Katharine O'Moore-Klopf pointed me in the direction of this really depressing article from the New York Times. To sum it up, Inkwell Publishing Solutions did a lot of editorial work for Harcourt's textbooks. Now that Harcourt is in trouble, it's not paying its vendors. So Inkwell has gone belly-up, leaving approximately 50 freelancers scrambling for their very survival.

Something similar happened here in Indy about six years ago. A packager declared bankruptcy and many freelancers got just a fraction of what they were owed. (Somehow I got lucky and got my money just in time.) The lesson we all learned is to never let a client owe you too much. If they owe you money and it's more than a month overdue, you might have to refuse future assignments until you are paid. You have to go with your gut, of course. You don't want to risk being seen as a troublemaker. But you also have to be able to minimize your losses in case the worst happens, as it did for the Inkwell people.

Is Freelancing Drying Up?

I've heard from way too many people recently that their freelancing pipelines are empty. Naturally, publishers that are hurting are going to try to cut back their title lists and pull as much in-house as possible. It makes me nervous for all of those who make their livings this way. Is my anecdotal evidence just that--anecdotal? Or are you having the same experience? What can a freelancer do to adapt and get more work? Will some people have to give it up and go back in-house? Will there be jobs for those people? Is the sky falling?

Apress Moves Offices from California to New York

Berkeley computer book publisher Apress has posted this announcement on its website:

Apress, the leading publisher of books on emerging technologies announced the full implementation of a revolutionary, scalable, technology-based publishing process that will be unveiled at Tech Ed 2009.

The new publishing system is largely based on the collaborative tools, SharePoint and Biztalk, and features document check-in and monitoring, automated scheduling, integrated financial analysis, seamless information creation and delivery, and enhanced billing, invoicing and contract controls.

Apress further announced the relocation of its offices to the Springer office in New York City to unify the Apress workforce and to implement the new workflow system. With the move to New York, Apress will be closing its current office in Berkeley, California.

If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@apress.com.

Uh, yes, we have questions. What of those people in Berkeley? Have they been laid off? And what about the freelance editors who have worked for them for many years (my friend Linda included)? Will someone from Springer be in contact with them? Will they continue to receive assignments?

Negotiating the Freelance Economy

This article in today's Wall Street Journal careers section caught my eye. It substantiates my theory that a lot more people are going to be free agents in the future, getting their work on a contract-by-contract basis.

But what bugs me is the suggestion that Elance is a freelancer's panacea. The few times I have explored this site, I have seen thousands of people vying for jobs that pay ridiculously low rates. I've seen offshore freelancers underbidding to the point that no American could afford to take the job. Personally, all freelancing work I've ever gotten has been the result of carefully cultivated personal networking, anyway.

From the employer side of things, I can't imagine hiring someone I'd never met before. I just know way too many talented editors to take a chance on an unfamiliar face. I'm betting that the majority of publishers feel the same way.

What are your experiences with sites like these? How on earth can you stand out in a database like that? Have you ever gotten a job through a site like this? Have you ever hired someone through Elance or a similar site?

Meanwhile, we're chuckling here about an over-eager potential freelancer, with zero experience, who keeps desperately calling our home office and practically demanding that we send her some work.

20 Books for Freelancers

It's always been a popular aspiration--to have control of your own time and more variety in your work by becoming a freelancer. But these days, more and more editors and writers are finding themselves starting freelance careers as a means of survival after a layoff. And many of them will make rookie mistakes.

Freelance writer, proofreader, and blogger Steph Auteri calls herself a greedy consumer of how-to career books. She took a minute out from reading to share her list of the most influential books she's read on starting and optimizing a freelance career.

I'm ashamed to say that although I am aware of many of these books, I haven't read a single one of them. From this well-rounded list, I see at least a couple that I need to get my hands on (not the money-advice ones, though; nobody pinches a penny harder than I do).

New Writing, Editing, and Indexing Classes from the EFA

The Editorial Freelancers Association is announcing a new slate of publishing-related courses to be offered online in the next quarter. You can see the full list here on Katharine O'Moore-Klopf's EditorMom blog. The courses last from 4 to 6 weeks each, and some of them even have (gasp!)homework. If you're an EFA member, you can get a discount on the enrollment fee.

For more information, keep an eye on this page. The courses aren't yet posted there, but will be soon.

Author Solutions Buys Another Competitor

Indiana-based self-publishing company Author Solutions has recently purchased Xlibris, a high-end self-publisher based in Philadelphia (see the IBJ report here). Xlibris has 500 employees and Author Solutions has 400. VP Terry Dwyer, a Macmillan Computer Publishing exec from way back, says he doesn't expect any layoffs as a result.

The report says Dwyer expects this to be a strong year for the company. I can see his point--to a point. If traditional publishers are cutting back acquisitions and reducing advances, many more people who might have gotten a deal before will take a closer look at self-publishing. But how many other people might be putting their self-publishing dreams on hold a little longer because they can't raise the capital it takes to engage a self-publisher's services?

Just a few weeks ago, Author Solutions put out a general call for freelancers of all types. Here are the details on that:

Requirements: This is a flexible, freelance position that is perfect for those looking for regular work or for projects to work on when they have free time.

Author Solutions, including iUniverse and AuthorHouse seeks experienced book editors and manuscript readers. Experience with major traditional book publishers preferred. High-speed Internet and Microsoft Word required.

Applications welcome from candidates with hands-on book experience in manuscript critiquing, proofreading, indexing, copyediting, line editing, content editing, developmental editing, book doctoring, and ghostwriting. Applicants with backgrounds as acquisitions editors, book reviewers or agents also welcome.

About Our Company: Author Solutions is the leading supported self-publishing service provider using POD technology to provide authors with professional, affordable, and fast service. http://www.authorsolutions.com/

Contact: Editorial Freelance Coordinator,
Author Solutions Editorial Department
E-mail: http://us.mc556.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freelancers@authorsolutions.com
Address: 1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, Indiana 47403

Special Instructions: Please send cover letter and resume to http://us.mc556.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freelancers@authorsolutions.com

Gory Details of the Macmillan Layoffs

Can't resist pointing out this article from the New York Observer, which gives you an idea of what it was like inside the Macmillan offices during the layoffs.

The article also goes into great detail about how earlier publishing layoff victims are coping. Some high-profile people are still "floating," and the writer observes that

Most of the book people who have for whatever reason had to leave their jobs in the past year should not expect to find new ones if they only consider positions at the handful of New York trade houses that they’re used to working for. Instead, both Ms. Shanley and Ms. Sayre said, these people will have to make their living by doing freelance work and seeking out new outlets for their skills.

So I have to wonder: Will there be enough freelance work for everyone who seeks it? Certainly the fact that people are being laid off will necessitate that more work be sent out. But publishers are also cutting back their lists, which means less work in general.

The article then goes on to quote people bemoaning the end of the publishing world as they know it, tying it to the end of the Industrial Revolution. Well, folks, I have to agree. We are in the midst of the Information Revolution, and the way we do business and deliver information is changing. Those people who couldn't ever be bothered to learn how to edit on a computer will be the first ones left behind. Those who figure out what the trends are and adapt their skills accordingly are the ones who will lead the new publishing paradigm (whatever it may be!).

A Medical Editing Audio Conference

Freelance editor and friend of this blog Katharine O'Moore-Klopf has asked me to pass along the following information about an upcoming audioconference she will be copresenting. The healthcare field is one of the hottest in our economy and will continue to be so for the rest of our careers. Here's a way to use your editing talents in an industry that is growing.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS, will be a copresenter of an audio conference, sponsored by Copyediting newsletter, on common problems in medical editing. The conference is for new medical copyeditors and for those who would like to become medical copyeditors. You can get more details and register by going here. The main topics will be

• When to stet jargon and when to eliminate it
• How to describe patients—they aren't their diseases and they aren't on meds
• Where to find solutions to problem reference-list entries
• Which sections of the AMA Manual of Style you'll keep returning to

Katharine has spent the last 18 years as a medical copyeditor, most of them as a freelancer, and she is also certified by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences as an editor in the life sciences. She will be speaking from the viewpoint of an editor who works on both medical textbooks and medical journals. There will be Q&A periods scattered throughout the conference.

If you can't change your schedule to participate in the audio conference, you can go here to order an audio CD of the conference. If you can't afford the cost of the conference yourself, you and one or more colleagues can register under one name and make arrangements among yourselves to share the cost. International callers are welcome; consider using VoIP software such as Skype to decrease the cost of your time on the phone. And remember, if you're already self-employed as a freelance editor in the United States, the cost of the audio conference (and the audio CD, if you purchase it) is a business expense that you can write off on your income tax forms.

Get ready to pick up your phone and learn from the comfort of your employer's office, your home office, or your home. If you've wanted to know what makes medical copyediting different from copyediting in other fields, this is the conference for you.

Is There Such a Thing as a Freelance Acquisitions Editor?

Occasionally over the years I've gotten inquiries from people who want freelance acquisitions work from us. I've always rather discounted the idea because I've thought that the functions involved in acquisitions needed to stay in house, for several reasons:

• I just couldn't envision how this would work.
• A freelancer would really have to get up to speed on our publishing strategy and procedures, not to mention our contract and terms.
• We have enough trouble producing the books we acquire now. We don't need to ramp up acquisitions until we know we can ramp up editorial and production, too.
• The hard part is coming up with the ideas that we haven't already done, and most freelancers want you to give them the book idea and let them run with it.

But today I stumbled upon a posting for a freelance acquisitions editor at Thompson Publishing (not to be confused with Thomson, which is now Cengage, et al) that outlines exactly how this might work:

1. The company hands the freelancer an idea.
2. The freelancer does market research on the idea's viability.
3. Then he or she shapes the idea into a customer-centric focus.
4. The freelancer then recruits an author.
5. The freelancer negotiates the contract with the author.
6. The freelancer manages the writing process until the book is delivered to the publisher.

Okay, now I see how this might work. But I still don't need to outsource my acquisitions anytime soon.

What Color Is My Parachute?

It's a spooky time in the business world, and the publishing industry is no exception to the rule. When we had a wave of layoffs at my company this summer, it got the rest of us thinking about what we would do if it happened to us. I found my answer fairly quickly because it's the answer I've been sitting on for nine years, since layoffs were threatened at my former employer. In a word: freelancing.

So skittish was I about the prospect of going jobless that I have been doing freelance editing on the side ever since I left Macmillan in 1999. I was finishing up a big deadline for Alpha just weeks before my baby was born, and I picked it back up again when she was 1. I have always steered clear of doing anything competitive to my main gig, and have not allowed my performance to suffer as a result.

But dang, it's been hard. When I get a project from Frommer's, I work every night and all weekend for two weeks straight. I've just learned how to take "power breaks," rapidly decompressing and then getting back to work before wasting too much valuable time. I count on my husband tremendously to keep the child out of my hair. Recently she broke my heart when I shooed her away and she said "Mommy, you work too much."

So I've still got good connections in place. But with publishers delaying projects (in some cases, their entire lists) until next year, it's just one of the baskets I'm putting my eggs into. The other is--get ready--resume writing!

I have been enchanted with the art of resume writing since 1999, when I first met Susan Whitcomb and worked with her on reprint corrections to her classic Resume Magic. Since that time I have acquired and edited dozens of resume how-tos and collections, attended resume writers' conferences, and soaked up the best of the collective wisdom for how to optimize your personal marketing presentation. I know all too well how really difficult it is to do it right.

Recently I got the opportunity to try my hand at writing resumes myself--and I loved it. It uses every bit of reporting, marketing, writing, editing, SEO, problem-solving, big-picture, and tiny detail skill I have developed over my entire career. But best of all, it's a lot faster than writing or editing a book!

So the point of all this is that we all need to be thinking of what we will do if we lose our jobs. If you lose yours, I'll be happy to take you on as a client. :)

Editorial Freelancers Association Offers Courses

The EFA recently announced its slate of fall education courses for freelancers. Many of them are online, but a few are offered in person at the EFA office in New York City. Here's a sampling of what's available:

• Pricing Strategies for Freelancers


• Copyediting Basics


• Substantive Editing Clinic


• How to Get Freelance Work

Check the link above for dates and prices. Thanks to freelance editor Linda Seifert for the heads up on this.

Career Encouragement from a Teenage Millionaire

The keynote speaker at the NRWA conference was Cameron Johnson, whose recent fame derives from having been runner-up on Oprah's Big Give. But at age 23, he's already been a self-made millionaire for almost a decade.

Cute as a button and in command of the room, Cameron enthralled and amazed us with the story of his entrepreneurial ventures--from being the first eBay reseller of Beanie Babies to making $15,000 a day from his Internet business while still in high school. Cameron's business instincts have been unerring.

So imagine the dissonance I perceived when he said his latest venture was to write a book. During the Q&A session, I had to ask:

"I work in book publishing and I know it's not a very profitable business model," I began.

"Oh, it's terrible!" he interjected.

"So what was your motivation to write a book?" I asked.

He went on to elaborate on the grim statistics of the publishing business to the audience full of secretly aspiring authors. Then he said that the reason he wrote it was to tell his story, in response to many requests. He said he has an awesome agent in La Jolla who got him a bidding war like the ones we read about in Publishers Lunch, and presumably a big advance. So he was one of the lucky few, and You Call the Shots has been a successful venture.

The key takeaway from Cameron's riveting presentation was this:

"Put yourself out there. If you don't ask for it, you're never going to get it."

I intend to keep this thought in the forefront of my mind going forward.

Tim Huddleston on Making the Leap to a Freelance Career

Tim Huddleston is another of my publishing heroes from way back. After a successful career in publishing management, he became a freelance editor in 1995 and has been equally successful at that. He is now the owner of docugistics, inc., in Charlotte, North Carolina.

So if you're thinking of starting your freelance career, Tim's got some great advice for you. Take it away, Tim!

• On timing and the economy: I’m not sure there’s a perfect time to make the leap from in-house editing to freelancing. You just have to prepare yourself as best you can, then jump. Strangely enough, in my area of specialty (college textbooks, apprenticeship training manuals, software documentation, and self-training manuals), a bad economy means more work for me. When things take a downturn, more people go to school or look to improve their skills; this creates a greater demand for the products I develop.
• On how much money you need to make: The big question is whether you can find enough work to generate the income you need. So, your first step is to figure out what that income has to be. You might want to discuss this with an accountant, because whether you become self-employed or incorporate your business in some manner, your tax situation will change. And it’s much more painful to pay your taxes yourself, especially 100% of your Social Security tax, than to let an employer do it for you.
• On setting rates: Once you determine what your income (including enough to cover all your taxes) has to be, you can figure out how much you need to charge your clients. I suggest determining what your average hourly income should be and then using this as the basis for negotiating your contracts. If a client wants to pay by the project, you can estimate the number of hours required and multiply that by your desired hourly rate. Rates, by the way, are all over the map. Some clients are happy to pay $65/hr and up for a top-notch developmental editor, writer, or revisionist. Others can’t see spending more than $30/hr for the same set of skills. You have to decide what you’re comfortable with and be open to negotiating. I have found that some clients don’t bother negotiating; they ask what your standard rate is, then they pay it.
• On demonstrating your value to clients: I try to position myself as a “utility player” with my best clients. They know I can edit, develop, write, author online help, do acquisitions or project management, capture screen shots, walk their dog, or clean toilets. I try to remind them frequently of the value I can create for them, so they tend to think of me first no matter what they need. This is helpful because it means a variety of projects without having to juggle a large list of clients. In situations like these, where a client needs you to do a lot of different tasks, you may be able to land a retainer-style contract that guarantees you a specific amount of work over a set period of time. Such contracts can help you manage your time and provide an excellent sense of security.
• On emergency employment situations: If you think your employment is about to end, start lining up clients as quickly as possible. Don’t walk out the door without at least one contract in your back pocket. Having a freelance arrangement with your current employer can cushion the blow if you have to exit. However, don’t look for other clients on company time/phone/network; do it at home, at lunch time, or on a day off.

Getting Freelance Work in Tough Times

Beyond the Elements of Style blogger Jeannette Cezanne, whose offshoring posts I've picked up on in the past, extends the discussion today. She acknowledges prior discussions on how much freelance publishing work is being sent overseas, and couples that with the dire implications of the economic downturn. Freelance work might be more difficult to come by these days, so she had good tips on how to scare up more work.

I just got out of a meeting with a rep from a publishing services company who commented on the downturn as well, saying that many publishers are trying to defer expenses to 2009, and thus are scheduling projects to finish up and be billed in January and after. They don't want to spend money on freelancers; yet they've gone through so many downsizings that there's nobody left in-house to do the work. So something's gotta give. Will that result in title count cuts, more things being done exclusively online, or what? I don't know, so what do you think?

The Elephant in the Room: Offshoring

Yesterday I hinted at my persistent worry that someday my job will be sent offshore. I've seen it happen with layout and design--thriving departments of hundreds of people working three shifts reduced to just one guy who sends things to India. A whole room full of typesetters in Singapore who work for peanuts overnight. Even JIST has begun sending some software development work overseas.

Of course, it makes short-term business sense to do it. If you can get things done faster and cheaper (and presumably with good quality), why wouldn't you?

In her post Shipping the Work to India, Beyond the Elements of Style blogger Jeannette Cezanne offers some insights and some hope. If editors can find their niche, they can swim alongside the riptide of offshoring.

But this isn't the end of the discussion as far as I'm concerned. I want to know what all of you think about the offshoring trend. Do you see it happening? Are you doing it? Is it taking work away from you or driving down your rates? How can we as American editors justify our continued existence?