TaraYou might not be a new freelance editor, but when you’re new to business, marketing can be a little overwhelming and confusing.
How do you get people interested in your services? But, more importantly, how can you make yourself stand out from all the other freelance editors out there?
I get it…you want to be seen as an expert, or as one of the best editors out there on the market. And maybe you’re the best one out there, but when it comes to marketing yourself and what you offer your clients, there are a few words and phrases I truly believe you should NOT use…
- Error-free
- Perfect or perfection
- 100% accurate
This might be an unpopular opinion, especially as someone who is an editor and wants to do the best job I can, but I strongly encourage and recommend you NOT use these words in your marketing. By using these in your marketing, you’re setting an unrealistic and, frankly, unattainable expectation or result for your clients.
Above all else, we are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. The best editors in the world still miss things. [read that again]
Promising something that’s incredibly difficult to achieve not only sets an unrealistic expectation for your client, but it also puts extra pressure on yourself to be…well, a perfect human being.
Instead of using phrases like “error-free,” “perfect,” or “100% accurate,” use words like “polished,” “refined,” or “elevate” instead. These words show off just how amazing you really are without giving your current and future clients an unrealistic expectation of what you offer them.
Editors and proofreaders aim to find every single error, but the reality is that some will slip through the cracks. My advice is to do the absolute best you can, attempt to do better and learn with every project, and remember that you are HUMAN.
