DITL: Kristen

A day in the life of a freelance book editor....

I am a freelance book editor. After a decade working as an editor in-house at two of the top book publishers in New York City, I went out on my own. Now, I work directly with authors as they revise their manuscripts and search for agents or embark on an indie career. You can learn more by visiting my website. Wondering what I do all day as a freelance book editor? I adore routine videos and while mine would never be as glamorous, here’s a peek at how I spend a typical day…

First of all, I wake up without an alarm usually no later than 6:20. I drink a semi-gross concoction of bone broth and protein powder while I peek at my emails to make sure there haven’t been any overnight emergencies. Then, I do some kind of morning workout varying between easy stretching or hard weightlifting, depending on how I feel and whether I have a workout class (usually pilates or kickboxing) scheduled for later. I was once fully brainwashed by all of the self-care propaganda out there, but I am slowly starting to find a practice that is more sustainable for me which has just been staying off my phone as much as I can, consuming enough protein, and walking outside every day.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

My kids wake up around 7:15 or so and I do everything I need to do to get them both to school. After those couple of hours of wrangling two adorable tornados, I make it to my desk.

First, I check my email again and answer anything urgent. I get a lot of email. I try to treat every single one of my (many!) clients like they are my only client, so I make sure I answer them all ASAP no matter their question. And the questions I get vary from checking my schedule for new projects, specific writing questions, a chapter or two to read and weigh in on, a cover to critique, agents to choose between, back cover copy to read, a contract to review - I help with everything! My goal has always been to be a trusted friend writers can turn to for anything and, judging by the amount and variety of messages I receive, I’ve succeeded. I also receive a fair number of emails from new to me writers looking to get on my schedule with new projects. I am booked for most of the summer, but if you’re looking for help in the fall please reach out soon. I am always booked a couple of months in advance, although I will fit in my repeat clients whenever they need me no matter what.

After I put out all of the fires in my email, I start editing. My one true goal of every day, aside from being calm and present, is to complete the page editing goal I’ve set for myself. I work on one complete manuscript at a time and I usually read a manuscript at least twice if not more. You can read more about how I edit in the second question of this Q&A:

Ask Me Anything (March 2025)

Once I hit my editing goal, my day is more relaxed but it usually involves a couple of phone calls, a walk with my pug, lots of snacks, and being completely finished with my day and ready to greet my kids when they come home from school at 3:30.

Family time lasts until bedtime, usually 8 at the latest, and then I check my email one more time, make a to-do list for the next day (every day I make a new to-do list), fill my water bottle, and then relax with either a television show or a book. I am always reading at least one book outside of work (I don’t want to say “for fun” because the manuscripts I edit are always fun too) and those are usually different from whatever I am editing at the time. So, for example, if I am editing a cozy mystery then I am reading a very dark thriller or a romance.

I feel like my days are very relaxed as a freelancer because my only true jobs now are to edit and to help my clients as well as any other authors that need me. I also write this newsletter on a weekly basis, usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays during an edit break. When I worked in-house at Hachette Book Group and Penguin’s New American Library, I never edited during the day. All editing was done after work and on the weekends while my days in the office were filled with so many (so many!) meetings. Now that I can edit during the day, I have more free time outside of traditional office hours and generally feel a lot more relaxed and productive.

I hope you enjoyed this peek inside my day. I’m always here for questions.

Gentle reminder: Inside An Editor’s Brain is kept afloat by paying subscribers who support this work - and keep me from having to return to a life of so many (so many!) meetings.

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