We recently connected with Christie Stratos and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
As a writer, when I first started engaging with fellow writers on social media, I noticed a pattern. There was a lot of confusion and upset around trying to find a good quality editor who didn’t cost an exorbitant amount. Well it just so happened that when I went to college, I had been a writing tutor as well as the first student proofreader for the school magazine! I loved editing other people’s work and had gotten great feedback from professors on handing in well-edited academic papers and fiction. I saw a need for excellent but affordable editors, and that’s how my business, Proof Positive (https://proofpositivepro.com), was born!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As an editor in my own business, I work both directly with authors on their manuscripts (and other writings like newsletters, website content, etc.) and with small presses on their authors’ manuscripts. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching an author I’m working with improve their writing over time, and to have played a part in that is both humbling and thrilling. Part of what’s wonderful about my work is developing long-term working relationships that blossom over time into friendships, and then introducing amazing writers to each other. What a fantastic network it creates! So overall, I’d say there are many fulfilling parts of being an editor.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Time management is key to being able to work on multiple manuscripts during the same general time frame. Since this is my full-time job, I have to work on a few manuscripts at a time, which can only go as smoothly as it does with good time management. Organization is another major component—as an editor, I need to be able to keep meticulous notes using a book map as well as creating a style guide so that authors’ series are consistent. Being detail-oriented is also crucial. All those little details throughout a story, in everything from all aspects of the plot to the color of a character’s eyes, make a major difference in the reading experience once the book is published. If someone were just starting out, I’d say take some courses from the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). They offer plenty of fantastic courses that are very much worth the time. In terms of time management, if you’re struggling, try the Pomodoro Technique: set your timer for 25 minutes and focus on nothing but work. Take a 5-minute break, then start working again for 25 minutes. There are many variations of this, but it can train your brain to focus when you tell it to.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
While it’s great to invest time and effort into making sure your strengths are always at their best with the most up-to-date information, ignoring weaknesses can be a huge mistake. My advice is to always carve out time to improve things you aren’t good at that could help your business, even if you feel you simply aren’t capable. I beg to differ! You might be surprised what you can learn and accomplish if you’re willing to try and to be gentle with yourself while you do so. In my own case, I’ve learned to work with unfamiliar word processing programs, I took a course in how to create useful book maps before I had a good system for keeping tracks of plots and details, and I most recently took a conscious language course to ensure modern, non-offensive word choices wherever possible. These were weak spots at first, but all three were very much worth the trouble to learn and become proficient in; they each enabled me to boost my business in ways I couldn’t have imagined previously.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://proofpositivepro.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proofpositivepro
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiestratos/
