We recently connected with Michelle Hoffman and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
If I were starting over, I would do my best to break out of my introvert shell and find ways of advertising my services. I’ve been editing since 2017, and people still tell me they had no idea that I offer it as a service. As far as my writing goes, if you don’t advertise your books, they don’t get purchased. It’s sad but true that a little word of mouth is no longer enough. I see authors today having to use multiple social media sites to plug their stories, sending out newsletters, paying for ads, and begging others to share and review their work.
Michelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As a freelance line editor, I have to credit my start to a misunderstanding. I was taking care of my mother as a full-time status and therefore, I couldn’t work outside the home. My only escape was in books and I was looking for free books because it wasn’t a hobby I could support on zero income. I began beta reading for authors. One author contacted me back and told me that I wasn’t beta reading her books, I was line editing and that it was a paid job. She helped me get set up with a website (which I admit to not really using) and started with word of mouth. That’s how Michelle’s Edits was born. I have found that I have to remain on the lower end of the price scale in order to attract customers. Since I am the only one editing, I do sometimes have scheduling conflicts, but I contact the authors to ask if a rush job can go ahead of theirs. Most are agreeable. Almost all of my clients have remarked on how pleased they are with how fast I can return a manuscript to them. I also write stories under Sofia Ann Hoffman. I prefer to write paranormal stories with a sense of humor and each story having a ‘happy for now’ or happy ending. I also tend to write a dog or a doglike creature in each of my books. They say to write what you know and I’ve always had dogs.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of my job as an author and as an editor is that I can work from any location as long as I have internet periodically to send and receive manuscripts. This has been helpful as I have had to travel to take care of family members and that meant time sitting with them in hospital rooms. I also have been able to work on editing while attending a convention for my writing.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
For most of my clients, our first contact is through email at [email protected]. As work progresses, I often will discuss with them on instant messaging for a faster response time in both sending and receiving messages. I have the instant messaging set up on both computer and cell phone, so I can receive messages quickly and almost anywhere. It comes in handy if I have a question about something I am editing and need to clarify before sending it back to the customer. Some of the customers and I have built up enough of a relationship that I have provided them with my personal phone number for text messaging as well.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michellesedits
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Sofia-Ann-Hoffman-787177021483337 https://smile.amazon.com/Sofia-Ann-Hoffman/e/B079J5X971?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1654267831&sr=8-1