We were lucky to catch up with Anne Victory recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
I’m a freelance editor, primarily of fiction. There are several types of editing, from big picture down to looking for typos. A lot of freelance editors offer several of these services, but they perform all those passes themselves. The problem with this approach is twofold.
The first issue relates to that old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” If you’re constantly doing different levels of service, you might be okay at all of them, but you won’t reach the upper levels of mastery. Personally, I’d rather hire an expert than a generalist.
The other problem is that the more familiar you are with a project, the more likely it is that you’ll miss things. Your brain starts skimming, and that leads to errors sneaking through. That’s just the way human brains work, but there are ways to fix this issue.
At Victory Editing, I brought on skilled developmental editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders so the author gets multiple passes from different people. I was determined to provide a production process that would rival what you find in the big publishing houses. Authors are welcome to pick and choose which services they want, but for those who get a full package—I’d put those books up against anything New York puts out when it comes to production quality.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Sure! I got into editing over a decade ago. Like many of my clients, I’ve been an avid reader since I was about five. I read thrillers, mysteries, some horror, true crime, science fiction, and of course, my great loves: romance and fantasy.
I’ve also always been a stickler for grammar, and at every job I was “volunteered” (or volun-told) to either write or proofread everything from menus to game manuals to advertising copy. That business writing and editing experience came in handy when I started to work in fiction. With my background in English literature, grammar, and library science, it was a fairly easy decision to work with authors.
One thing I learned early on—authors wear a lot of hats, especially if they self-publish. Not only do they write the book, they’re in charge of production, marketing, and admin. It’s a lot. One way I help is that I’m the sole point of contact if they get multiple services from Victory Editing. Not having to juggle services from multiple providers frees my authors up to focus on other areas of their business or just have a little more me time.
At Victory Editing, I try to build relationships with my authors and become a valuable team member, not just someone who does a job for you and then you never hear from me again. The success of my authors translates to my success.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Definitely word of mouth. Far and away, word of mouth is the most effective way to get new clients. If you tell someone you don’t know how great you are—even if it’s true—they’re going to be skeptical. They don’t know you, and you’re giving them a sales pitch. They’re right to not trust you straight out of the gate. But if a friend, colleague, or someone they look up to tells them that you’re the person to contact, you instantly have that trust. It’s a lot easier to keep trust than gain it.
As far as how to get word of mouth—ask. Every time I send a project back to a client, I tell them how much it would help me if they mention my name if someone’s looking for an editor. And they’re helping the person who’s looking too, so win / win. Most people love to help, and if they’re happy with your product or the job you did for them, they’re more than happy to pass your name along. Moral of the story: Don’t be shy. If you don’t ask, your clients or customers might not even think to give you referrals.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I send out a newsletter each month to my clients. I keep it personal but light for the most part and tell them what’s been going on with me during the month. I also always include a section on what my availability looks like and another section where I highlight book releases that I and my team worked on. I don’t get on social media a lot aside from business posts, so it’s a great way to stay in touch.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://victoryediting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoryediting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoryediting
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/victoryediting
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoryEditing
Image Credits
All images were taken by me or a professional photographer.