Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristina Haahr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Every project I work on has special meaning to me because it has a special meaning to my client! I know that might seem like such a trite thing to say, but I really mean it. My clients are realizing a dream by publishing. They are writing their first book, finishing a memoir, or submitting an article to a publication. Some of them are creating a way for their nonprofits to earn income or maybe even making a career change to full-time author. But whatever project they are sending me, it’s an important milestone for them. I remember years ago, I was partnering with a client who planned to publish this particular project, a memoir that captured a major event in the author’s life, before their twenty-first birthday, realizing yet another goal they had set for themselves. Working with them to make their project say just what they wanted it to say, and then to see them submit it, have it published, and watch them absolutely light up from the inside out because they had done this really hard thing was the best feeling for me too. I remember thinking “YES! I helped with that! Look at them SHINE!” and I knew I could do this kind of work for a long time. Whenever I’m meeting with a prospective client, I always ask what their goals are with this manuscript. What are the hopes and dreams they’ve assigned to these pages—because there always are—and those dreams and goals become my focus as I work. This client wants to achieve this particular dream—so what can I do to make it happen.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I suppose I’ve always been an editor. I was the kid you wanted assigned as your peer reviewer in school. I have good attention to detail and I love grammar. But more than that, I understood the elements of telling a good story. I think I must have been fun to work with too because I never had a tough time finding a partner in class. Editing came easy for me. But traditional publishing wasn’t an industry easy to crack. I don’t live in New York. And I’ve never had enough savings to intern for free. Over the years, I offered my love of editing as a gift to friends and family, nonprofits and good causes to make their thesis, book, article, project, just a little bit better. Eventually, someone told me to send them an invoice and I’ve never looked back.
I love being a freelance editor and working with authors who self-publish as well as authors who find agents and publish their work traditionally. The freelance part is important because I get to work directly with the author who has poured out so much time and effort and love into their projects and together, we get to make it something really special. I started taking editing courses and continued to fine-tune these skills so with each client and project, I help their words shine. I provide all levels of editing from evaluation services like beta reading and manuscript evaluations so they know what kind of shape their draft is in and what their next steps might look like. And then I offer developmental editing, line and copy editing, and proofreading, depending on what each client needs. Sometimes these services can be grouped together and the author and I can really double down on our partnership and oftentimes build a relationship that spans a series of books or articles.
There are a lot of freelance editors out there. With the growth of self-publishing and social media, it’s easier now than ever for someone to get their story into the hands of the right reader. But not all freelance editors are created equally. Some have formal training, some have experience only. Probably the best is a combination of the two. But what’s really important is that an author finds the right editor for them. Someone who tells them not what they think they want to hear but what they need in terms of crafting a better project. Someone who speaks in a language that resonates with the author and meets their specific project needs instead of a strict adherence to archaic rules. I would say by and large, I’m not a rule follower. And that sets me apart from a lot of freelance editors out there. I don’t like enforcing rules and guidelines. I like looking at the pages in front of me, the project, the author, the goals, and creating something unique but something that will create that connection between an author and their reader. I love to combine line and copy editing instead of charging for each separately. And I will not keep developmental comments to myself if the author is open to hearing them, no matter the kind of edit I’m contracted for. Our stories are what makes us who we are. And good stories are my specialty.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I have learned so much about editing, freelancing, owning a business, and being in the service industry over the last few years. And everything I’ve learned has happened through a community of like-minded people. I wish I had known from the very beginning how to connect with that freelance community. When I was first starting out, I thought I was the only one. I thought no one would understand what I was trying to accomplish. I learned that this “not understanding” was actually a great segue into a deeper conversation. Not only could I connect with potential clients just by mentioning my business, but I could also find other freelancers out there! We can share resources, course opportunities, and even clients so that our clients always get the best services that meet their goals and timelines. I’ve met accountants, graphic designers, ghostwriters, dietitians, people in the health industry, folks in marketing, all kinds of people who know what it’s like to be out here doing this thing on our own, and no one but another freelancer understands the specific struggles of owning/loving/running a service-based business. It is also through community I’ve learned that there is so much work to go around. No one needs to horde names or undercut someone else’s business. We can share our resources, time, and expertise with each other and then the freelance editing business as a whole is better. I’m so thankful to have that abundance mindset learned through community as well as my freelance editing community.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Every day, with each project, I am driven by connection. I get to connect with my client. And my client gets to connect with their reader. When I do my job right, all of that connection happens. It’s like electricity! And it can change the world. Authors spend months, sometimes years, pouring their heart and soul into their story. That means something to them, so it means something to me. I am desperate to do my part to make my author’s story zing right into their reader’s heart. Stories have the power to change lives. They can fill the reader with wonder, inspire them, or make them feel seen. Almost everyone has a favorite book, a story they heard or read that changed the course of their life. How amazing is that? Words do that! Authors do that! But only if the story gets published and only if that story is crafted in such a way it leaps off the page and grabs ahold of the reader. I want to help do that. I can’t think of anything better, and I feel lucky every day to do this work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kristinahaahr.com/
- Instagram: @thishaahrgetsaround
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-haahr-482442b7/
Image Credits
Chuck Haahr
Spellbound Bookstore