I get a lot of queries about how to break into copyediting, and I sometimes end up not even being able to respond to everyone who inquires. (I have information on my website about how I broke into freelancing, but I must need to link it a bit more visibly: There. Done, and linked on the sidebar.) Nick Mamatas, though, has written a really excellent post on an incredibly important milestone in the freelancing process. Any of you who are interested in freelancing for a living should check it out.
1) Ask yourself, “Self, how much do you really like pain?”
2) Do you really, really like pain?
3) How much pain can you tolerate.
4) Pain is good.
Have you considered writing non-fiction? The good titles, “Freelance Copyediting for Dummies” and “The Complete Idiots Guide to Freelance Copyediting” aren’t available, but they do seek book proposals.
Just to make a few bucks to support your fiction habbit, of course.