In 2019, I was a political science professor who was fed up with the stress and hostility of academia–not to mention the low pay. I left my tenure-track job and went from barely surviving to thriving as a freelance academic editor. Today, I own Acadia Editing Services, an editing and coaching business that brings in six figures a year.
In this podcast, I’ll discuss the challenges of academia, what academic editing involves, and what life as a freelancer looks like. If you’re willing to jump outside your comfort zone, it IS possible to find joy, true flexibility, and a profitable and rewarding career as an academic editor.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2019, I was a political science professor who was fed up with the stress and hostility of academia–not to mention the low pay. I left my tenure-track job and went from barely surviving to thriving as a freelance academic editor. Today, I own Acadia Editing Services, an editing and coaching business that brings in six figures a year.
In this podcast, I’ll discuss the challenges of academia, what academic editing involves, and what life as a freelancer looks like. If you’re willing to jump outside your comfort zone, it IS possible to find joy, true flexibility, and a profitable and rewarding career as an academic editor.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
🎙️ AI is NOT taking your editing job—unless you let it.
In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Servais, a former fiction editor and agency owner who pivoted her entire career after asking ChatGPT to edit a paragraph.
Erin has since trained hundreds of editors in 20+ countries in her signature course, AI for Editors.
She shares:
🤖 How she transitioned from agency work to AI instruction
🤖 The Star Trek-fueled curiosity that led her to AI long before it was cool
🤖 Why vague prompts ruin AI editing—and how to fix them
🤖 Her favorite tools for developmental, line, and copy editing with AI
🤖 Why emotional resistance to AI is valid—and how to move through it
Whether you’re curious or resistant, this episode will shift your mindset and give you concrete tools to future-proof your editing business.
đź“Ś RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Erin’s course: aiforeditors.com
Tools discussed: Notebook LM, ChatGPT, Claude, Draftsmith
đź”— Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach? Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor
00:00 - AI is powerful but requires knowledgeable human editors.
01:03 - Editors need skills in AI prompting for effective editing.
13:39 - Interest in AI has developed over a long career in editing.
15:30 - Specific prompts lead to better editing results with AI.
16:58 - Editing involves numerous specific, granular tasks.
17:10 - AI tools need clear instructions for better outcomes.
19:07 - Teaching AI prompting can enhance communication skills across contexts.
20:38 - The course design followed AI technology advancements.
22:46 - Courses evolve as functionalities of AI improve.
23:57 - Accept that constant updates in AI tools are challenging.
27:33 - Validate feelings about AI, whether fear or skepticism.
29:43 - AI is not a magic solution; it requires proper use.
30:23 - Companies are realizing AI does not entirely replace human editors.
35:54 - Notebook LM can efficiently handle long documents, excellent for content analysis in editing.
38:58 - Smaller text pieces yield better results in AI editing.
39:18 - Use specific prompts for effective copy editing with AI.
41:37 - Draft Smith improves line editing directly in Microsoft Word.
44:42 - Transparency with clients about AI use is crucial.
45:04 - Explain how AI tools will protect client’s intellectual property.
50:10 - Erin's AI for Editors program is available online.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.