by Jackie Goutor
Every new editor hears one piece of advice over and over: find your niche. January’s speaker, Tom Moss Gamblin, would definitely approve of this bit of wisdom, given that his career is a case study in the successes of niche editing.
Gamblin completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in pure mathematics in the mid-1990s, but neither teaching nor research appealed to him. While in school, he participated in choir and in editing the film magazine Sprocket. Inspired by the latter, he looked for work as an editor and quickly landed his first job with an academic press. “Right company, wrong floor,” Gamblin told us. He’d been hired to edit secondary-level textbooks.
Still, it turned out that schoolbooks require very specific design elements, and Gamblin found himself working closely with the graphic designers. Math typesetting, for example, presented the challenge of fitting as much as possible on a single page, or as Gamblin put it, “jamming a quart into a pint pot.”
Gamblin, feeling “footloose and flexible,” decided to travel for a while, landing in Toronto to explore opportunities and gather information. He lucked into a position as a math and science publisher and decided to settle in and join a local choir. Eventually, Gamblin turned to freelance work, expanding his interests to include economics.
While clients continue to seek out his ability to understand the “grammar of the equation,” permeability between work and life is key, says Gamblin. Knowing a little bit about a lot of things means editors are adaptable and can take on a variety of projects, so long as the learning curve is clear. Gamblin stated that boundaries are permeable, and freelancing requires editors to allow opportunities to grow. His willingness to “always take a call” eventually brought him the opportunity to lead the development of the Province of Ontario’s math curriculum.
Freelancing requires agility, and Gamblin has worked with clients in eight countries over four continents, in four different kinds of English. He recommends a “have laptop, will travel” approach. Sometimes freelancers must work on vacation, but diversity in life fosters the generalist mindset. Gamblin suggests editors read widely: enough to gain traction in any subject, and if required, push on to understand underlying concepts. Aspire to be the “mythical educated reader.” The learning ethic keeps generalists nimble and ready to take on a variety of projects and clients.
Gamblin closed his presentation with three pieces of advice:
- Stay awake to serendipity.
- Be resilient—you won’t always know where the next client will come from, but they will come.
- Enjoy—whenever anxiety hits, remember to enjoy your opportunities, past and present.
An excellent Q&A followed, so I’ve kept the original questions and summarized the answers.
Question: When coming into a topic that’s new to an editor, how long does it take to ramp up? How do you know when to stop?
Answer: Generally, the deadlines inform the preparation time. The preparation is guided by the manuscript itself. Research anything that comes up during the edit, and the bibliography will provide any additional in-depth reading.
Question: Freelancing has changed a lot. Where do you look for clients?
Answer: The Editors Canada ODE (Online Directory of Editors) works well for niche editors. For those with a more liberal art background, consider the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) in the UK; these will open new markets for you. Send out rounds of letters to academic and general publishers, but just be sure to do your research so you’re aiming at the right desk or the right inbox. Keep training and keep your skills fresh. In general, keep your radar open and active.
Question: When researching magazines, journals, and academic publications, etc., how do you find the “right desk”?
Answer: Companies will often list their staff on their websites. If there’s nothing on a website or the information is unclear, approach someone in the HR department—that’s how Gamblin got his first job in Canada. Be sure to pitch yourself as someone they need and be clear about what you do so they can forward your information to the right person. No secret networks, sadly.
Question: Any advice for someone just starting out?
Answer: Consider educational publications, particularly high school textbooks. Remember, if you’re coming from academics, you already have meaty qualifications to offer publishers and authors. Consider an Editors Canada mentorship, particularly to ensure you know the technicalities of editing. Take proofreading and editing courses. Build your network and keep your ears open. Most importanly, hang in there! Opportunity may be around the corner
Question: Any thoughts on LLMs (large language models) and their impact?
Answer: Initially there seems to be a lot of fear, but we just haven’t envisaged the work of the future. It’s very likely that we’ll all be working on a higher-level platform. There will be opportunities, but we do have to be flexible. Focus more on relationship-building and the human contact and support you can offer.
Tom Moss Gamblin’s CV and contact information are available on his website.
Jackie Goutor is a Toronto-based fiction editor with a special interest in mysteries, science and speculative fiction, and fantasy. Her time as a reference assistant at the Toronto Public Library comes in handy when fact-checking crime scenes and alien ecosystems.
This article was copy edited by Piu Chowdhury. She is a writer and poet.
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